Stephansdom, Vienna's most prominent landmark and other Vienna, Austria Things to Do Tips

The STEPHANSDOM is the means's point of Vienna, and its most important symbol.
The Viennese name it "Steffl".
The prominent building is placed, in centre of the city, and is visible, from throughout Vienna. It is 108 m long, 39 m wide, and 137 m of high.
The construction of the cathedral began in the 12th century, in the year 1147, as a Romanesque basilica.
This church was burned down twice.
Under the order of the King Ottokar II of Bohemia, began in the year 1260, the construction of a Romanesque church.
From this construction, it remained the Giant Gate (Riesentor) and the west facade of the cathedral, with its Heath Towers (Heidentürme).
In the year 1359 began the rebuilding of the church, in the Gothic style.
The Foyer Choir (Hallenchor), the Nave, and the South Tower were erected in this time.
Beginning of the 16th century, the construction, at the North Tower, was broken, because of the dangers of the Turks.
In the year 1579, this tower was covered, with a tower helmet.
The Stephan cathedral remained relative intact after the Turk sieges, but in year 1945, it suffered heavy damages, under a big fire, almost at the end of the World War II.
In the year 1948 began the re-construction of the cathedral, with the population's support from whole Austria. It lasted seven years.
The "Steffl" was transformed into the people cohesion’s symbol, after the horrors of the war.

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Phone: 01 515 52 3520
Address: St.Stephens cathedral, Stephansplatz, Vienna
Directions: Located in the "Innere Stadt", the cathedral is the geographical and emotional heart of the city.
Station: Stephansplatz
Metro: U1, U3
Website: www.stephanskirche.at or www.st.stephan.at

The Opera House was built in 1862 and was the first building constructed in the Ring.
The architects, August von Siccardsburg and Eduard van der Nüll created the Opera House in the French Renaissance style but were bitterly criticised.
When the Opera House was opened in 1869 with Mozart's "Don Giovanni,“ the two architects were already dead.
Following a bombardment in 1945 the theatre was completely destroyed by flames.
The reconstruction lasted ten years: Erich Boltenstern designed the stalls and the staircases whilst Zeno Kosak designed the hall.
The iron curtain depicting Orpheus and Eurydice is the work of Rudolf Eisenmenger.
On 5th November 1955 the Opera House was reopened, in a solemn ceremony, and a performance of Beethoven’s “Fiedelio” was given, conducted by Karl Böhm.
The opera orchestra is made up of members of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.
In addition it has its own State Opera House Corps de Ballet.
A list of its orchestra conductors alone would be enough to attest to its worldwide reputation:
Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss, Furtwängler, Böhm, Herbert von Karajan, Maazel and Abbado.

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Phone: 01 514 44 26 06
Address: 1. Vienna, Opernring 2
Directions: Seen from the Ringstrasse, the majestic stone building is dominated by the original loggia, which survived World War II.
Station Karlsplatz/Oper
Metro: U1, U2, U4
Tramways: 1, 2, D, J, 62, 65
Website: www.wiener-staatsoper.at

This splendid church was built, as thanks, for the failed assassination on Emperor Franz Joseph I., at the 18. February 1853.
The construction began in the year 1856, after the plans of the Architect Heinrich Ferstel and it was consecrated in the year 1879.
The Votivkirche was built in the New Gothic style, and possesses, important artworks, that play an important part in the Austrian history.
The towers and helmets have a beautiful filigrees structure.
Many chapels of the church are dedicated to Austrian regiments and war heroes.
The most beautiful monument of the church is the renaissance sarcophagus of the count Niklas Salm, the commander during the first Turk siege 1529.
This beautiful construction is a special worth seeing in Vienna and an important objective, for the tourists that visit this city.

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Phone: 4061192
Address: 9.,Rooseveltplatz 8
Directions: Station Schottentor
Metro: U2
Tram: 1, 2, 37, 38, 40, 41, 42, 44, D

The present building of the University was created in style of the Italian renaissance in the year 1883, after the plans of the architect Heinrich Ferstel.
The imposing stairways in the lobby lead to the immense halls of the university.
The beautiful arcade of the main yard is decorated with monuments of the most famous university teachers and with statues of Sigmund Freud and of the philosopher Franz Brentano.
The hallways are hangs with posters, of the present-day students, hangs.
On the walls of the hallways, hang many posters with the names of the current students of the University.
Approximately 50 000 students participate today at the courses in the University of Vienna.

