The former Zacherl factory

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A Global City

It’s not unusual to go for a walk around the city and suddenly find yourself somewhere else entirely. Not because you’ve lost your way, but because architectural facsimiles of Venetian palaces, Russian cathedrals and even a Middle Eastern factory blend into the cityscape so seamlessly. Just like the imperial buildings that date back to the days of the monarchy. In Vienna, it only takes a few minutes to travel from Italy to Russia, from Africa to the Antarctic, or from the Netherlands to Egypt.

Bella Italia

Italy has been setting the architectural tone in Vienna’s second district since 1895, when a very special amusement park, called Venice in Vienna, opened its doors. Gondolas glided past Venetian palaces along man-made canals, while champagne pavilions and restaurants set the stage for the diversions on offer.
Today, there is still a touch of Venice in the air at Praterstrasse 70 – where Vienna’s answer to the Ca’ d’Oro palace on the Grand Canal awaits.

Greek, Doric, Picturesque

In the middle of the Volksgarten, right next to the formal rose gardens where 400 different varieties of roses flower each summer, is the dazzling white Theseus Temple. A replica of the Temple of Hephaestus in Athens, it features 28 Doric columns. From spring to summer, the flowering rose bushes with the white temple in the background create a chocolate box motif. Slightly tucked away at the back of the garden, there is a marble statue of Empress Elisabeth. An oasis of calm and quiet.

It’s no secret that Sisi loved Greece. So what could be more fitting than the statue in front of her palace in the Lainz Game Reserve depicting Hermes, protector of travelers and patron of gymnastic games – two of the Empress’ biggest passions in life. The Hermesvilla (the palace in question) is also named for him.

Greek, Doric, Picturesque

In the middle of the Volksgarten, right next to the formal rose gardens where 400 different varieties of roses flower each summer, is the dazzling white Theseus Temple. A replica of the Temple of Hephaestus in Athens, it features 28 Doric columns. From spring to summer, the flowering rose bushes with the white temple in the background create a chocolate box motif. Slightly tucked away at the back of the garden, there is a marble statue of Empress Elisabeth. An oasis of calm and quiet.

It’s no secret that Sisi loved Greece. So what could be more fitting than the statue in front of her palace in the Lainz Game Reserve depicting Hermes, protector of travelers and patron of gymnastic games – two of the Empress’ biggest passions in life. The Hermesvilla (the palace in question) is also named for him.

From Africa to Arcadia

A trip to see the six African elephants at Schönbrunn Zoo feels like a safari through the savanna. Lions, leopards, giraffes, and zebras are also on the itinerary. With penguins right next to the elephants, it takes a maximum of two minutes to travel from Africa to the Antarctic. The world’s oldest zoo, Schönbrunn is home to 700 different species from every continent.

Exotic landscape murals will spirit visitors to Schönbrunn Palace off to distant climes: the Bergl Rooms on the ground floor were designed in strict accordance with Empress Maria Theresa’s wishes. The tromp l’oeil painting was designed to make the room blend into the palace grounds. The dreamland depicted in the space has echoes of Arcadia, a mythical idyll synonymous with peace.

A Taste of the Exotic

Between Thaliastrasse and Ottakringer Strasse, the Brunnenmarkt exudes Mediterranean charm. With more than 170 stands, it is the largest street market in Vienna. Delicacies including fresh fish, pristine fruits and vegetables, and countless other treats from different countries are impossible to resist. Discover Vienna's other markets too.

Strolling in France

The ninth district is home to Little Paris: here, the Servitenviertel immerses visitors in Parisian charm. The only things that’s missing is the Eiffel Tower. “Mon dieu!” was probably what the Viennese thought to themselves when the French embassy was completed in 1912. Its architectural style is hard to pin down. To this day, you still hear people saying the same thing as you cross Schwarzenbergplatz: whether the plans were accidentally switched with those for Istanbul or Madrid is unconfirmed, but somehow the rumor refuses to go away. In the eyes of the locals, the style still seems much more Spanish than French.

