Ringstrasse
The medieval walls here were funded by the ransom of a captured English king — then torn down by imperial decree in 1857 to make room for this boulevard.
Coming soon on iOS — be first to walk Vienna offline.
A 5.3 km loop built on the footprint of 13th-century fortifications, cleared after Emperor Franz Joseph I issued the order "Es ist Mein Wille." Grand buildings were raised on either side with their locations and functions spelled out in that same decree. The whole circuit is now part of Vienna's UNESCO World Heritage Site.
What to look for
- Nine named sections running clockwise from the Urania to the Schottenring — each stretch has its own name
- Grand buildings flanking the road, their positions fixed by the 1857 imperial decree before the first stone was laid
- The sheer width of the corridor: the cleared military glacis that once surrounded the old walls was roughly 500 meters across
The full circuit is 5.3 km and essentially flat — allow about an hour on foot to walk it end to end.
Ringstrasse is one of 39 sights worth the detour in Vienna, all bundled offline in Voyage GO — download the Vienna pack and it sits on your map with no signal, filling your travel passport the moment you walk past.
More to see in Vienna
- Schönbrunn PalaceHabsburg emperors were born here, ruled from here, and died here — 1,441 rooms of Baroque ambition spanning 300 years.
- St. Stephen's CathedralA cathedral consecrated in 1147 as crusaders prepared to march — and built on top of a Roman burial ground that nobody knew was there until 2000.
- BelvederePrince Eugene built this summer palace on Ottoman campaign winnings — it is now three art museums inside a World Heritage Baroque garden.
- Hofburg PalaceSeven centuries of Austrian rulers worked from this address — the current president still does.
- Vienna State OperaThe first major building on Vienna's Ring Road, and the house where Vienna Philharmonic musicians earn their seats.
- Ernst-Happel-StadionBuilt for workers' sport in 1931, this 50,865-seat bowl also served as a transit prison for over 1,000 Jewish deportees in 1939.