Rathausplatz (City Hall Square and Park), Vienna
The square in front of the new City Hall (Rathaus) in Vienna derives its name from this prominent landmark. Originally found outside city walls, the area was used for military purposes and remained undeveloped until the late 19th century when it was transformed into a vast square. Over the years, its name changed several times for political reasons, including “Adolf Hitler Square” (Adolf-Hitler-Platz) in 1938, but ultimately reverted to “City Hall Square” (Rathausplatz) in 1945.
Today, the square hosts significant cultural and social events throughout the year, including the famous Vienna Ice Dream - a mobile ice skating rink (from January to February), the Christmas market, the opening of the Vienna Festival (in May), and open-air film screenings with classical music (in July and August). The Life Ball in the City Hall also takes place in the square. Another tradition is a large Christmas tree erected every year since 1959 by one of the federal states, as a gift to the federal capital.
Adjacent to the square lies the City Hall Park (Rathauspark), one of the most popular in town. The park was established in 1873 on a former military parade ground and has remained in active use ever since.
Inside the park, there are monuments to various politicians and artists, including Austrian composers Johann Strauss Senior and Josef Lanner. The park flora features exotic plants like Gingko Biloba, Japanese pagoda tree, umbrella tree, and many others. Some of the trees predate the park itself. The oldest of them is a London plane tree, dating back to 1783. It stands 30 meters high, has a crown diameter of 21 meters, and a trunk circumference of 6 meters.
Today, the square hosts significant cultural and social events throughout the year, including the famous Vienna Ice Dream - a mobile ice skating rink (from January to February), the Christmas market, the opening of the Vienna Festival (in May), and open-air film screenings with classical music (in July and August). The Life Ball in the City Hall also takes place in the square. Another tradition is a large Christmas tree erected every year since 1959 by one of the federal states, as a gift to the federal capital.
Adjacent to the square lies the City Hall Park (Rathauspark), one of the most popular in town. The park was established in 1873 on a former military parade ground and has remained in active use ever since.
Inside the park, there are monuments to various politicians and artists, including Austrian composers Johann Strauss Senior and Josef Lanner. The park flora features exotic plants like Gingko Biloba, Japanese pagoda tree, umbrella tree, and many others. Some of the trees predate the park itself. The oldest of them is a London plane tree, dating back to 1783. It stands 30 meters high, has a crown diameter of 21 meters, and a trunk circumference of 6 meters.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Vienna. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "51: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
Rathausplatz (City Hall Square and Park) on Map
Sight Name: Rathausplatz (City Hall Square and Park)
Sight Location: Vienna, Austria (See walking tours in Vienna)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Vienna, Austria (See walking tours in Vienna)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Vienna, Austria
Create Your Own Walk in Vienna
Creating your own self-guided walk in Vienna is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
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Encircled by the grand Ringstrasse, otherwise known as the Ring, the historic Old Town of Vienna (Innere Stadt) is a designated World Heritage Site.
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Mozarthaus, once home to the legendary composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, is a delightful stop for... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.9 Km or 1.8 Miles
At the heart of it all lies Saint Stephen's Square (Stephansplatz), a bustling hub surrounded by iconic landmarks and vibrant street life.
Mozarthaus, once home to the legendary composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, is a delightful stop for... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.9 Km or 1.8 Miles
Vienna's Historical Music Venues
Austria is synonymous with classical music almost to the point of obsession, and to call Vienna the "Musical Capital of the World" would be hardly an exaggeration. Indeed, over the past centuries, the city served as the home and workplace for many great musicians like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Johann Strauss, Joseph Haydn, Franz Schubert, and others.
Among the... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles
Among the... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles
Vienna's Art Nouveau Architecture Tour II
Characterized by ornamental and organic designs, flowing lines, and harmonious integration of various artistic elements, Vienna's Art Nouveau architecture was aimed at breaking away from historical styles and embracing a more modern, decorative approach. The city's architects of that era sought to create an absolute work of art (Gesamtkunstwerk), where all aspects of a building's... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.0 Km or 1.2 Miles
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.0 Km or 1.2 Miles
Famous Homes of Vienna
Throughout centuries, the Austrian capital has been home to numerous famous individuals, from creative people of arts to thinkers, scientists, and politicians. Vienna's illustrious history is closely intertwined with the abodes of its celebrated residents, where artistic virtuosos and luminaries of their time found solace and inspiration.
The often modest apartments of Vienna's famous... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.9 Km or 2.4 Miles
The often modest apartments of Vienna's famous... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.9 Km or 2.4 Miles
Vienna's Art Nouveau Architecture Tour I
Among the plethora of other things, the capital of Austria, Vienna, is renowned for its contribution to Art Nouveau – the popular art movement emerged and flourished at the turn of the 20th century. Stemming from it the Viennese Secession movement, also known as the Austrian Art Nouveau, or Jugendstil (in German), gave rise to a number of architectural marvels.
By far the most colorful of... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.4 Km or 2.1 Miles
By far the most colorful of... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.4 Km or 2.1 Miles
Old Town Chocolate Stores
Vienna is famous for its love for sweet indulgence. And when it comes to chocolate, it stands tall among other locally-made mouth-watering confections.
Vienna's chocolate scene is deeply rooted in a rich culinary tradition. It has been sustained by several historic chocolate houses, located in the Old Town, that have been serving decadent treats for generations.
Landmark... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.2 Km or 0.7 Miles
Vienna's chocolate scene is deeply rooted in a rich culinary tradition. It has been sustained by several historic chocolate houses, located in the Old Town, that have been serving decadent treats for generations.
Landmark... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.2 Km or 0.7 Miles
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