Middle Eastern Masterpiece

In Nusswaldgasse, two small minarets add a touch of oriental charm to the skyline. The former Zacherl factory feels like something out of One Thousand and One Nights. It used to make “Persian powder” insecticide, which sold like hot cakes in 19th century Vienna. Today, the Zacherl building serves as an outstanding example of the Moorish Revival style and is a unique example of Austrian industrial architecture.

Gateway to Another World

Museums provide an insight into different times, and open up the door to new worlds – something the Netherlandish painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder elevated to a different level in his art. Critical of society and exceptionally intricate, his works are known all over the world. There are two versions of his masterpiece the Tower of Babel, one of which is on permanent display at the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna. As are sarcophaguses from the land of the Nile. All it takes to make a trip from the Netherlands to Egypt is leaving the first floor for the raised ground floor.

Text: Karoline Gasienica-Bryjak

Hermesvilla

Lainzer Tiergarten
1130 Vienna
  • Vienna City Card

    • Your benefit with the Vienna City Card: -30%

      Additional information on the offer:

      Standard ticket price: 8€ / Available on site and at ticket.viennacitycard.at

  • Prices

    • 1st Sunday of the month: Free admission
  • Opening times

    • 15 March 2024 to 01 November 2024
    • Tu - Su, 10:00 - 17:00
    • Closed in winter

  • Accessibility

    • Further information
      • Wheelchair accessible restroom available.
    • Special offers for people with disabilities

      Access: Not approachable by car because the Lainz Game Reserve is a natural conservation area. Shuttle service on specific days between Lainzer Tor and Hermesvilla for people with special needs, alternating Sat 2 pm–4 pm and Tue 10 am–noon. Registration by telephone on Tel. +43 1 505 87 47 – 85173 or email: service@wienmuseum.at. Meeting point: Lainzer Tor. Please bring your handicapped ID. Return from Hermesvilla to Lainzer Tor at 3:30 pm (on Saturdays) and 11:50 am (on Tuesdays).

    • Comments

      Special exhibition area in the ground floor accessible by wheelchair, wheelchair for rental and seats available, exhibition areas in the 2nd and 3rd floor not accessible by wheelchair. Shop and restaurant accessible via platform lift.

Theseustempel

Volksgarten
1010 Vienna

Brunnenmarkt

Brunnengasse / Yppenmarkt
1160 Vienna
  • Opening times

    • Mo, 06:00 - 21:00
    • Tu, 06:00 - 21:00
    • We, 06:00 - 21:00
    • Th, 06:00 - 21:00
    • Fr, 06:00 - 21:00
    • Sa, 06:00 - 17:00
    • Food stands: Monday to Saturday until 11pm

Schönbrunn Zoo Entrance via Hietzinger Tor/Hietzinger Hauptstraße

Schönbrunner Schlosspark
1130 Vienna
  • Vienna City Card

    • Your benefit with the Vienna City Card: -15%

      Additional information on the offer:

      Standard ticket price: 26€ /
      Savings: 4€

  • Opening times

    • January
      • daily, 09:00 - 16:30
    • February
      • daily, 09:00 - 17:00
    • March
      • daily, 09:00 - 17:30
    • April to September
      • daily, 09:00 - 18:30
    • October to December
      • daily, 09:00 - 16:30
      • ACHTUNG: Bis zur Umstellung auf die Winterzeit gelten im Oktober die September-Öffnungszeiten
  • Accessibility

    • Main entrance
      • no steps (Swinging doors )
    • Car parks Main entrance
      • Parking spaces for people with disabilities
        at Elisabethallee, entrance Tirolerhof
    • Further information
      • Seeing eye dogs allowed
      • Wheelchair accessible restroom available.
    • Special offers for people with disabilities

      Tours for visitors with disabilities and special needs on request.

    • Comments

      Access to buildings and enclosures without steps or via ramp.

