The Austrian capital of Vienna has long been a bastion of European culture and exploration. From its historic cafe culture and burgeoning literary movements of the last two centuries to the bustling modern landscapes of European modernity and youthful creativity, it is no wonder that Vienna has become a hotspot for digital nomads. As multiple cities across the continent and around the world compete to top the list as the best digital nomad destination, Vienna is quickly rising to challenge its way to the top.
This guide will show you why the Viennese metropolis ticks so many boxes when it comes to remote workers and the digital nomadic life. Highlighting the Austrian culture centralized in the capital, the sheer volume of co-working spaces, the undeniable hub and buzz of the city, and so much more, let us see why Vienna is a great place for digital nomads.
1. There’s Plenty to See and Do in Vienna
It is by no accident that Vienna is seen as one of the most culturally significant and most visited cities in Europe. Welcoming tens of millions of visitors every year, the Austrian capital is a city full of opportunity when it comes to things to see and do. The historic center of Vienna is, alone, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Made up of breathtaking architecture of Baroque castles, gardens, and 19th-century buildings.
There is no end to attractions and must-see sights when it comes to sightseeing and things to do on your days off from working as a digital nomad in the Austrian capital. Apart from gazing aloft at the stunning scenery, Vienna has landmarks and institutions that rival any other global city.
Those who have a keen eye for history should not overlook the numerous world-class museums that call Vienna their home – this includes the Sigmund Freud Museum and the Jewish Museum. Continuing with the historical significance of Vienna, the Hofburg Palace, once the center of the Austro-Hungarian empire, is an immaculate palace of outstanding beauty and not to be missed.
Vienna’s world-famous cafe culture and coffee houses will have you sipping coffee amongst some of the most captivating buildings and cafe surroundings anywhere in Europe. This goes hand in hand with their iconic pastries and cakes that have long been the envy of the world.
2. Great Working Spaces for Remote Workers
Another reason why Vienna has quickly risen to be one of Europe’s and the world’s most popular cities for remote work is its plethora of remote working spaces. Quick to join the gap between a bustling modern working city and a huge diaspora of digital nomads from across the globe, Vienna has remote working spaces of all shapes, sizes, and prices – this is ideal for both the most experienced, yet also the newbie class of remote workers. Let’s take a look at some of the most praised and celebrated remote working spaces within Vienna.
Talent Garden Austria
Located along the road known as Liechtensteinstraße, the Talent Garden Austria is renowned as one of Austria’s popular and talked about remote working spaces, and for good reason. The modern design of an open-concept working space makes Talent Garden Austria not only a productive setting in which to work but also allows an element of socialization and networking between users of the space.
As an added bonus, Talent Garden Austria also offers a selection of free workshops and a multitude of industry experts who are on hand to share their experiences and advice.
Impact Hub Vienna
Impact Hub Vienna is another of the Austrian capital’s most celebrated remote working spaces. This space is known especially for its casual co-working environment and is particularly popular with start-up businesses. The onsite cafeteria is also praised for its huge range of goods and locally sourced food.
Additional amenities such as meeting room rental services, business address services, and cooking facilities all make Impact Hub Vienna a hugely popular working space for the burgeoning population of digital nomads in Vienna.
STOCKWERK Coworking
Stockwerk Coworking tails our list of great remote working spaces in Vienna, but it is far from last in terms of popularity. The space is the ideal balance between both focused and collaborative work. With a huge onsite car park, traveling to the remote working space by car is simple and efficient.
The main meeting room is able to host around 120 people, and there are also chances to hire spaces for even more. Whether you are a digital nomad coming here to work alone in peace or a company group seeking a place to connect and inspire, Stockwerk Coworking is the place to be.
3. Wide Range of Neighborhoods to Live
So, with fantastic opportunities for leisurely activities and exceptional co-working spaces, what else makes Vienna such a great place for digital nomads? The answer to this is a huge array of automation, housing, and overall residential neighborhoods throughout the city. Vienna has neighborhoods that are full of history, culture, and character.
