How to Make Friends in Vienna

Vienna is easy to love on paper. It ranked second in the Economist Intelligence Unit's 2026 Global Liveability Index, behind only Copenhagen, after holding first place in 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2024. Transport works, rents are reasonable for a capital, and more than a third of residents (36.4% as of January 2025) are foreign nationals. A lot of people here are new, too.

Making friends is a different story. In InterNations' Expat Insider survey, Vienna came last for Local Friendliness in both 2022 and 2023, and in 2023 63% of expats said it was difficult to make friends there, against 36% globally. The 2024 edition showed real improvement: Vienna rose to 42nd of 53 cities for ease of settling in, and the share of expats unhappy with their social life fell from 40% to 24%. But it still ranked 51st for Local Friendliness.

Here’s why the gap exists, and what actually closes it. In short: a community where nobody has an established inner circle is far easier to join than one that formed years ago. That’s what makes Les Amis, Vienna’s newest women’s community, a strong place to start. It launched here in September 2026, so every member is building their circle at the same time, and it’s built around the repetition Vienna’s friendships need: a 1:1 introduction every two weeks, curated events capped at 8 to 12 women, and one membership that works in all 13 Les Amis cities.

Why Vienna is wonderful to live in and slow to make friends in

Vienna's difficulty is reserve, long-standing circles, and a culture where friendship follows familiarity rather than the other way round.

Expats across Austria describe locals as reserved: in InterNations' 2024 survey, 41% found Austrians unfriendly towards foreign residents, compared with 20% globally. Viennese social life also tends to run through circles formed in school, university or a local association, and those circles don't expand quickly. Add the city's well-known dry, sometimes grumpy humour, and newcomers can read distance where locals mean politeness.

The practical takeaway: in Vienna, you rarely become friends with someone after one great evening. You become friends after seeing them at the same place, on the same day, for a few months.

Les Amis has just launched in Vienna

Vienna is the newest Les Amis city, launched in September 2026, which makes it a good moment to join: every member is starting their circle at the same time.

Les Amis is a members-only women's community built for real-life friendship. Vienna is its 13th city and its most recent addition, joining Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Copenhagen, Madrid, Milan, Munich, Paris, Stockholm and Zurich in Europe, plus Austin and New York. Members are matched 1:1 with another Vienna member every two weeks and can attend curated small-group events capped at 8 to 12 women, from workshops to dinners. Membership includes access to events in every Les Amis city, which helps if you travel or move again.

You apply to join, and new members are admitted during a scheduled monthly membership window, so check current timing before planning around it. Membership is a monthly fee plus a one-time joining fee.

It fits Vienna for the same reason the city is hard: a new community has no established inner circle. Everyone in the room joined to meet new people, and the biweekly match supplies the repetition that Viennese friendships tend to need.

Join Les Amis in Vienna →

Women's groups and clubs worth knowing

• AWA, The International Women's Club of Vienna has been running since 1924 and today describes itself as an English-speaking community of 250+ women from 40+ countries, with 70+ activities a month. Weekly options include a Tuesday walk (about 4 km, finishing at a different café each week) and a Wednesday morning coffee, plus a book group, language conversation groups, a hiking group called Vienna Trail Sisters, and a monthly happy hour. It has a clubhouse in the first district and is part of FAWCO, the federation of American and international women's clubs abroad.
  
  
• United Nations Women's Guild Vienna is a charity founded in 1967 with around 400 members from about 100 countries. Membership is open to women who are staff, or the spouse or partner of staff, at the UN organizations or permanent missions in Vienna, so it suits that community specifically.
  
  
• PWN Vienna is the local network of PWN Global, a professional women's network focused on leadership, with events usually held in English. It suits women who want career development alongside new contacts.
  
  
• InterNations Vienna runs official expat events and member-led activity groups, including women-focused groups. It's mixed-gender overall and works well as a broad first step.
  

Check each group's current calendar and fees before joining.

The neighborhoods where it's easiest to meet people

• Neubau (7th district) has independent cafés, small shops and a younger, creative crowd, which makes casual conversation easier.
  
  
• Mariahilf (6th district) sits next to Neubau and has the same walkable, café-heavy feel, with the Naschmarkt at its edge.
  
  
• Leopoldstadt (2nd district) borders the Prater and the Augarten and has a growing mix of residents, families and newcomers.
  
  
• Wieden (4th district) is central and residential, with a strong café and restaurant scene around the Naschmarkt and Freihaus area.
  

Living near the places you'll return to (a café, a gym, a class) matters more in Vienna than in most cities, because repetition is how acquaintances turn into friends.

What actually works in Vienna

• Pick a standing appointment. A weekly walk, a regular class or a monthly club night puts you in front of the same people. One-off events rarely lead anywhere here.
• Use the coffee house. Vienna's coffee house culture is built for long, unhurried conversation. Suggesting a coffee is the natural follow-up to a first meeting.
• Join a Verein. Clubs and associations for sport, music, hiking or almost any hobby are a normal part of Austrian life, and joining one gives you regular contact with locals, not just other internationals.
• Learn some German, even a little. English gets you far in Vienna's international scene, but German opens local clubs and makes it easier to move from polite small talk to real conversation.
• Read reserve as politeness. A formal or dry first impression is usually not a sign of disinterest. Give it a few meetings.

FAQ

Q: Is it hard to make friends in Vienna?

A: Many expats find it slow. Vienna ranked last for Local Friendliness in InterNations' 2022 and 2023 surveys, and in 2023 63% of expats said making friends was difficult. The 2024 edition showed improvement, with dissatisfaction with social life falling from 40% to 24%, but Vienna still ranked 51st of 53 for Local Friendliness. Regular, repeated activities work better than one-off events.

Q: What are the best women's groups in Vienna?

A: AWA, The International Women's Club of Vienna, is the longest-running English-speaking women's club, with 250+ members from 40+ countries. Les Amis launched in Vienna in September 2026 with biweekly 1:1 matching and small curated events. PWN Vienna serves career-focused women, and the UN Women's Guild serves women connected to the UN community.

Q: Is Les Amis available in Vienna?

A: Yes. Vienna is Les Amis's newest city, launched in September 2026, making it the 13th Les Amis city worldwide. Members get biweekly 1:1 matches and curated events of 8 to 12 women, plus access to events in every other Les Amis city.

Q: Which neighborhood in Vienna is best for meeting people?

A: Neubau and Mariahilf are the most popular with newcomers for their cafés and walkable streets. Leopoldstadt and Wieden are good options too.

Q: Do I need to speak German to make friends in Vienna?

A: Not at first. English-speaking groups such as AWA, PWN and InterNations are easy to join. Some German helps a lot with local clubs and with getting past small talk.
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The easiest time to start in Vienna

Vienna gives you an excellent quality of life almost immediately. Friends take longer, and that’s normal here, not a sign you’re doing something wrong. Choose one or two things that meet on a fixed schedule, return to the same café and the same faces, and give it a few months.

If you’d rather have the schedule and the familiar faces arranged for you, Les Amis is the quickest way to start. It opened in Vienna in September 2026, so every member is building a circle at the same time, and nobody has to break into one that formed years ago. You’re matched 1:1 with another member every two weeks and invited to curated events of 8 to 12 women, and every application is reviewed individually, so the women you meet chose to be there. One membership also works in all 13 Les Amis cities, which helps if work or life takes you elsewhere. In a city that warms up slowly, that kind of consistency is what gets you in.