Vienna City Hall | Architectural Splendor on the Ring Street

The Vienna City Hall is located in the first district near the Ringstraße, between the University of Vienna and the Parliament building, and opposite the National Theater of Austria. The City Council meets in the City Hall, and the Mayor of Vienna works there. Since Vienna is considered a state in its own right within the Republic of Austria, the mayor is also considered the head of the state of Vienna. About 2,000 people work in the City Hall.

In addition, the City Hall houses the Vienna City Library as well as the regional library and the regional archive.

Sometimes there are public events inside the City Hall, as well as guided tours for tourists. Even if you arrive and the building is closed to visitors, you can walk around the large square in front of the City Hall or in the well-kept gardens surrounding the building. Almost every week there is a public event in the City Hall square—food festivals, a film festival, a stunt bike competition, ice skating, and of course, a beautiful and romantic Christmas market.

There is no doubt that the City Hall is one of the symbols of Vienna, so you should not miss a visit when you come to Vienna.

Vienna City Hall – All the Information

The Vienna City Hall was built between 1872 and 1883 in the Neo-Gothic style under the supervision of the architect Friedrich von Schmidt, who had previously built the cathedral in Cologne, Germany. The building is reminiscent of a church, especially due to the high tower in its center, which rises to a height of 97.9 meters. At the top of the tower stands a metal statue of the “Iron Rathausmann,” which adds another 6 meters.

The City Hall Tower

Although the City Hall resembles an ancient church, its construction actually managed to anger the church authorities. During the period of its construction, it was customary that buildings not used for religious purposes could not be taller than church buildings. After an angry appeal from the Archbishop of Vienna to Emperor Franz Joseph, it was decided that the City Hall tower would be built only on the condition that it would not be taller than the tower of the nearby Votivkirche (Votive Church), which stands at 99 meters.

As a symbol of freedom against the church, the architect Friedrich von Schmidt decided that the tower itself would be “only” 97.9 meters, but at its top, there would be a statue with a height of 6 meters, making the total height of the tower 104 meters (5 meters above the church tower).

To get to the top of the City Hall tower, you have to climb 331 steps in a spiral staircase (we did it, and it wasn’t easy at all).

The statue at the top of the tower depicts the guardian of the City Hall dressed in medieval knight’s armor, similar to the armor of Emperor Maximilian I. In 1985, it was decided to create an exact copy of the statue and place it in the City Hall park, where it stands to this day.

The Magnificent Rooms of the City Hall

The City Hall building is the workplace of 2,000 municipal employees. A visit inside the City Hall building is absolutely spectacular, during which you can see magnificent reception rooms and event halls that are mostly used for meetings, concerts, or balls. The most significant rooms in the City Hall are:

Council Chamber

Since the city of Vienna is not only the capital of Austria but also counts as one of the 9 states that make up the Austrian Republic, it has its own council. In this room, the Vienna Council, consisting of about 100 members elected for a 5-year term, convenes. The most impressive element in the council chamber is the magnificent chandelier hanging in its center. Its diameter is 5 meters and it has 213 lamps! A single piece formed the chandelier, which weighs about 3.5 tons! In the past, the chandelier hung relatively low, and the intensity of the heat it emitted turned the room into a real sauna. In the 1960s, it was decided to lower the chandelier, shorten it, and hang it again one meter higher.

Twenty-two gold-leaf roses decorate the magnificent wooden ceiling. Below the ceiling, there are several spectacular murals depicting events from the history of Vienna and Austria. Most of the windows in this room were restored according to the original plans after they were destroyed during World War II.

Festival Hall

The Festival Hall in the City Hall was the largest in the entire country in the 19th century. It is 71 meters long, 20 meters wide, and 18.5 meters high. It is mainly used for large and important events such as balls (even the WIZO ball is held there), exhibitions, and concerts. Theoretically, about 1,500 couples could dance the waltz simultaneously in the Festival Hall’s dance area. At the front of the hall, two places for musicians display portraits of four great composers: Mozart, Haydn, Gluck, and Schubert. Sixteen magnificent chandeliers illuminate the hall.

The Inner Courtyard (Arkadenhof)

In the center of the City Hall, there is a spacious inner courtyard. The courtyard covers an area of 2,804 square meters, making it one of the largest inner courtyards in Europe. In size, it is comparable to the courtyard in the Doge’s Palace in Venice. In recent upgrade works, the architect Silja Tillner built a retractable roof that allows the City Hall courtyard to host events even if the weather is not sunny and beautiful.

