How does one get a cultural victory?

[Pythagoras]

Whats the deal with the cultural victory. Sometimes it comes out of nowhere I get it, could someone tell me what determines this? What does my cultural value have to get too?

[Bambul]

I had a look in the manual and it doesn't give a very good explanation, though the Civilopedia might give a better explanation. Off the top of my head:

There are 2 ways of getting a cultural victory, either civ-wide culture or single city culture.

To get a single city culture victory one of your cities must reach the 20,000 culture point level (this will probably be your capital or a wonder producing city). After reaching 10,000 the culture bar within your city menu will show something like 12,368/20,000. When it reaches 20K you win the game. Presumably if the AI reaches 20K in one of its cities then it wins the game too, but I doubt that would happen unless you let it build heaps of wonders.

To get a civ-wide culture victory the sum of all your city culture points must satisfy the following 2 conditions:
I. It is atleast 100,000 - or 80,000, I can't remember which, but I think it's 100,000.
II. It is atleast double the total culture of the next highest Civ.
You can check your civ-wide culture on your culture advisor with the F5 key.

I've never won with a cultural victory, but from what I hear it is a bit of an anti-climax.

[Dis]

press the f5 key (I think) or just go to cultural advisor

when your total culture exceeds 100,000 culture points AND has twice the amount of culture as the next highest civ, you get a cultural victory.

You can also get it if 1 of your cities exceeds 20,000 culture points.

[MadWombat]

If you get a cultural victory, the other civs actually like you, unlike moaning about losing.

[Nakar Gabab]

Of course they like you! They're in AWE of your culture!