The 5.3 km boulevard Emperor Franz Joseph ordered in 1857 ('It is my will...') on the land of the demolished city fortifications; it opened in 1865. The State Opera, Parliament, City Hall, University, Burgtheater, Votivkirche and the two court museums all stand on it, built in the 1860s-1890s in the mix of borrowed historic styles known as the Ringstrasse style.
- Address
- Ringstraße (Universitätsring, Burgring, Opernring and other sections), 1010 Wien
- Hours
- Public street, always open
- Best time to go
- Morning, Afternoon, Evening · About 1.5 h
- Price
- Free
- Price level
- €
Details can change. Check hours and prices before you go.
Good to know
- Walk the stretch from the Opera to the Votivkirche: Neo-Renaissance Opera and museums, Greek-temple Parliament, Flemish-Gothic City Hall and Neo-Gothic Votivkirche in under 2 km.
- Look for the names behind it: Theophil Hansen, Hasenauer, Semper, Ferstel and Friedrich von Schmidt shaped most of the major buildings.
- Many of the private palaces of nobles and rich citizens survive along the Ring, but most can only be seen from outside.