{"id":47208,"date":"2022-06-05T05:54:00","date_gmt":"2022-06-05T04:54:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/?p=47208"},"modified":"2025-10-22T11:44:08","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T10:44:08","slug":"maria-theresien-platz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/maria-theresien-platz\/","title":{"rendered":"Maria-Theresien-Platz"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/MTPsmall.jpg\" alt=\"View across Maria-Theresien-Platz\" class=\"wp-image-47207\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/MTPsmall.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/MTPsmall-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Another central square largely untainted by the modern day. Two of Vienna&#8217;s most prominent tourist attractions flank Maria-Theresien-Platz: the Naturhistorisches and Kunsthistorisches museums.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Completed around 1890 as part of the Ringstrassen project<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Also home to the Maria Theresa monument<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Gorgeous during the Christmas market<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Book a 2-hr <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/en\/vienna-walking-tours-l205287\/?partner=visitingvienna&amp;tq_campaign=LG_WalkingTours\" rel=\"sponsored\">walking tour<\/a>* for Vienna<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>See also:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/michaelerplatz-2\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"27254\">Michaelerplatz<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/am-hof-square\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"27637\">Am Hof<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/freyung-2\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"29646\">Freyung<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/josefsplatz\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"30648\">Josefsplatz<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/stephansplatz\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"83491\">Stephansplatz<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">History and buildings<\/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\/mariatheresienplatz.jpg\" alt=\"Maria-Theresien-Platz sign\" class=\"wp-image-47205\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/mariatheresienplatz.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/mariatheresienplatz-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\">(Even the street sign has an Olde World charm)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And so our journey around Vienna&#8217;s historical squares takes us to Maria-Theresien-Platz. Though, as it turns out, this impressive-looking square is not quite as historical as you might believe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For much of the city&#8217;s history, this area formed part of an extensive ring of relatively open ground in front of Vienna&#8217;s fortifications. The so-called glacis remained free of permanent buildings to provide city defenders with a clear sight of any besieging enemy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Military matters eventually evolved sufficiently to make such considerations irrelevant by the mid-19th century.<\/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\/07\/khmmariatheresienplatz.jpg\" alt=\"Monument to Maria Theresia with the KHM building behind\" class=\"wp-image-73510\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/khmmariatheresienplatz.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/khmmariatheresienplatz-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 square&#8217;s central monument with the Kunsthistorisches Museum behind)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All that space also had planners, monarchs, business folk and aristocrats salivating at the possibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So the fortifications came down, and the glacis opened up for development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The authorities had ambitious plans for all this fresh real estate. They created, for example, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/ring\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"1546\">Ringstrassen boulevards<\/a> of today, flanked by numerous prestigious buildings and one town palais after the next.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"337\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/MTP1890.jpg\" alt=\"Maria-Theresien-Platz around 1890 from the Wien Museum collection\" class=\"wp-image-47206\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/MTP1890.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/MTP1890-300x202.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\">(Maria-Theresien-Platz, view of the front fa\u00e7ade of the Naturhistorisches Museum around 1890 in a photo published by Gerlach &amp; Wiedling; Wien Museum Inv.-Nr. 229522; excerpt reproduced with permission under the terms of the CC0 licence)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Land opposite the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sightseeing\/hofburg\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"2708\">Hofburg palace<\/a> was earmarked for Maria-Theresien-Platz: a suitably fine-looking square and buildings that would form an integrated complex with the Hofburg and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/winter-palace\/heldenplatz\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"2748\">Heldenplatz<\/a> square.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Maria-Theresien-Platz did fulfill much of that original premise, but a lack of time, money, and (after WWI) a monarchy meant the wider integrated project never saw the light of day. Though the square has views across to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/winter-palace\/burgtor\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"47310\">Burgtor gateway<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/winter-palace\/neue-burg\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"1493\">Neue Burg<\/a> palace wing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The photo above shows the square in its near-virginal state, and little has changed since construction.<\/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\/06\/mariatheresienplatz1.jpg\" alt=\"View across Maria-Theresien-Platz\" class=\"wp-image-47894\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/mariatheresienplatz1.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/mariatheresienplatz1-300x225.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 of the Naturhistorisches Museum and the Maria Theresa monument today. The building at the back on the left is the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sightseeing\/vienna-museums\/mq\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"4030\">MuseumsQuartier<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A huge Habsburg monument to the square&#8217;s namesake sits at the centre, flanked by two magnificent museums and surrounded by a handful of fountains just to add that watery <em>je ne sais quoi<\/em> to proceedings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As for that name, it honours Empress Maria Theresa (1717-1780), who inherited a Habsburg mess and laid the foundations for the dynasty&#8217;s success and survival into the early 20th century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The square now forms part of many a visitor&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/transport\/walking-tour\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"50322\">walking tour of Vienna<\/a> (C\u00e9line and Jesse also wander through it in the movie <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/songsfilms\/before-sunrise-locations\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"36997\">Before Sunrise<\/a>), but its big moment comes at the end of the year.