{"id":16829,"date":"2019-06-24T04:43:16","date_gmt":"2019-06-24T03:43:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/?p=16829"},"modified":"2025-10-01T08:49:29","modified_gmt":"2025-10-01T07:49:29","slug":"volksgarten","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/winter-palace\/volksgarten\/","title":{"rendered":"The Volksgarten park"},"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\/volksgartensmall.jpg\" alt=\"View across the Volksgarten\" class=\"wp-image-16833\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/volksgartensmall.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/volksgartensmall-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>A beautiful landscaped park to one side of the Hofburg palace complex. Go when the roses are in bloom (you can thank me later).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Central park famous for its lovely rose garden<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Go early for people-free photos of the flower beds<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Also home to the Theseus Temple, Sisi memorial, Grillparzer memorial, and a couple of caf\u00e9s<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>See also:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/winter-palace\/burggarten\/\">Burggarten<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/stadtpark\/\">Stadtpark<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/schonbrunn\/gardens-park\/\">Sch\u00f6nbrunn Park<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"history-of-the-volksgarten\">The &#8220;people&#8217;s garden&#8221;<\/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\/03\/volksgartenburgtheater.jpg\" alt=\"Volksgarten - view across to the Burgtheater.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-43737\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/volksgartenburgtheater.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/volksgartenburgtheater-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\">(View across the rose garden)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Opened in 1823, the Volksgarten owes its existence to the exuberance (and vindictiveness) of Napoleon&#8217;s army.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The French emperor entered Vienna in 1809 during the part of the Napoleonic conflicts known as the War of the Fifth Coalition. Holding all the negotiating cards, he forced the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/culture\/austrian-empire\/\">Austrian Empire<\/a> to sign the Peace Treaty of Sch\u00f6nbrunn at great cost to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/culture\/habsburgs\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"12848\">Habsburgs<\/a> in terms of territories and prestige.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Napoleon&#8217;s troops then left the city, their backpacks stuffed with souvenir cakes and Mozart postcards. Unfortunately, they took a few moments on the way out to blow up some of the fortifications.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"407\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/volksgarten19th.jpg\" alt=\"View of the Volksgarten in the late 19th century\" class=\"wp-image-44890\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/volksgarten19th.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/volksgarten19th-300x244.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 Volksgarten in the late 19th century. Image courtesy of the Rijksmuseum)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This farewell gift cleared quite a bit of space, which the authorities eventually turned into two parks and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/winter-palace\/heldenplatz\/\">Heldenplatz square<\/a>. So silver linings and all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Volksgarten was one of those parks and found use as a place for a gentle stroll or a concert visit. Various members of the Strauss dynasty performed in the park, for example, and premiered new music there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/footsteps\/johann-strauss\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"21524\">Johann Strauss I<\/a> even named a piece after the location. The park&#8217;s music lovers greeted his <em>Volksgarten Quadrille<\/em> (Op. 157) at a soiree with what one newspaper of the time described as &#8220;tumultuous applause&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bits were added to the Volksgarten over the years as the Vienna city fortifications <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/culture\/history-of-the-ringstrassen\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"68027\">came down<\/a>, and more land could be turned over to peaceful purposes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-s-inside-the-park\">So what&#8217;s inside the park?<\/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\/2023\/09\/volksgarten2023.jpg\" alt=\"Fountain in the Volksgarten public park\" class=\"wp-image-64088\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/volksgarten2023.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/volksgarten2023-300x225.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\">(One of the water features)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Think trees, shrubs, a few open spaces and water features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But mostly think roses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Are you thinking of roses?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now think of even more roses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although the Volksgarten forms a triangle between one end of Heldenplatz, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/theaters\/burgtheater\/\">Burgtheater<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/rathaus\/\">Rathausplatz<\/a>, many people think of it as the Rose Garden part that runs parallel to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/ring\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"1546\">Ring boulevard<\/a> (see map below).<\/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\/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\">(A cornucopia of colour in historical surrounds)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Huge beds of tiered roses fill the sides of the Rose Garden: tall bushes at the back and smaller standards and bushes near the front. And each a different variety. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The flowers form a kaleidoscope of colour in the late spring and summer. And each rosebush carries a personal dedication to a lover, family member or similar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If that&#8217;s not enough roses, you also find more beds away from the edges, albeit mixed in with a few box hedges and similar.<\/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\/2024\/10\/volksgartenrose2024.jpg\" alt=\"A pink rose\" class=\"wp-image-76049\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/volksgartenrose2024.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/volksgartenrose2024-300x225.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\">(Who doesn&#8217;t like a rose?)