The Austrian Parliament in Vienna | All Info & Free Tours

The Story of the Austrian Parliament Building

The Austrian Parliament building is over 130 years old. Its construction began in 1873 and was completed after 10 years in 1883. The construction project started after the demolition of the old city hall and was part of a general building boom in Vienna during that period, which led to the city’s renewal and development.

Although this building was intended to play a central role for the Austrian Empire and be a source of national pride, its design was actually created by a Danish architect named Theophil Hansen. Of course, during the monarchy, the parliament’s importance was lesser, but with Austria’s transformation into a democratic republic, the building became a central and important place for the country’s governance.

The Parliament building follows a classical Greek style to reflect Hellenistic ideas that placed the love of liberty and law above all else. The total size of the building is 14,000 square meters, and it has 1600 rooms and 920 windows!

During World War II, the Parliament building was a target for Allied air raids, and part of it was completely destroyed during the bombings of Vienna. The building was under renovation for a long time to restore it to its former glory. As part of the renovation, the building’s exterior was restored according to Theophil Hansen’s original design. Inside, more modern rooms replaced the destroyed wings to benefit the parliament employees.

The Design of the Parliament Building

Undoubtedly, much thought was put into the design of the Parliament building, and noble ideas guided the architect Theophil Hansen during its construction. Both the exterior and interior of the building are impressively beautiful.

The Exterior of the Parliament Building – A View from the Ringstrasse

When standing at the foot of the building on the Ringstrasse, you can admire impressive statues, fountains, and stone carvings. The most central feature is the striking fountain in front of the magnificent building, at the center of which stands a 5.5-meter-high statue of the Greek goddess Athena, the goddess of wisdom, strategy, war, and peace. In her right hand, she holds Nike, the goddess of victory, while in her left hand, she carries a spear.

Originally, this fountain was not intended to take its current form. The initial idea was to place a statue symbolizing Austria at its center, but due to national tensions within the monarchy at the time, the design shifted to a more neutral concept. The statue of Athena was installed about 20 years after the completion of the Parliament building and after the death of its architect, Theophil Hansen.

At the base of the central statue, several figures representing the executive and legislative powers sit on either side. These figures symbolize the democratic principle of the separation of powers, which is essential for maintaining the rule of law. The figure symbolizing the legislative branch holds a stone tablet representing the law, while the figure representing the executive branch carries the sword of justice.

In the lower section of the fountain, additional figures represent Austria’s major rivers: the Danube, the Inn, the Elbe, and the Vltava, emphasizing Parliament as a representative place for all parts of the former empire. There are also four figures of winged riders on dolphins.

As you ascend the ramp toward the Parliament building, statues of Roman and Greek historians line the way, reminding politicians of their responsibility toward history and the importance of not repeating past mistakes. On the right side of the plaza stands a statue of Austrian Chancellor Dr. Karl Renner, president of the re-established republic in 1945, while on the left side is a memorial honoring Vienna’s three pre–World War II leaders.

The Interior of the Parliament Building

The Parliament building has no fewer than 1600 rooms! There are, however, several rooms of central importance and great design.

The Entrance Hall and Atrium

When you enter the Parliament building through the large entrance doors—designed identically to the doors of the Erechtheion, an ancient Greek temple built for King Erechtheus on the Acropolis in Athens—you arrive at the waiting room, also called the upper entrance hall. This hall connects directly to the atrium (inner courtyard). The entrance hall serves as a kind of preparation for the splendor and glory of the central Colonnaded Hall.

In the entrance hall, you can see six seven-meter-high marble columns on the right, and on the left, a staircase leading to the second level of the entrance hall.

Above the staircase, there are paintings and wall carvings depicting anecdotes from the stories of the Greek gods. At the junction of the ceiling and the columns, there is a painting by the artist Alois Hans Schram. The painting extends along the four walls of the hall and leads into the atrium. This painting symbolizes the blessings of peace. Along the corridor, there are decorations symbolizing the principles of governance in Sparta and Athens.

In the atrium room, separated from the entrance hall by two Ionic-style columns, there is a painting depicting “Patriotic Love for Austria” – the warriors kneel and swear allegiance while the women offer various gifts to the kingdom.

The Colonnaded Hall – The Marble Column Avenue

Theophil Hansen, the architect of the Parliament building, intended this hall as a meeting place for the “minds” of the kingdom. Today, the hall serves as a place for receiving guests, exhibitions, or simply for television interviews. The hall is 40 meters long and 24 meters wide – about the size of half a football field.

The hall has 24 magnificent marble columns. The marble columns are made from a single piece, and each column weighs about 16 tons! In the center of the hall, there is a large glass ceiling.

The marble floor was built on a concrete surface with hot air flow spaces for heating the building. This is an ancient heating style that was common even during the Roman Empire.This method also appears in the old greenhouses at Schönbrunn Palace.