Schönbrunn Palace (Schloss Schönbrunn)

Schönbrunner Schlossstraße
1130 Vienna
  • Vienna City Card

    • Your benefit with the Vienna City Card: -6%

      Additional information on the offer:

      Classic Pass: 32€ instead of 34€ (incl. audio guide, valid vom 1.4.-2.11.) /
      Sisi Ticket (Grand Tour / Schönbrunn Palace; Sisi Museum; Vienna Furniture Museum): 40,50€ instead of 44€ (incl. audio guide) / Tickets on www.imperialtickets.com and on site

  • Opening times

    • 03 November 2023 to 01 April 2024
      • (Last entry: 16:15 h) daily, 08:30 - 17:00
    • 02 April to 03 November 2024
      • (Last entry: 16:45 h) daily, 08:30 - 17:30
    • 04 November 2024 to 31 March 2025
      • (Last entry: 16:15 h) daily, 08:30 - 17:00
  • Accessibility

    • Main entrance
      • no steps
    • Car parks Main entrance
      • Parking spaces for people with disabilities
        at main entrance portal (Schönbrunner Schlossstrasse, 3 parking spaces), Meidlinger Tor (2 parking spaces), close to Kavalierstrakt as well as Valerietrakt (2 parking spaces) and Fürstenstöckl (1 parking space)
    • Elevator available
      • Door 90 cm wide
    • Further information
      • Seeing eye dogs allowed
      • Wheelchair accessible restroom available.
    • Special offers for people with disabilities

      Free wheelchair rental – contact attendant at main portal (3 wheelchairs) or at Hietzinger Tor and at Meidlinger Tor (1 wheelchair each). Supplemental devices available for the visually impaired. Tours for visitors with with disabilities or special needs on request. Museum Sign Language Guide available in ÖGS and IS for the Imperial or Grand Tour, prior reservation recommended, further information: https://www.schoenbrunn.at/en/visitor-information/barrier-free-access

    • Comments

      Access to all exhibition rooms: no steps. Freight elevator for extra wide wheelchairs: door width: 160 cm, cabin depth: 220 cm, cabin width: 156 cm.

      Ticket Center in the Gardetrakt by the main gate, stepless access, door width: approx. 144 cm, wheelchair-accessible restroom can be reached by wheelchair platform lift – platform 110/140 cm, door width: 90 cm in the corridor area and 94 cm to the outdoors, accessible from outside with a Euro-Key.



Schwarzenbergplatz

Schwarzenbergplatz
1030 Wien

Former Zacherl factory

Nusswaldgasse 14
1190 Vienna

Kunsthistorisches Museum (Art History Museum)

Maria-Theresien-Platz
1010 Vienna
  • Vienna City Card

    • Your benefit with the Vienna City Card: -5%

      Additional information on the offer:

      Standard ticket price: 21€ /
      Savings: 1 € /
      Audioguide 5€ instead of 6€

  • Opening times

    • Tu, 10:00 - 18:00
    • We, 10:00 - 18:00
    • Th, 10:00 - 21:00
    • Fr, 10:00 - 18:00
    • Sa, 10:00 - 18:00
    • Su, 10:00 - 18:00
    • Open daily from June to August as well as from October, 8 2024 until January, 6 2025.

  • Accessibility

    • Main entrance
      • 5 Steps (Double swinging doors 300 cm wide)
        on Maria-Theresien-Platz, no ramp
    • Side entrance

      • on Maria-Theresien-Platz, no ramp
    • Car parks Main entrance
      • 5 Parking spaces for people with disabilities
        on Heldenplatz
    • Elevator available
      • Door 99 cm wide
    • Further information
      • Wheelchair accessible restroom available.
    • Special offers for people with disabilities

      Wheelchair rental possible (please reserve one day in advance). Guided tours for visitors with special needs as well as tactile tours for the blind and visually impaired on request (Tel. +43 1 525 24-5202). Three masterpieces of the Renaissance collection of the painting gallery, selected objects of the Kunstkammer, the Egyptian-Oriental collection and the collection of antiquities are available to the blind and visually impaired as castings for touching. A brochure with image descriptions of this in Braille is available. The Kunsthistorisches Museum offers workshops for people with dementia (Tel. +41 1 525 24-5202 or email: kunstvermittlung@khm.at) Wheelchair users who visit the museum via Burgring 5 can purchase their tickets at the shop in the lobby.

    • Comments

      The museum is a place of encounter and sensory perception and offers plenty of opportunity to stimulate vistors and motivate them to interact with one another by looking at art together and then getting creative themselves.
      Induction loop available at the audio guide stand.

      http://www.khm.at/en/learn/kunstvermittlung/inclusive-art-education

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