Vienna has finally dislodged Melbourne from the honor of being called the most livable city in the world. The two metropolises have been neck and neck for several years for the title.
In an annual survey of a hundred and forty urban centers conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), the city from down under has been clinching the title for the past seven editions.
EIU's Global Liveability Index measures different aspects of the city including its political or social stability, crime rate, education, transportation, as well as access to health care, a report from BBC indicated.
This year is a different case. With the lowering rate of militant threat attacks from Western Europe as well as the apparent low crime rate, the Austrian city finally made it to the top, as added by CNBC.
Vienna, which is also the largest federal state of Austria, is a landmark of rich artistic and architectural legacies both from the past and of the contemporary times.
It is also the birthplace of musical luminaries such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Joseph Haydn, Beethoven, and Johann Strauss II, just to mention a few.
The arts and the culture had also been a focal point of interest, not only by visitors from around the world but also by its own citizens. Theater, opera, classical music, and fine arts are just but some of the highlights offered in this city.
Numerous green spaces, as well as countless parks and flower gardens peppered within the metropolitan area, also crowned the affluent city.
Like most cities in Europe, Vienna is big when it comes to preserving the legacies of the past in all its forms, may it be architectural or artistic.
While the majority of its tourists are drawn for its historic attractions, Vienna, however, isn't just all about the classical.
"People think about Vienna as very a classical city, one for older people, but it does have its wild side and nightlife -- there's always something going on," said one resident in an interview with ABC.
In all its glory, Vienna remains an attractive city for those who preferred a frugal way of life.
As added by the ABC, it's public transportation is less expensive compared to other European capitals like Berlin, in Germany, or London, in the United Kingdom.
Trailing behind Vienna and Melbourne are Osaka, Calgary, and Sydney. Vancouver, Tokyo, Toronto, Copenhagen, and Adelaide, meanwhile, took the bottom five of the top ten list.
On the other side of the spectrum, the Liveability Index marked Damascus as the least pleasant city to find yourself in.