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Address: 1, Dr.-Karl-Lueger-Ring 1, Vienna
Directions: Station: Schottentor
Metro: U2
Tram: 1, 2, D
Website: www.univie.ac.at

The stunning church combines Oriental and Baroque flourishes.
This striking church was built between 1715 and 1737 to honour Karl Borromeo, the patron saint of the fight against the plague.
Its aim was to thank God for delivering Vienna from the plague epidemic in 1713 that claimed more than 8,000 lives.
Emperor Karl VI held a competition among architects to design the church, which was won by Johann Fischer von Erlach.
The Baroque masterpiece has a dome and portico borrowed from classical architecture, while there are Oriental echoes in the minaret-like columns.

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Phone: 01 504 61 87
Address: Vienna's famous baroque church
Directions: Station Karlsplatz
Metro: U1, U3, U4
Website: www.karlskirche.at

The new City hall is a splendid construction, with an exclusive architecture, placed in the middle of Vienna.
It is place of the Viennese city and country parliament.
The edifice was built by architect Friedrich Schmidt, in years 1872 until 1883, in the New Gothic style.
The middle tower of the main facade is 98 meters high, and in the peak of the tower is placed a statue (3,5 meters), a knight with lance" that is named “town hall man":
The building has seven yards and many statues by Austrian personalities are placed around the building.
In the front court of the town hall are organized film festivals, summer concerts, the Christmas market, and other events, the whole year long.

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Phone: 01 525 50
Address: 1. Rathausplatz, Vienna
Directions: Station : Rathausplatz/Burgtheater
Metro : U2
Tramways : D, 1, 2
Website: www.wien.gv.at

The Innere Stadt is a connection of history, tradition, art, religion, and architecture.
This magical place has been designated, since 2001, a World Heritage site.
It is the most popular walking place in the city.
The aged edifices of here are very important for the history from Austria
and from the whole world.
The Innere Stadt is a real open-air museum.

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Address: The old part of Vienna inside the Ringstrasse

The giant edifice was created by the architect Theophil Hansen, and it was built into the year 1874 until 1884.
The massive construction is a splendid concept in classic style, with a unique architecture.
The main facade is built as a temple, with white column, beautiful sculptures and paintings and the entrance to the parliament is attainable over a wide driveway ramp.
A lot of marble sculptures, that represent Greek and Roman historians stand along the ramp.
In front of Parliament stands the Athena-well that was created by Karl Kundmann in the year 1902.
During the World War II, the Parliament was destroyed, and it was reconstructed until 1956.
The building of Parliament is a very important edifice on the Ringstrasse, a construction that means very much for the historic and socially lives of Austria.

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Phone: 01 40 110 2570
Address: 1., Dr.Karl-Renner-Ring 3, Vienna
Directions: the buildings of the famous boulevard
Station Volkstheater
Metro: U2
Website: www.parlinkom.gv.at

The most famous street of Vienna is, as its name shows, a ring that encloses the first district.
The emperor Franz Joseph I. had the initiative, and ordered the complete reconstruction of the street, into the current appearance.
The construction works began in the year 1858 and lasted until 1865, as the 4km long and 57m wide Ring Street was opened solemnly.
This beautiful boulevard has several parts:
Stubenring
Parkring
Schubertring
Kärntnerring
Opernring
Burgring
Dr.-Karl-Renner-Ring
Dr.-Karl-Lueger-Ring
Schottenring
Franz-Josefs-Kai
Along this historical way, one can look at numerous important buildings and parks:
Stadtpark (City Park)
Staatoper (State opera)
Hofburg
Kunsthistorisches Museum
Naturhistorisches Museum
Volksgarten
Parliament
Rathaus (Town hall)
Burgtheater
University
It is wonderful to go for a walk along this street.

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Address: Ringstrasse
Directions: Trams: 1 and 2

The "Burgtheater" is a splendid edifice on the Ringstrasse (Ring Street), exactly in front of the City Hall of Vienna and one of the best German theatres.
It was built, after the plans of Gottfried Semper and Karl v. Hasenauer, from 1874 to 1888.
Although it was one of the last constructions on the Ring Street, it was the first this become illuminates electrically.
It was the ex "caesarean theatre", with a luxury auditorium hall from the past times.
In the 1945, the theatre was burned, as follows of the horrors of the II world war.
In the year 1955, the house was restored and reopened.
The construction is 136 m long and in the middle 95 m deep.
The facade is 27 m high.
This beautiful construction has a capacity of 1285 seats and 105 standing-places.
Many decorative figures and busts of the sculptor Tilgner, Weyr and Kundmann are to be admired at the outside of the theatre.

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Phone: 01 514 44 4140
Address: Dr. Karl-Lueger-Ring 2
Directions: Station : Burgtheater/Minoritenplatz
Metro: U3 - Station Herrengasse
Metro: U2 - Station Rathaus
Tramways : 1, 2, D
Website: www.burgtheater.at