Welcome to Cisco Vienna – Where Cisconians and Coffee Fuel Innovation

You could make the case that there are two Cisco offices in Vienna, not just one with our offices being filled with those in sales and systems engineering on floors 30 and 31, and engineers from Software, Systems & Operations and Regional TAC employees on floor 27. But what’s most important is that we are all Cisco, and all working towards a common goal.

If you’re coming to visit us in Vienna, there’s a few fun things you should know. Starting with, did you realize we recently overtook Hamburg as the 2nd largest German-speaking City? It’s true! Here’s what else I recommend knowing when you come to say, “Hello!”

It’s lunch time, where should I go?

The Cisco Vienna office is situated in an office tower on top of a shopping mall – which means there are plenty of opportunities to eat! If you have enough time, you can walk to the “Grill & Chill” which offers (surprisingly) great burgers, ribs, and steaks. If that’s not to your liking, there’s also Japanese, Italian, and Austrian cuisine nearby. Or, if you’re in a hurry, just grab a bucket from KFC down in the food court.  Most places offer discounts to people working in the Millennium Tower, so it never hurts to ask!

What if I’d like to go offsite for lunch or a snack?

There’s, of course, only so much variety the Millennium City Shopping Mall can offer.  For a truly authentic Austrian meal, you can venture outside to Kopp’s Gasthaus which is just around the corner. Up for an adventure? Try to grab lunch to go, get a blanket, and eat across the street at the bank of the Danube River when the weather is nice!

Best coffee. Coffee fuels innovation. Where do I get some?

Anywhere but Starbucks.

What’s a trick you need to know here (who to ask how the espresso machine works, should you enter a side door to get somewhere faster? Etc.)

The elevators can be kind of tricky: you don’t push a button in the cabin! There’s a display outside the elevators (which will be to your left) where you punch in the floor you want to go to. Cisco is on floors 27, 30, and 31 so make sure you know where you need to go first.

Once you enter the floor number, the panel will tell you which elevator you should take – F, G, or H. If you’re not sure if you’re on the right one, there’s a display on the door frame that lists all the stops that the particular cabin is going to make.

If you realize you needed to go to another floor after you got into the elevator, there’s no other way but to ride to the original destination, get out, punch the other floor number in and wait for the right elevator to take you to where you need to be.

Where is the coolest spot to sit? Window seat with a view?

The office in the Millennium Tower is round, so there’s really only window seats available!  And, at this elevation, the view is always nice!

Where is the secret spot that we should visit in the building? Nap pods? Scrabble room?

Sadly, we have nothing of the sort here in Vienna yet. We’ve been lobbying Workplace Resources for something like this though, and it is eventually planned to add “something cool” to every floor.

Fun fact about your building/location/city. (Largest office, most employees, how many employees in the location, etc.)

Millennium Tower is now the second highest building in Vienna, since the DC tower was completed on the other side of the river.  We can, of course, see the other tower from our offices.  I call the DC tower the “Tower of Mordor” due to its black glass design.

If you’re visiting from another Cisco location, or interviewing from out of town, what’s the best hotel to stay in?

The closest from a convenience perspective is Harry’s Hotel, which is the Millennium City itself.  But “the best” overall is either the Marriott or Hilton as they’re closer to public transportation to take you to the office, AND within walking distance of the historic center of Vienna.

If you’re staying an extra day or two, what’s the one tourist spot to hit?

There is SO much to see and do here – so definitely stay an extra day or two, if you can! It will depend on the weather to as what you’d like to do. If it is good weather, I’d suggest walking through the 1st District (the city center) or visit Schonbrunn Palace.

If weather isn’t cooperation, head to one of the many, many, many museums. One of my favorite is the Kunsthistorische Museum – a world renowned museum for historical art. It’s a gorgeous building just on its own!

If you happen to be here in December, be sure to check out the many Christmas markets. Although, try to avoid the tourist trap on Rathausplatz and check out the ones on Freyung or Karlsplatz instead.

What’s the dress code like? Jeans? Biz casual? (But remember, always look sharp if you’re interviewing!)

That depends on the floor you’re working on!  30 and 31 are occupied mostly by sales and sales-related teams. You’ll find many of the Cisconians there in ties and suits, while the women often wear dresses.

27 is housed more by technical folks, so the jeans and t-shirt ratio is a lot higher on this floor.  You can’t go wrong with business casual though.

Find yourself wishing you worked at Cisco Vienna, or any of the sites around the globe? Here’s where you can find all open opportunities.

Is there a gym nearby? Trails to walk? How can you get your steps in to impress fitbit?

You can walk or run along the Danube River, either on the riverbank or on the Danube Island. There’s also a gym in Millennium City that offers day passes.  If you want to run or ride a bike to the office, there’s also a shower on the 30th floor to freshen up before you enter your first WebEx of the day.

We can’t wait for your visit to Cisco Vienna soon! Are you an employee here already? What other fun facts can you share in the comments below?

Want to tour other Cisco sites? Find the blogs here!