The Views of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

Are you afraid of heights and confined spaces? Then, please don鈥檛 climb 343 steps to reach the viewing point of 藵Steffl藵 tower (the southern tower of St.Stephen鈥檚 cathedral). Yes, I went up 343 steps. There must be something wrong with me, right?:) Well, I just like climbing towers and viewing the city from above. And it鈥檚 always interesting to get the bird鈥檚-eye perspective of the city, don鈥檛 you think so?

It was a long climb and it鈥檚 really narrow so when you come across other people trying to go down while you鈥檙e going up it isn鈥檛鈥� really pleasant. Luckily, I did it first thing in the morning (read at 9.30 am but the tower opens at 9) so there weren鈥檛 that many tricky situations. The cost of the ticket is only 4.50 euros and you get your money鈥檚 worth. The only disappointment is that when you get to the top (at 67 m; you can鈥檛 get to the actual top of the tower at 137 m) there鈥檚 a souvenir shop. As with other towers there鈥檚 a protective wire so you have to take pictures through it. It wasn鈥檛 the sunniest of the days but I still got to see the beautiful Vienna鈥檚 buildings down below me. Since the St.Stephen鈥檚 cathedral is right in the center of the city you get to see the top of Hofburg鈥檚 dome (the royal palace), the Belvedere castle, many church spires and domes and the magnificent neo-Gothic Rathaus (City Hall). You can also see the amazing tile work of the cathedral鈥檚 roof which represent Hapsburg鈥檚 coat of arms in the shape of the double-headed eagle. It must be quite something to go up in the late afternoon when the Christmas lights are switched on because then you can admire the festive decorations of Kartnerstrasse (the high street) and Graben street (there are beautiful pine Christmas trees which smell so nice) and you see the big red baubles of Rotenturm street. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).

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Guide Name: The Views of Vienna
Guide Location: Austria » Vienna
Guide Type: Self-guided Walking Tour (Article (B))
Author: Tanja Domijan Blasich
Read it on Author's Website:
Sight(s) Featured in This Guide:

藵Steffl藵 tower
Belvedere castle
Rathaus
Karntnerstrasse
Graben street
Rotenturm street
Karlskirche
Italian church
Danube Tower
UN city
Giant Ferris Wheel
Glorietta
Schonbrunn Palace

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