The Vienna’s Ringstraße
A boulevard that encircles the city center, the oldest part of Vienna.
The Ring is planted with trees on the left and right, and is ca 5 km long and ca 60 m wide. In 1857, Emperor Franz Josef gave the order to tear down the old city walls. The population was constantly increasing and, in order the give the city more room to grow, a loop road was to be built that was worthy of an imperial city. Now, there was plenty of space to work with and big plans were put in motion.
Begin your walk at the opera house, which was built between 1861-1869 by Van der Nüll and August von Sicardsburg. Emperor Franz Josef was not satisfied with the architectural style and vehemently criticized the architect.
The next magnificent building is parliament, built between 1874 -1884 by Theophil Hansen in Hellenistic style.
You will then continue to the town hall, built between 1872 and 1883 by Friedrich Schmidt. The town hall is an important feature of the city of Vienna. The famous Christmas market has a permanent place here, while it also serves as the venue for regular open-air events. In January and February, Rathausplatz square is transformed into an ice skating rink for young and old.
Across the way is the Burgtheater. After the town hall, you will come to the University of Vienna and Votivkirche church.
Somewhat further along is the Vienna stock exchange. The Ringstrasse then feeds into the Franz Josef Kai, before becoming the Ring once more. Your walk now takes you alongside the Stadtpark, home to the famous Johann Strauß monument and the Kursalon, where operetta concerts take place daily.
Between these splendid buildings, you will find palaces from former times, some of which are now used as 5-star hotels. To keep up with the times, a bike path was created along the Ringstrasse. You will also find parking areas for bikes which you can rent out by credit card; an excellent, healthy way to get to know Vienna a little better.