Senate Room

According to Friedrich Schmidt’s original plan, the city’s senate does, in fact, use the Senate Room. This is one of the most impressive rooms in the City Hall. One of the most beautiful elements in this room is the beautiful and exquisitely decorated heating stove. The stove was a gift from the guild of stove makers in 1885. In addition, damask silk fabrics cover the walls of the room, and beautiful decorations adorn the ceiling. The room also displays many portraits of Vienna’s past mayors (the oldest portrait moves to the museum each time a new mayor’s portrait is added).

The Stone Halls (Steinsäle) and the North and South Buffet Rooms

There are two Stone Halls in the City Hall. The first hall is mainly used for wedding ceremonies and press conferences. A magnificent tapestry depicting the reconstruction of the city after 1945, the coat of arms of the city of Vienna, and a painting of Vienna from the 19th century make this hall a perfect place for such events. The second Stone Hall is located next to the Hall of Coats of Arms and is mostly used for weddings.

The rooms adjacent to the large event hall are the buffet rooms. Originally, they were intended for events for the nobility, but they were converted into music and buffet rooms (hence their name). Today, the North Buffet Room serves as a conference room. Silk fabrics cover its walls, magnificent chandeliers hang from the ceiling, and beautifully decorated wood forms the ceiling. The mayor now uses the South Buffet Room as his office.

Halls of Coats of Arms (Wappensäle)

These rooms have a more modern look and display the coats of arms from all 9 states of the Austrian Republic. These rooms also have chandeliers, a wooden ceiling, and damask silk fabrics.

The Grand Staircase

When entering the City Hall, visitors cannot help but be impressed by the wonderful staircase that leads to the upper floors, made of stone and covered with royal red carpets. Alongside the staircase, there are impressive stone pillars, colorful windows, and magnificent chandeliers. The staircase ultimately leads to the large event hall. On the mezzanine floor, there is a room for storing coats and bags for guests invited to events. This is the largest cloakroom in Austria with no less than 1,700 coat hangers.

The Park in the City Hall Square (Rathauspark)

The park surrounding City Hall was intended as a city park for residents. Emperor Franz Joseph I appointed Dr. Rudolf Siebeck to plan it. Siebeck’s garden covers about 40,000 square meters and opened to visitors in 1873. The garden divides into two symmetrical parts: the northern part (Nordpark) near the University of Vienna, and the southern part (Südpark) near the Parliament building.

In the center, between the gardens, there is a huge square that looks like a wide street leading to the City Hall. City Hall Square frequently hosts cultural events such as the summer film festival, Christmas markets, and ice skating on cold winter days. The square also serves as a gathering place for various demonstrations.

The parks themselves are covered with green lawns, trees, and colorful flowers. In the center of the parks, there are two identical fountains surrounded by benches for the residents’ well-being. The park’s trees are very old, and some of them came from exotic places like Japan.

Statues in the Park Square

Near the square of the City Hall, there are eight large statues of important personalities in Austrian history. In the past, these statues stood on the Elizabeth Bridge near St. Charles’s Church. One of the statues is of Joseph von Sonnenfels, who was Jewish and also a jurist, one of the leaders of the Illuminati movement in Austria, and a close friend of Mozart. During the Nazi regime, authorities replaced his statue, but after the war, they returned it to its original place in City Hall Square.

Inside the parks on the sides of the large square, there are several smaller statues of important figures such as the composers Johann Strauss and Joseph Lanner. There are also statues of Austrian politicians standing right next to the Ringstraße.

Children’s Playground

Next to the park, there is a playground located near Grillparzerstraße (next to the Austria Trend Hotel).

Guided Tours of the City Hall

If the many magnificent rooms in City Hall impressed you, you’ll be happy to hear that you can join guided tours inside the building. During the tour, you can see the rooms we wrote about in the article.

Tour Times: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 1:00 PM (except on days when the council meets or on national holidays).
Prices: Free. No need to register in advance.
Please Note: The tours are offered in German, but this is a good opportunity to see the building from the inside. You can take a free audio guide in English (only during the times when the guided tour takes place and after presenting an ID).
Meeting Point: City Information, Friedrich-Schmidt-Platz 1
For inquiries: stadtinformation@post.wien.gv.at

Additional Essential Information for Your Visit

When to Arrive?

The City Hall building is magnificent both during the day and at night. Even if you had a busy day and can only get to the City Hall in the evening, it is well worth it. The building is wonderfully illuminated (especially during the Christmas season), and the area is safe and pleasant even in the late evening hours.

How to Get There?

The most convenient way to get to the City Hall is by subway. The purple line, U2, stops at the station called Rathaus. The exit from the subway station is at the back of the City Hall. You need to walk about 5 minutes to reach the City Hall square and its impressively beautiful front.

Tram lines 1, 71, and D also stop right in front of the City Hall building. The stop is Rathausplatz/Burgtheater.

Address: Friedrich-Schmidt-Platz 1, 1010 Wien

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