{"id":1546,"date":"2016-01-18T09:02:17","date_gmt":"2016-01-18T08:02:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/?page_id=1546"},"modified":"2025-06-26T15:59:25","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T14:59:25","slug":"ring","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/ring\/","title":{"rendered":"Vienna&#8217;s Ring (Ringstrasse)"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/ringsmall.jpg\" alt=\"Rings on a fence\" class=\"wp-image-16859\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/ringsmall.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/ringsmall-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The Ring is the popular name given to a series of wide boulevards that encircle almost the entire center of the city. It&#8217;s about 6.5km long and (possibly) has a greater number of historical sights lining its edges than any other road in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Flanked by many of Vienna&#8217;s top sights<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Great for bikes and pedestrians, too<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Book a themed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/en\/vienna-city-tours-l205280\/?partner=visitingvienna&amp;tq_campaign=LG_CityTours\" rel=\"sponsored\">guided tour<\/a>* for Vienna<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>See also:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Self-guided <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/transport\/walking-tour-ring\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"50555\">walking tour: the Ring part<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/culture\/history-of-the-ringstrassen\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"68027\">History of the Ring<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What can you see?<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/thering.jpg\" alt=\"The Ring boulevard\" class=\"wp-image-47174\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/thering.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/thering-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(The Ring temporarily closed to traffic. This often happens for parades, but also for registered demonstrations)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Ring, which surrounds the first district (Vienna&#8217;s old town), is one of the city&#8217;s most prestigious addresses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Various luxury hotels and restaurants occupy spaces either side of the road, for example. But the route also has numerous museums, squares, gardens and civic institutions of particular interest to visitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Along the Ring you&#8217;ll find, for example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Civic buildings<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/rathaus-2\/\">Rathaus<\/a> town hall with its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/rathaus\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"79\">huge square<\/a> and park that host various festivals through the year<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Hellenic-style <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/parlament\/\">Parliament building<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/justizpalast\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"45541\">Justizpalast<\/a> home to the Supreme Court<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The University of Vienna<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Music &amp; theatre<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/staatsopertoday.jpg\" alt=\"The State Opera House\" class=\"wp-image-45818\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/staatsopertoday.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/staatsopertoday-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(The Staatsoper state opera house faces the Ring)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/opera\/staatsoper\/\">Staatsoper<\/a>, one of the world&#8217;s most prestigious opera houses<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/theaters\/burgtheater\/\">Burgtheater<\/a> theatre<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The neorenaissance <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/kursalon\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"5514\">Kursalon<\/a> venue<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/alte-borse\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"69243\">old Stock Exchange<\/a> concert\/event venue<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/palais-eschenbach\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"70392\">Palais Eschenbach<\/a>, home to two prestigious national associations and also a concert\/event venue<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">History &amp; museums<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/khm\/overview\/\">Kunsthistorisches Museum<\/a>, notable for its paintings by old masters and other art collections<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/natural-history-museum\/\">Naturhistorisches Museum<\/a> for all things natural history<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/winter-palace\/neue-burg\/\">Neue Burg<\/a> palace wing and home to, for example, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/khm\/weltmuseum\/\">Weltmuseum<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/mak\/\">MAK<\/a> applied arts museum<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The 1879 neogothic <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/votivkirche\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"27630\">Votivkirche<\/a> church<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The 1910 Jugendstil <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/urania\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"34177\">Urania building<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Various monuments to the likes of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/radetzky-monument\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"39896\">Radetzky<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/goethe-monument\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"39856\">Goethe<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/grillparzer-monument\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"34852\">Grillparzer<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/footsteps\/maria-theresa-monument\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"6483\">Maria Theresa<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/liebenberg-monument\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"60009\">Liebenberg<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/the-schiller-monument\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"39850\">Schiller<\/a>, and even <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/monument-republic\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"83314\">the first Republic of Austria<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Parks &amp; gardens<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/museumviewvolksgarten.jpg\" alt=\"Museum view from the Volksgarten\" class=\"wp-image-41931\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/museumviewvolksgarten.