For a digital nomad, you may be looking for more affordable districts and neighborhoods in which to live, and when it comes to Vienna, this doesn’t mean you have to trade in comfort or accessibility. Let’s break down the best neighborhoods in which to live in Vienna as a digital nomad.
Leopoldstadt
Covering the eastern edges of the Austrian capital and the western banks of the Danube River, the neighborhood of Leopoldstadt is a great place to settle as a digital nomad. Here, you will get the extreme beauty of sprawling Vienna, yet with surprising affordability.
The leafy green expanses of parklands can make you easily forget you are close to the center, but the neighborhood has great connections to inner Vienna. Ideal for traveling to working spaces or working peacefully from home.
Donaustadt
Donaustadt is another popular place for digital nomads to make their home in Vienna. Being one of the furthest neighborhood’s outside of the city center, prices dramatically fall in this district – ideal for digital nomads first arriving in the city.
Not only will you save a few Euros on your rent living in the Donaustadt neighborhood, but you will also be close to the wide open spaces of greenery close by.
Favoriten
Sprawling along the southern part of the city, the neighborhood of Favoriten is arguably one of the most affordable in all of Vienna. Once known as the working-class center of the city, the district now plays host to a wide range of communities, including digital nomads and young professionals.
Finding Accommodation in Vienna
Aside from the many great neighborhoods in which to settle as a digital nomad, there’s also the matter of finding accommodation. Vienna has a wide range of places to live for newly arrived remote workers and digital nomads, with serviced apartments being some of the most popular.
Using Homelike to find apartments within Vienna is a fantastic way of finding the perfect place to live while working remotely. The easy-to-use search engine allows you to filter out your needs, with everything from the cost of rent, size of apartment, locality, and even the amount of time you wish to stay.
4. Hassle-Free Austrian Visa
With Austria being part of the Schengen area, digital nomads from any of the European Union nations, or Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein, can enter the country without any difficulty. Those from these states can stay for up to 90 days, simply with the national identity document.
On the other hand, those from European countries such as the United Kingdom, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Romania, and Ireland must present their passport when they enter Austria.
Those countries that don’t fall into either of these categories must obtain a permit known as a Schengen visa. This being said, there are a number of countries in which their nationals are exempt from the obligation to present a visa to cross their borders.
These include, among others, Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bosnia Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, South Korea, Costa Rica, Commonwealth of Dominica, El Salvador, United Arab Emirates, United States, and New Zealand.
This loose freedom to enter Austria only adds to its huge popularity as a digital nomad hotspot. With a few points of admin, you are therefore able to set up a new working environment in the Austrian capital.
5. Stunning No Matter What the Weather
Even as a digital nomad, it’s important to know what the best time to visit a city and country is. Although you may not be as inclined as the average holidaymaker to sight-see and relax, as if it were a causal holiday, having the best weather and opportunities to enjoy the city can be vital.
The average temperature in the Austrian capital is around 9°C, with mild summers and cold winters. The warmest months in Vienna are between the months of June and August when temperatures rise to around 25 to 27°C. On the other hand, the coldest months in Vienna are December and January, when temperatures can fall down to an icy -5°C.
Depending on what you want from a digital nomad location – touristic crowds or a calmer pace of life away from fellow visitors, the time of year can be a huge factor. As a popular tourist destination, you will find visitors to the city arriving all year round, with many seeing June as the most popular time of the year. On the tourist front, crowds drop to their lowest during the winter months, with a slight peak around the Christmas holidays.
Final Thoughts on Vienna
As we have seen, the list of reasons to make the Austrian capital of Vienna your new digital nomad base is ever-growing. From the sheer beauty and culture of the city itself, you are surrounded by a playground of landmarks, restaurants, cafes, and nightlife.
The booming digital nomad scene has also taken hold, bringing in thousands of fellow remote workers from across the globe. With this, an infrastructure of remote working spaces has sprung up here over the past few years, making the transition into working life here simple. All of this truly shows why Vienna is a great place for digital nomads and why you should make it your next working destination.