The Allied bombings during World War II destroyed part of the Colonnaded Hall, requiring extensive renovation to restore it. Despite the efforts to give the room its original appearance, the sharp-eyed will be able to see that the two left columns at the back of the hall are newer replicas.

The Consultation Room

The purpose of this room is to be a meeting place between citizens and their representatives. On days of parliamentary sessions, citizens can schedule a meeting with parliament representatives to discuss their problems. This room also hosts other events, such as book launches and award ceremonies.

Designers created the room in the Scagliola style, a special technique used in ancient Pompeii to give walls, support columns, and openings the appearance of marble or precious stones.

The Budget Hall

As the name of the hall suggests, it is used for discussions on finance and the budget.

The original use of this hall was for ceremonies or meetings of delegations from across the empire. Because of this, you can still see on the ceiling of the hall the coats of arms of the 17 kingdoms that were represented in the monarchy’s parliament. In the center of the hall, there are two chandeliers, each with about 30 lamps. These are the largest chandeliers in the building.

The Reception Hall

The main entrance to the Reception Hall is from the Colonnaded Hall. Due to the design and color of its walls, this hall is also nicknamed the Blue Salon.

The National Council reserves this hall for the President to host various events and receive guests of honor from abroad. The portraits on the walls of the hall depict the presidents of the National Council since 1945.

The Committee Rooms

Besides the large meeting rooms, there are several rooms for small committees. In fact, the Parliament has 8 committee rooms, but only 4 retain their original design according to Theophil Hansen’s plans. The chandeliers in the committee rooms remain in their original form and a company from Bohemia specially designed them for the Parliament building.

The damage from the bombings in World War II required extensive renovations in several committee rooms, and therefore they are more modern.

Twice a year, Austrian artists display their contemporary art in these rooms.

The National Council Chamber

In the left wing of the Parliament building is the National Council Chamber. Originally, this was the room where the House of Lords (Herrenhaus) met, which was relatively small (only 243 seats). For this reason, this room is beautifully designed and takes inspiration from a Greek theater house, with raised rows of seats facing the central stage. Behind the stage were statues from Greek history.

The bombings of 1945 completely destroyed the National Council Chamber, and later, reconstruction restored it in a modern style. The only design currently in this room is the Austrian symbol – the eagle. Today, there are 192 seats in this room.

The Federal Council Chamber

Originally, members of the House of Lords used this room as a waiting area before entering their meeting room. Today, the National Council holds its meetings in this room. Until 1920, the Federal Council met here.

Above the president’s podium, there are 9 coats of arms with the symbols of the 9 federal provinces. They symbolize the part of each district in the legislation of laws for all of Austria.

The Federal Assembly Chamber

This room is located in the right wing of the Parliament building. In the past, during the monarchy, it served as a meeting room for the House of Representatives of the various parts of the kingdom.

The room has a semi-circular shape, with rows of seats arranged like those in an ancient Greek amphitheater.

Seven doors surround the hall, and designers combined marble with statues of Roman politicians. Artists covered the upper parts of the walls with a magnificent painting that depicts the development of the Austrian Empire in 15 parts.

Today, the Federal Assembly holds its meetings in this room.

Renovations in the Parliament Building

Since the Parliament building was completed at the end of the 19th century, no extensive renovations had been carried out (in the parts that were not destroyed in the bombings). The condition of the building was not good, the roofs leaked, the insulation of the building was not good, and the ventilation and electrical systems did not meet today’s standards at all.

For this reason, authorities decided to carry out general renovation work to preserve the wonderful building and upgrade it to meet the demands of the 21st century. The renovations cost an estimated 352 million euros.

During the renovation work that began in 2017, the Parliament moved its operations to the Hofburg Palace. A few years ago, the renovation work concluded, and today the renovated Parliament building welcomes the public for weekday tours.

Free Tour of the Parliament Building

Tour Times:

Tours take place daily (except Sundays) at least 6 times a day. Click to see the exact hours by date.

Prices:

The tour is free.

Tour Duration:

55 minutes.

Guidance Languages:

German and English.

Tour Starting Point:

The visitor entrance to the Parliament building.

Book places in advance for a guided tour.

Additional Information for Your Visit

How to get to the Parliament building?

You can reach the Parliament building in several ways:

Underground (U-Bahn): The orange line, U3. Get off at the Volkstheater station and walk along the Ringstrasse towards the Parliament. Another option is to take the purple line, U2, and get off at the City Hall (Rathaus) station. From there, walk towards the Ringstrasse, crossing the City Hall plaza, and then turn right and walk along the Ringstrasse until you reach the Parliament plaza. This is about a 7-minute walk.
Tram: Lines 1, 2, 71, D, which stop at the Parliament station on the Ringstrasse. You can also take lines 46 or 49 and get off at the Dr. Karl-Renner-Ring station and walk to the Parliament from there.
Bus: Line 48A, which stops at the Dr. Karl-Renner-Ring station.

Address: Dr. Karl-Renner-Ring 3, 1017 Vienna

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