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The impression is magnificent, and I&#8217;d urge you to get there in the early morning in summer (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/june\/\">June<\/a> is a particularly good month) for glorious flower-filled photos undisturbed by visitors. The location makes a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/eatingdrinking\/romantic-dinners\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"46819\">romantic spot<\/a> for couples and a pleasant stop for drinking a takeaway coffee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Other notable points of interest in the Volksgarten are&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the-grillparzer-monument\">The Grillparzer monument<\/h4>\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\/04\/grillparzermemorial.jpg\" alt=\"The Grillparzer memorial monument\" class=\"wp-image-44885\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/grillparzermemorial.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/grillparzermemorial-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\">(One of the country&#8217;s great masters of the written word)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One end of the Rose Garden has a small <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/grillparzer-monument\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"34852\">monument to Franz Grillparzer<\/a> (1791 &#8211; 1872), built in the late 19th century to honour the Austrian poet and writer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Grillparzer once lived in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/footsteps\/beethoven-grillparzer-house\/\">same house<\/a> as Beethoven and even spoke at the composer&#8217;s funeral.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the-theseus-temple\">The Theseus temple<\/h4>\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\/01\/theseustemple.jpg\" alt=\"The Theseus Temple\" class=\"wp-image-41901\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/theseustemple.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/theseustemple-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\">(A good spot for shade in summer. too)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1823, architect Peter Nobile constructed the neoclassical <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/winter-palace\/theseus-temple\/\">Theseus Temple<\/a>, a smaller version of Athen&#8217;s Temple of Hephaestus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The original function was to provide a home for Antonio Canova&#8217;s marble sculpture of Theseus battling a centaur following its purchase by the emperor of the time (the first <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/culture\/austrian-empire\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"12856\">Emperor of Austria<\/a>, Franz I).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The temple has returned to its roots of late, hosting contemporary art installations under the aegis of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/khm\/overview\/\">Kunsthistorisches Museum<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the-sisi-memorial\">The Sisi memorial<\/h4>\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\/04\/sisimemorial.jpg\" alt=\"The Sisi memorial\" class=\"wp-image-44873\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/sisimemorial.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/sisimemorial-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\">(A small landscaped avenue leads down to a statue of the empress)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An extensive <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/winter-palace\/elisabeth-memorial\/\">memorial site to Empress Elisabeth<\/a> lies quietly tucked away parallel to the Rose Garden. Completed in 1907, it has a tree-lined avenue, fountains, water features, flowers, and a statue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For reasons I haven&#8217;t yet discovered, people tend to miss this memorial area, despite its size. Even long-time residents sometimes express surprise at its existence. Strange when you consider that Elisabeth remains an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/culture\/sisi\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"34621\">icon of Austrian history<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Incidentally, the building on the other side of the park fence here is the Stadtpalais Liechtenstein, built well over 300 years ago and still owned by the Liechtenstein monarchy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-to-get-to-the-volksgarten\">How to get to the Volksgarten<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The Volksgarten is about as central as it gets, across the road from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/rathaus-2\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"267\">Rathaus<\/a> and adjoining the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/winter-palace\/heldenplatz\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"2748\">giant square<\/a> in front of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/winter-palace\/neue-burg\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"1493\">Neue Burg<\/a> wing of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sightseeing\/hofburg\/\">Hofburg Palace complex<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It has a tram stop (Ring\/Volkstheater) and subway station (Volkstheater) outside, served by the U2 and U3 train lines and the 1, 2, D, 46, 49, and 71 trams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Address: Volksgarten, 1010 Vienna<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div align=\"center\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/d\/u\/0\/embed?mid=1asmHlbVpicbQLt1557vf6l4l0zQ\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A beautiful landscaped park to one side of the Hofburg palace complex. Go when the roses are in bloom (you can thank me later). The &#8220;people&#8217;s garden&#8221; (View across the rose garden) Opened in 1823, the Volksgarten owes its existence to the exuberance (and vindictiveness) of Napoleon&#8217;s army. The French emperor entered Vienna in 1809 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16833,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","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":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-16829","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-winter-palace","8":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16829","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"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=16829"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16829\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":86130,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16829\/revisions\/86130"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16833"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16829"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16829"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16829"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}