<\/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\/03\/mtpmarketnight.jpg\" alt=\"Maria-Theresien-Platz at Christmas\" class=\"wp-image-44009\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/mtpmarketnight.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/mtpmarketnight-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\">(Advent lighting, at least when we have no energy crisis)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From around mid-November, Maria-Theresien-Platz plays host to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/christmasmarkets\/weihnachstdorf-maria-theresien-platz\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"860\">Weihnachtsdorf Christmas market<\/a> (though sadly not in 2025 or 2026).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This market is one of Vienna&#8217;s biggest. And also one of its prettiest, thanks to the tasteful lighting and the location with the museum backdrops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let&#8217;s look at the main features of the square in detail&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Maria Theresa monument<\/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\/03\/mariatheresamonument.jpg\" alt=\"The Maria Theresa monument\" class=\"wp-image-43837\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/mariatheresamonument.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/mariatheresamonument-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 horsemen are all senior military men of the time)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Construction work on the area stretched across much of the second half of the 1800s, and the unveiling of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/footsteps\/maria-theresa-monument\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"6483\">centrepiece monument<\/a> took place in 1888.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Empress herself towers over statues and reliefs of military leaders and other personalities from the fields of art, science, public administration, and more. Haydn and Mozart make an appearance, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Naturhistorisches Museum<\/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\/03\/naturalhistorymuseum.jpg\" alt=\"The Natural History Museum building\" class=\"wp-image-43718\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/naturalhistorymuseum.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/naturalhistorymuseum-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\">(Opened in 1889)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The two museums on the square were conceived as twins. The imperial-royal Naturhistorisches Hofmuseum (today&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/natural-history-museum\/\">Naturhistorisches Museum<\/a>) was completed first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This new institution of natural history brought together various state collections under one roof and has its own connection to Maria Theresa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The empress&#8217;s husband, Franz Stephan (1708-1765), pursued a range of scientific interests, and she gave his private collection to the state after his death to form the foundation of the museum&#8217;s own archives today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The square and museum actually play themselves in an outdoor scene from the film, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/songsfilms\/corsage-film-locations\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"55818\">Corsage<\/a>, when a welcome reception greets Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Kunsthistorisches Museum<\/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\/kunsthistorischesmuseum.jpg\" alt=\"The Kunsthistorisches Museum\" class=\"wp-image-46392\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/kunsthistorischesmuseum.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/kunsthistorischesmuseum-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\">(Opened in 1891)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The second museum was the imperial-royal Kunsthistorisches Hofmuseum, now simply the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/khm\/overview\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"1446\">Kunsthistorisches Museum<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The museum houses paintings by old masters and the world&#8217;s most important collection of Bruegels, as well as artifacts from ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, the astonishing Kunstkammer chamber of wonders, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like its sister building, the insides are quite extraordinary. A young <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/footsteps\/gustav-klimt\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"2264\">Gustav Klimt<\/a> even worked on some of the motifs around the staircase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Fountains<\/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\/mtpfountain.jpg\" alt=\"Fountain statuary\" class=\"wp-image-47210\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/mtpfountain.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/mtpfountain-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\">(You can never have too much Greek mythology)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, four fountains with tritons and naiads surround the monument to Empress Maria Theresa and were completed just after both museums opened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The two nearest the Ring are by Anton Schmidgruber, the others by Hugo Haerdtl and Edmund Hofmann von Aspernburg. All three sculptors produced various works for the buildings that sprang up around the Ringstrassen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to get to Maria-Theresien-Platz<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Since it adjoins the Ring, the square has prominent subway and tram connections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Subway: take the U3 to Volkstheater, leave the platform on the city centre side, and follow the museum signs. The MuseumsQuartier station on the U2 also offers nearby access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tram: take the 1, 2, D or 71 trams to either the Ring\/Volkstheater or Burgring stops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Address: Maria-Theresien-Platz, 1010 Vienna<\/p>\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","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Another central square largely untainted by the modern day. Two of Vienna&#8217;s most prominent tourist attractions flank Maria-Theresien-Platz: the Naturhistorisches and Kunsthistorisches museums. History and buildings (Even the street sign has an Olde World charm) And so our journey around Vienna&#8217;s historical squares takes us to Maria-Theresien-Platz. Though, as it turns out, this impressive-looking square [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":47207,"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":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-47208","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sights","8":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47208","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\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47208"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47208\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":86557,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47208\/revisions\/86557"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47207"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47208"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47208"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47208"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}