Description of the attraction
Vienna City Hall is located in the historic center of this city, about a kilometer from St. Stephen's Cathedral. It was built in the second half of the 19th century and is an imposing neo-Gothic structure. Nowadays, various celebrations and government meetings are held here.
In the middle of the 19th century, the area of Vienna increased greatly in size, as the city included various suburbs and remote areas. Therefore, it was decided to build a new, larger city council building. For construction, a place was set aside where the medieval fortress wall had previously passed, so the new street was named in her honor - Ringstrasse. This area was not chosen by chance - it was here that solemn city parades were held.
The construction of the new town hall began in 1872 and lasted just over 10 years - all work was completed in 1883. The building itself is made in the neo-Gothic style, which is very popular at the moment. This monumental building stands out for its elaborately decorated main façade, which is dominated by four small carved towers and one central large tower topped with a sculpture of the town hall defender, Rathausmann. It is depicted as a standard bearer, dressed in powerful armor from the era of Emperor Maximilian I. The lower gallery of the town hall is made in the form of an arcade, and the facade itself is also decorated with numerous balconies, decorative columns and statues by Anton Brenek, the famous Czech sculptor. In general, the appearance of the new town hall resembles the traditional Flemish Gothic buildings of the city council, as, for example, in Brussels.
The town hall now houses more than one and a half thousand different rooms and halls. Of particular note is the ceremonial hall, which is decorated with statues of prominent city dwellers. In winter, an ice rink is flooded in the main square in front of the town hall, and the building itself is illuminated with bright lights. Inside the town hall, there are 7 graceful Baroque courtyards, one of which has a gourmet restaurant serving traditional Austrian cuisine.
