Vienna is surrounded by nature – a green belt encloses the city and contributes to the high quality of life in Austria’s capital.However, it is not just these woods the citizens of Vienna can name their own. The city of Vienna also owns the protected source areas in the Hochschwab and Schneeberg-Rax region, where Vienna’s Water comes from.2005 marks the 100th anniversary of the creation of the green belt around Vienna. On that occasion Georg Riha and his team have produced this ORF-UNIVERSUM documentary, commissioned by the City of Vienna.Sit back and enjoy the rough beauty of the Hochschwab region, the majestic peak of Schneeberg, picturesque autumn sceneries, the „classic“ Vienna Woods and the fascinating winter wonderland of the Danube Wetland Forest National Park.

Schönbrunn is a world of marvels and mystery, of public glamour and curious secrets. The wealth of its building and landscape architecture, the grand views and hidden details, the wildlife, tamed nature as well as its past and present human population supply more stories and images than even the most insatiable camera can record.Schönbrunn in the protean succession of the seasons, of light and shadow, day and night is presented by Sir Peter Ustinov and was broadcasted in the “ORF-UNIVERSUM”-series for the 250th anniversary of the Schönbrunn Zoo.

Join Georg Riha and his team in this ORF-UNIVERSUM production and discover one of the most beautiful stretches along the Danube.Featuring a great number of aerial shots, this documentary captures the cultural and natural beauty of the entire region, as well as portraying the Alzinger family in their vineyards during the seasons.The Wachau, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is presented from unusual perspectives, offering spectacular views of this picturesque area.

An ancient fortress, a historic centre of true baroque, the venue of a legendary stage festival - this is the Salzburg familiar to everyone. But Georg Riha's documentary presents Mozart's city from perspectives never seen before.Unshackled by space and time the viewer enters upon a unique filmic foray into one of the world's most popular cultural centres, discovering the still unknown and hidden beauties of this fascinating city off the beaten tourist tracks.

This is the story of a land, where forces of nature are at play - beyond all things that a human can ever dominate or be able to conquer. The birth of Tyrol was one of collisions, where previous far apart continents were conjoined, wedged together and piled up on top of each other. The result is a steep world of diversity on the smallest area: depending on the depth of a valley or the height of a mountain ridge, depending on its direction and position at the edge or in the middle of the Alps, depending on whether its slope is steep or flat, there is a spot in Tyrol that is icy or mild, lush or paltry, dry or full of water. This film presents the fascinating world of the high mountains with all their diverse flora and fauna and the living conditions throught the seasons.

The film reveals all the miracles and curiosities in the salamander world that, until now, were only known to a few experts in the field.

After beginning in Vienna, the Danube riverbank forests extend to the gates of Bratislava, linking the two capitals like a green ribbon, forming a unique wildlife habitat in the heart of Europe. A few years ago a 36 kilometer section was turned into a national park that now protects the last undeveloped stretch of the Danube River and also the last riparian zone of its size in Central Europe.

"Operation OPEC - Terror Attack in Vienna" - On December 21, 1975, six terrorists including the Germans Gabriele Tiedemann and Hans-Joachim Klein, led by Venezuelan top terrorist Carlos, attack the participants of the OPEC conference in Vienna and take eleven oil ministers and dozens of employees hostage. The action kills three people. The lavishly researched film reveals the background of the spectacular attack and establishes connections. The investigators, former hostages and some of the terrorists involved are heard.

"Operation OPEC - Terror Attack in Vienna" - On December 21, 1975, six terrorists including the Germans Gabriele Tiedemann and Hans-Joachim Klein, led by Venezuelan top terrorist Carlos, attack the participants of the OPEC conference in Vienna and take eleven oil ministers and dozens of employees hostage. The action kills three people. The lavishly researched film reveals the background of the spectacular attack and establishes connections. The investigators, former hostages and some of the terrorists involved are heard.

The Alps – wild mountains, extreme lives, but also a magical world. This majestic mountain range connects eight countries and reaches heights of up to 4,000 metres above sea level. At a length of 1,200 kilometres, the Alps form both a connecting bridge between western and eastern Europe and a high barrier between southern and central Europe. The mountains act as a mighty water reservoir and continental watershed, feeding innumerable rivers that flow into three different oceans. Their highest peak, Mont Blanc, is surrounded by long, soaring mountains with ice-covered slopes. These great summits are just one reason the so-called “Roof of Europe” continues to fascinate – across the continent and around the world. The incredible diversity of landscapes, flora and fauna makes the Alps a unique natural treasure at the heart of Europe.