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/museumviewvolksgarten-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(Roses in the Volksgarten)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/winter-palace\/burggarten\/\">Burggarten<\/a> behind the Neue Burg<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/winter-palace\/volksgarten\/\">Volksgarten<\/a> with its lovely rose garden<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/stadtpark\/\">Stadtpark<\/a> with its famous <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/strauss-monument\/\">Strauss statue<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/rathauspark\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"84216\">Rathauspark<\/a>, which flanks the Rathausplatz square where many big events take place<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">And more&#8230;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/ringturm-ring-tower\/\">Ringturm<\/a> &#8220;skyscraper&#8221; and exhibition venue<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The<a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/donaukanal\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"34106\"> Donaukanal<\/a> channel of the Danube<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8230;etc.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div align=\"center\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/d\/u\/0\/embed?mid=1VpgWfXwOCZC4gSO3zwKdzTnaiMkOqOl6\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Most of the buildings went up between 1869 and 1888 as part of a giant urban construction project. The initiative combined municipal and imperial works with new city residences for successful business owners and the nobility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The 19th-century construction dates often come as a surprise, since everything looks much older. People sometimes confuse the Votivkirche, for example, with a medieval cathedral. We can thank the prevailing architectural approach to such things at the time: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/culture\/historicism\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"28926\">historicism<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To see the Ring in all its finery, simply <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/transport\/sightseeing-bus\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"3789\">hop on a tour bus<\/a> or a local tram (see below). <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/transport\/cycling-in-vienna\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"30922\">Cycle paths<\/a> and wide footpaths follow the same roads, too.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/parliamentnew1.jpg\" alt=\"Austrian parliament building after renovation\" class=\"wp-image-56212\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/parliamentnew1.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/parliamentnew1-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(The Austrian Parliament: one of many Ring sites)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If sticking to public transport, look for tram line 1. Catch it at Julius-Raab-Platz in the direction of Stefan-Fadinger-Platz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This takes you around almost the entire Ring clockwise before the tram turns off at Oper\/Karlsplatz (or go in the reverse direction from Oper\/Karlsplatz to Julius-Raab-Platz on the same line but use the tram going in the direction of Prater\/Hauptallee).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You might prefer to take a turn of the Ring after dusk. Once the sun goes down, the buildings light up, often spectacularly. And at Christmas, you have the added bonus of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/christmas-lights\/\">seasonal displays and decorations<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So how did this great boulevard and its wealth of historic buildings come about?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, I have a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/culture\/history-of-the-ringstrassen\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"68027\">whole article on that<\/a>, if you&#8217;re interested in the history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The short version is that military advances across the 1800s meant city walls lost their defensive value and essentially just got in the way of traffic. So they <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/city-walls\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"9943\">tore them down<\/a> and removed building restrictions on the areas in front of those fortifications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This released a large circular band of land around the old town for development, which the state used for the Ring and its numerous representative buildings and institutions. And others bought plots for townhouses and businesses on what was clearly going to be a top address.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"381\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/staatsoperold.jpg\" alt=\"The freshly-built Staatsoper in the late 19th century\" class=\"wp-image-43279\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/staatsoperold.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/staatsoperold-300x229.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(The finished State Opera house in the late 19th century with the new Ring in front of it. Image courtesy of the Rijksmuseum)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, a couple of bits of trivia for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As mentioned right at the start, the Ring or Ringstrasse actually consists of a series of Ring streets: the so-called <em>Ringstrassen<\/em>. These are Stubenring, Parkring, Schubertring, K\u00e4rntner Ring, Opernring, Burgring, Dr- Karl-Renner-Ring, Universit\u00e4tsring, and Schottenring. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(And where the road follows the Danube canal in the northeast, it&#8217;s called Franz-Josefs Kai.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Given its size and grandeur, you can often spot the Ring in TV and movie productions. One example is the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/songsfilms\/the-recruit-locations\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"60459\">chase scene<\/a> in the first season of <em>The Recruit<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The boulevard plays a bigger role in the iconic movie, <em>Before Sunrise<\/em>. One of the more notable conversations between protagonists Jesse and C\u00e9line <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/songsfilms\/before-sunrise-locations\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"36997\">takes place<\/a> in a tram travelling some four stops around the Ring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Romance, history, architecture, green spaces, museums, caf\u00e9s and convenient transport options: what more could you ask for?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Ring is the popular name given to a series of wide boulevards that encircle almost the entire center of the city. It&#8217;s about 6.5km long and (possibly) has a greater number of historical sights lining its edges than any other road in the world. What can you see? (The Ring temporarily closed to traffic. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16859,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-1546","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1546","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1546"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1546\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":84410,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1546\/revisions\/84410"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16859"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1546"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}