Votivkirche and the Ring

A church on a boulevard

In 1857 Emperor Franz Joseph issued the decree that ordered the city walls and moats demolished, and the wide boulevard that took their place is the Ringstrasse. English Wikipedia gives its length as 5.3 kilometres and says it was built mainly in the second half of the 19th century, with the last building finished in 1913. The Votivkirche is among its notable buildings, with the University of Vienna, the Rathaus, the Parliament and the Burgtheater. The buildings are in the historicist style, which borrowed forms from earlier ages, here the Gothic.

The parks

The church is surrounded by the Votivpark, which a street, Straße des achten Mai, separates from the Sigmund Freud Park. Both are close to the main building of the University of Vienna, according to Wikipedia. Together they give the church an open setting, which is why its twin towers show so clearly from across the grass. The parks and the church make an open green space in a district of tall 19th-century buildings, as the print from about 1900 and today's photograph both show. On a dry day the parks are the natural place to wait before your show starts, and a reasonable place to look at the building before it is dark.

The university beside it

The architect of the church, Heinrich von Ferstel, also designed the main building of the University of Vienna, built in 1871–84 according to Wikipedia. The two are close neighbours, and they share a designer and an age. English Wikipedia says Ferstel was converted to the Renaissance style during his time in Italy, and it places the university after that conversion. Walking from the neo-Gothic church to the university building therefore shows how wide his range was.

The other Ring buildings

The Ringstrasse's notable buildings include the Rathaus, the Parliament and the Burgtheater, all named by Wikipedia as part of the boulevard. The Ringstrasse is part of the Historic Centre of Vienna World Heritage Site, per the same source. You do not need a plan to enjoy it: the buildings are large and the pavements are wide. Check opening hours with the buildings themselves if you want to go inside, since this guide does not list them and they change with the season. The boulevard's length gives you a choice between a short stroll around the church and the parks or a longer loop past the other buildings, but the show's start time should set the limit.

Getting to the Ring

Schottentor, beside the university's main building, is one of the busiest transport hubs in Vienna, with an U-Bahn station, several tram lines and buses meeting there. It is the obvious place to arrive when you are heading to the church, and the university's main building sits right beside it. Vienna's route planner will give you the current route from your hotel, and you should use it on the day rather than rely on a printed line number.

Planning the hours

The show lasts about 30 minutes, and admission opens 30 minutes before the start. The booking page notes that there is no restroom, so use one before you arrive. Eat before or after rather than in between. If you have time, walk the park before your start time, and after the show let your eyes readjust to the street. Dress for the church, not the park: the booking page warns that it is cold in winter and hot in summer. If you are travelling from across the city, treat the route planner's time as the minimum, not the target. The practical guide on this site has the arrival rules, clothing and access notes.

Read next: Votivkirche show: practical