City of great empires, of great artists and possessor of one of the richest histories in the world, Vienna has managed to maintain its air of grandeur and adjust it to modern times. Discovering it is like taking a trip back in time. Its palatial buildings and the great architectural appeal that it possesses are a clear example of how a city itself can become an open-air museum.
But, although walking through any corner of the Austrian capital is a true wonder, there is an area where the most outstanding buildings are concentrated, and even in the country. We are talking about the Ringstrasse, the most important avenue and in which art is present in each of its constructions.
Everyone who visits Vienna has to walk along the Ringstrasse, a circular avenue that surrounds the center and marks the border between the Hofburg and Stephansdom neighborhoods. In addition, this road is built in the same place where the old wall that protected the city since the 13th century was located. However, it was the monarch Francisco José I who decided to demolish it in the mid-19th century to give the city a renewed image, close to the imperial style that reigned at that time.
Under his extensive mandate - it lasted more than seventy years and is considered one of the longest in history - the expansion of Vienna was decreed, materializing in the creation of the Ringstrasse. In this way, the access of the old town to the most important suburbs was facilitated. Due to its length, it is not just one street, but is made up of nine different sections in which most of the attractions are found that take us directly to the imperial splendor that the capital boasts.
Did you know that the first buildings that were established on the Ringstrasse were signed by the most prestigious architects of the time? Figures of the stature of Otto Wagner, Eduard van der Nüll, Theophil von Hansen and Heinrich von Ferstel played a fundamental role in putting up buildings, both public and private, which marked a before and after in the image of the avenue.
Likewise, the style used left a significant mark on the historicist architecture used at the end of the 19th century. To start discovering it, one of the best options is to start from Rooseveltplatz and head towards the Stock Exchange Palace. During this first walk we will come across the Votive Church, one of the most important neo-Gothic sacred buildings in the world.
Passing in front of this temple, the two imposing 99-meter-high twin towers will call our attention. However, the history they hide deserves no less attention, since it was in this place where Emperor Franz José I suffered an attack. So that it would not fall into oblivion, a collection was made among the Viennese people to build a temple in the same place of the attack and give thanks for the salvation of the monarch.
Opposite the church is the University of Vienna, which was attended by future Nobel Prize winners such as Erwin Schrödinger. Continuing the route of the Ringstrasse, we find the Rathauspark and the imposing neo-Gothic façade of the new City Hall, directly facing the Burgtheater, the Austrian National Theatre. The beauty of this building not only remains on the outside, but if we go inside it, we can admire paintings by the brothers Gustav and Ernst Klimt, collections of sculptures by renowned writers and poets, and even the largest stage in Europe. .
Following the layout of the avenue is the Volksgarten, the so-called "people's garden". Although we consider that stopping along the way and relaxing admiring its rose gardens is a real pleasure, we cannot leave aside the fact that the seat of the Austrian Parliament, the most important building on the Ringstrasse, is located in front of this enclosure. Built in the historicist style to recall the beauty of the temples of ancient Greece, it played a fundamental role in the renewal of the city.
After getting to know the Parliament, a triangle of museums opens up that are worth visiting. We are talking about the Museum of Natural History, the Museum of Art History and the Ethnographic Museum of Vienna. All of them surround one of the most important squares that can be seen on the avenue, the Maria-Theresien Platz, dedicated to one of the empresses most loved by the Austrians, Maria Theresa of Austria.
In the center of the square you can admire a huge statue dedicated to the Empress, who acceded to the throne thanks to the Pragmatic Sanction, a rule established by her father Carlos VI and which changed world history. Next to the figure of the queen we find different statues of highly relevant local figures such as Mozart, Gluck and Haydin.
To complete the composition of the square, four fountains and some beautiful gardens are distributed in its corners that show us that Vienna is a true open-air museum. Do you think we exaggerate? If you look to your left, specifically next to the Ethnographic Museum, you will find the Burgtor, a door that gives access to the royal Hofburg palace, residence of the Habsburgs for more than 600 years.
The Ringstrasse would not be the same without the stories of the monarchy. In addition to being one of the most visited places, the Hofburg Palace is one of the largest palace complexes in the world where we can find the imperial apartments, the Court silverware and the jewel in the crown, the Sissi Museum, a place perfect to discover the intense and fascinating life of the Empress.
Behind the palace is the Burggarten palace garden, built at a key moment in the history of Vienna. After Napoleon left the city, the Habsburgs decided to create a private garden to fill the void left by the old wall. However, you must bear in mind that it was not public until the end of the empire, at which time citizens were able to enjoy the beauty of its parks and its monuments, such as the one dedicated to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
In just 2 kilometers, we have seen that the Ringstrasse concentrates a large part of the essential monuments to get to know Vienna. And this would not be complete without the next stop, the Opera, the first construction to be completed in the projection of the road along which we walk. How could it be otherwise, the Opera House was inaugurated with the presentation of a work by Mozart.
However, this premiere was not as idyllic as it may seem. The Viennese who attended that concert were totally disappointed, causing the architect to take his own life. Added to this, the second architect hired to improve the building died of a heart attack due to the pressure he felt from such responsibility. Can we be talking about a cursed place? Judge for yourselves, but we can only tell you that in the middle of the 20th century it suffered a bomb attack.
Further on is the Stadtpark, the first public park in the Austrian capital. The extensive grassy meadows gather during the summer many locals who come here to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. Besides, the Stadtpark has an infinity of statues and sculptures that attract numerous tourists. A clear example is the golden statue of Johann Strauss, one of the most photographed in all of Vienna.
To end the walk along the Ringstrasse, the extensive Danube and its main channel welcomes us with open arms after the journey through history that we have just carried out.
