The Vienna Ringstrasse
The ring road Ringstrasse, also called the Ring, is a circular 5,2 km long street surrounding the Inner City or Old City district of Vienna, Austria. It is a significant sight and an urban element typical of the Ringstrassenstil, belonging to the historical style called Historicism, of the second half of the 19th century. The street replaces the city walls and moats of the 13th century, which became an impediment to traffic once the first new eight districts were incorporated to the municipality in 1850. The demolition decree called "It is my will" was issued by Franz Josef I.
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The Ringstrasse is divided into 9 sections and ends along the Danube Canal. It was meant to show the Habsburg grandeur and glory, as did its string of impressive and significant buildings. Noteworthy among them are the Staatsoper (Vienna State Opera House), imitating French Renaissance architecture, the Academy of Fine Arts, the Federal Ministry of Justice, the Parliament Building in neo-attic style, as a reference to the democracy of ancient Athens, the gorgeous Flemish-gothic Rathaus (Town Hall), the Burg Theatre, the University building, the Urania observatory, in Jugendstil, the Postsparkasse (postal savings bank) in Jugendstil by Otto Wagner, the monumental twin museums, of Natural History and Art History, the astounding neo-gothic Votive Church.
The Ring also encompasses the court of the Imperial Palace (Hofburg), the beautiful Wiener Stadtpark (city park), as well as numerous squares, palaces and monuments.
