Perhaps many of our SV explorers are familiar with the Kettenbrückengasse metro station as this is the one that stops right next to the famous Naschmarkt. And most likely, many also know the Kettenbrückengasse that is one of the streets that marks the separation between the 4th and the 5th districts of Vienna. And if you understand…
Perhaps you are familiar with the name “Starhemberg“. This is an ancient noble family whose origins can be traced back to Upper Austria and apparently before they served the Habsburgs, they also served the Babenberger, which would mean that they have been around since the 12thcentury. One Starhemberg, Erasmus I, won favor with the Habsburgs…
Not long ago we showed you the Schutzengelbrunnen (Guardian Angel Fountain) in the fourth district of Vienna. Not far from it is a second fountain with a very similar name, Engelbrunnen (Engel meaning Angel in German). It consists of two round basins between which a compact columnar pedestal emerges. On it stands the figure of…
Guardian angels are a widespread phenomenon. Many different cultures throughout history have believed that individuals, groups, cities or entire countries are protected by spiritual beings. In Vienna this idea is manifested in the Guardian Angel Fountain. Its octagonal basin is crowned by a column on which a guardian angel shelters a small child. The water…
When rushing through the subway station Karlsplatz one cannot miss the 2006 Media installation Pi by Artist Ken Lum. At a total length of 130 metres, various statistical data is shown on a huge mirror, referred to as factoids, as Ken Lum calls the constant changing red numbers. Factoids can be both countable facts and trivialised information that is…
Summer time is construction, demolition, and refurbishment time. If you are in Vienna, you may have noticed that almost no stone remains unturned in summer, as it is the best time to do all the construction work that can’t be easily done in winter. Something very common at construction sites is a kind of fencing…
Some months ago, we told you the story of the Elisabethbrücke, which crossed the Vienna river connecting the city center with the district of Wieden (4th district). The bridge, removed by 1897, was decorated with eight sculptures, which now can be seen flanking the Rathausplatz. These are not the only sculptures that had to leave…
We recently told you about the Phillipphof, which once stood prominently across from the Albertina, but was destroyed in 1945 and is today the site of the Monument Against War and Fascism. Unfortunately, it is far from the only architectural casualty of the war and the post-war period. Another once prominent and proud Palais stood…
The Secession building, with its recognizable goldleaf-covered sphere floating over the Linke Wienzeile, has courted scandal and intrigue since the very beginning. As an artistic movement, the Secession was a break with the traditional conservatism of the Austrian art scene and its orientation toward Historicism. Although the building itself, constructed in 1897/1898, has been generally…
There are many landmarks in the city that most people have visited at some point. The Stephansdom is most likely on the top of everyone’s list and the Karlskirche is for sure not far away from it. Built in the 18th century, the Karlskirche is a beautiful baroque church located in the Karlsplatz area. Next…
