Vienna

Walk the Ringstrasse, the most historic street in Vienna

If you are going to visit Vienna, it is almost certain that you will go to the Ringstrasse. It is the street with the largest number of monuments in the city and a must for any tourist.

It is a 5.3 km long avenue that, like a ring road, surrounds the center of Vienna and there we find the most important buildings built during Historicism.

We tell you what to see on the Ringstrasse and what its main points of interest are. Surely this avenue will not disappoint you.

A little history of the Ringstrasse

Vienna - Hofburg PalaceThe center of Vienna was surrounded by a great wall built in the 13th century, which served to protect the city from possible invasions, including those of the Turks.

But in 1857 it began to be demolished under the mandate of Emperor Francisco José I with the intention of building a boulevard.

This boulevard is the Ringstrasse and it was decided to build several monumental buildings on it.

The construction of the Ringstrasse was not easy due to different conflicts between the Vienna City Council and the Austrian Government that were finally resolved

That is why today we can admire this wonderful avenue and its buildings, although many of them were damaged by bombing in 1945.

The Votive Church and University

Vienna - Votive ChurchStarting the tour of the Ringstrasse from the west, we find the Votive Church, one of the most important neo-Gothic churches in the world.

Its two spectacular 99-meter-high identical towers that rise above the Vienna sky stand out above all.

It was inaugurated in 1879 and was built in the same place where Francisco José was about to be assassinated.

Right in front of the Votive Church we have another of the outstanding constructions, such as the University of Vienna, the largest in Austria (91,000 students study there) and one of the oldest in the former Holy Roman Empire since it was created in 1365.

The Vienna City Hall. The Wiener Rathaus

Vienna - RathausThe next thing we will find in the Wiener Rathaus, or what is the same, the Vienna City Hall.

It is a very characteristic building of the municipalities of Central Europe and is surrounded by a very nice garden where there are often markets or festivals.

Across the avenue, just opposite, we have the Burgtheater, one of the most important theaters in the world. The current building dates from 1888 although the theater was founded in 1741 in another building.

In any case, the theater we see today was rebuilt after World War II as it was badly damaged first by bombing and then by fire.

The Austrian Parliament and the Hofburg Imperial Palace

Vienna - ParliamentThe Austrian Parliament, facing the imposing Volksgarten park, is the next big building we come across.

It is a neoclassical building built at the end of the 19th century, although it was also rebuilt after World War II.

Of the Austrian Parliament, the imposing statues that we find on its exterior as well as its façade stand out and it is possible to visit its interior on a guided tour.

At last we arrive at the most spectacular and imposing building on the Ringstrasse, the Hofburg Palace.

Vienna - Hofburg PalaceThe Hofburg Palace was the official residence of the Habsburgs and consists of different buildings that you can visit. The visit is long, but if you have time it is very interesting.

The most important places to visit in the Hofburg Royal Palace are the Imperial Apartments, the Sissi Museum and the Court Silverware and you can do it with an audio guide in Spanish with which you will not be able to miss a single detail. You cannot leave Vienna without visiting this palace.

Opposite we have the Vienna Natural History Museum and the Art History Museum, two symmetrical buildings facing each other and separated by a park.

The Vienna Opera, the most famous in the world

Vienna - OperaAnd a little further on we have another of the city’s essential buildings, the Vienna Opera, which can also be visited on a guided tour with a guide in Spanish.

It is the most important Opera in the world and its interior captivates and impresses anyone.

Although in his day, the Viennese were not too enthusiastic to the point that his architect committed suicide for not having been able to meet expectations.

The visit to the Vienna Opera can end in another of the most important parks in Vienna, Stadtpark, perhaps the favorite park of the Viennese and also for tourists.

How to get to the Ringstrasse

Vienna - Opera InsideSince it is a very long avenue, there are different ways to get to the Ringstrasse.

The best of all is the tram, especially lines 1 and 2, since they cover the entire avenue and you can visit it completely.

But there are also other lines that arrive from different parts of the city to the Ringstrasse.

You also have the Vienna Ring Tram, which is a tourist tram that runs along the avenue.

If you want to go by metro you have different stops along the Ringstrasse such as Schottentor, Rathaus, Volkstheater or Karlsplatz.

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