Michaelerplatz (Saint Michael's Square), Vienna
Saint Michael鈥檚 Square鈥攐r Michaelerplatz if you're feeling extra Austrian鈥攊s by far more than just a pretty roundabout. This baroque, star-shaped showstopper is the northeastern gateway to the Hofburg Palace鈥攖he kind of place where Roman legions, imperial drama, and architectural snobbery all collide in delightful chaos...
Let鈥檚 rewind a couple millennia: underneath your feet once stood Vindobona, a Roman military camp. You can still peek at the excavated remains in the center of the square鈥攂ecause Vienna doesn鈥檛 just bury its history, it displays it like a badge of honor.
Marching into view is the grand Michael鈥檚 Gate, a triumph of Neo-Baroque drama. It鈥檚 flanked by two dramatic 19th-century fountains sculpted by Rudolf Weyer鈥攊magine 鈥淩oman gods doing acrobatics in water.鈥� This is your official entrance into the imperial Hofburg, via Saint Michael鈥檚 Wing, which sounds like a fancy dessert but is actually just as rich in stone.
Across from all this pageantry stands the Church of Saint Michael, namesake of the square. Parts of it go back to 1221, though what you see now mostly dates from a sprucing-up in 1792. The church鈥檚 porch features a wild Baroque sculpture of the Fall of the Angels鈥攙ery metal. Step inside and you鈥檒l find 14th-century frescoes, Vienna鈥檚 largest gilded organ (once played by Haydn, no less), and a crypt that鈥檚 equal parts eerie and fascinating. Yes, they still have open coffins with mummified parishioners in full funeral chic. Welcome to Vienna...
Now turn your gaze to the Looshaus, a stark modernist rebel built in 1912 by architect Adolf Loos. At the time, it scandalized polite society鈥攁nd Emperor Franz Joseph so hated its minimalist vibe, he refused to walk through Michael鈥檚 Gate ever again. Today, it's a working bank with a lavish interior clad in marble and mirrors. Moral of the story? Never judge a building by its cover.
Other star attractions ring the square like jewels, including the Spanish Riding School, the Sisi Museum, the Herberstein Palace, and a pair of 18th-century homes鈥攐ne of which once belonged to Haydn himself.
Insider tip: spring for a horse-drawn carriage tour from here. This ride is a true slow-motion glide through centuries of imperial flair...
Let鈥檚 rewind a couple millennia: underneath your feet once stood Vindobona, a Roman military camp. You can still peek at the excavated remains in the center of the square鈥攂ecause Vienna doesn鈥檛 just bury its history, it displays it like a badge of honor.
Marching into view is the grand Michael鈥檚 Gate, a triumph of Neo-Baroque drama. It鈥檚 flanked by two dramatic 19th-century fountains sculpted by Rudolf Weyer鈥攊magine 鈥淩oman gods doing acrobatics in water.鈥� This is your official entrance into the imperial Hofburg, via Saint Michael鈥檚 Wing, which sounds like a fancy dessert but is actually just as rich in stone.
Across from all this pageantry stands the Church of Saint Michael, namesake of the square. Parts of it go back to 1221, though what you see now mostly dates from a sprucing-up in 1792. The church鈥檚 porch features a wild Baroque sculpture of the Fall of the Angels鈥攙ery metal. Step inside and you鈥檒l find 14th-century frescoes, Vienna鈥檚 largest gilded organ (once played by Haydn, no less), and a crypt that鈥檚 equal parts eerie and fascinating. Yes, they still have open coffins with mummified parishioners in full funeral chic. Welcome to Vienna...
Now turn your gaze to the Looshaus, a stark modernist rebel built in 1912 by architect Adolf Loos. At the time, it scandalized polite society鈥攁nd Emperor Franz Joseph so hated its minimalist vibe, he refused to walk through Michael鈥檚 Gate ever again. Today, it's a working bank with a lavish interior clad in marble and mirrors. Moral of the story? Never judge a building by its cover.
Other star attractions ring the square like jewels, including the Spanish Riding School, the Sisi Museum, the Herberstein Palace, and a pair of 18th-century homes鈥攐ne of which once belonged to Haydn himself.
Insider tip: spring for a horse-drawn carriage tour from here. This ride is a true slow-motion glide through centuries of imperial flair...
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Vienna. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "黑料吃瓜网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
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Michaelerplatz (Saint Michael's Square) on Map
Sight Name: Michaelerplatz (Saint Michael's Square)
Sight Location: Vienna, Austria (See walking tours in Vienna)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Vienna, Austria (See walking tours in Vienna)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Vienna, Austria
Create Your Own Walk in Vienna
Creating your own self-guided walk in Vienna is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Mozart Walking Tour
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart spent a significant portion of his life in Vienna. Here, he achieved recognition, and the city holds enormous historical and cultural significance for his legacy. Mozart first visited Vienna as a child prodigy in 1762, and in 1781 came here to stay.
The city met the composer with a vibrant and cosmopolitan atmosphere brought about by some of the top musicians and artists... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.0 Km or 1.2 Miles
The city met the composer with a vibrant and cosmopolitan atmosphere brought about by some of the top musicians and artists... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.0 Km or 1.2 Miles
Old Town Chocolate Stores
Vienna is famous for its love for sweet indulgence. And when it comes to chocolate, it stands tall among other locally-made mouth-watering confections.
Vienna's chocolate scene is deeply rooted in a rich culinary tradition. It has been sustained by several historic chocolate houses, located in the Old Town, that have been serving decadent treats for generations.
Landmark... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.2 Km or 0.7 Miles
Vienna's chocolate scene is deeply rooted in a rich culinary tradition. It has been sustained by several historic chocolate houses, located in the Old Town, that have been serving decadent treats for generations.
Landmark... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.2 Km or 0.7 Miles
Vienna's Art Nouveau Architecture Tour I
Vienna鈥檚 flirtation with Art Nouveau鈥攌nown locally as Jugendstil鈥攗nfolded in the late 19th, early 20th centuries. The so-called Vienna Secession movement, which emerged in 1897, was led by a group of rebellious artists and architects like Otto Wagner, Gustav Klimt, and Koloman Moser, who turned their backs on historicism in favor of bold, modern aesthetics. As the new language for buildings,... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.4 Km or 2.1 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.4 Km or 2.1 Miles
Johann Strauss Walking Tour
Throughout the entire 19th century, Vienna was a hub of cultural and musical activity, particularly in the realm of classical music, to which Johann Strauss and his father, Johann Strauss Sr., contributed greatly.
Strauss, the son had a personal connection with Vienna deeply rooted in its cultural fabric. Not only was he born here and spent most of his life, but also he achieved tremendous... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.1 Km or 2.5 Miles
Strauss, the son had a personal connection with Vienna deeply rooted in its cultural fabric. Not only was he born here and spent most of his life, but also he achieved tremendous... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.1 Km or 2.5 Miles
Vienna Old Town Walking Tour
Vienna鈥檚 Old Town鈥攖he historic core of Austria鈥檚 capital and a UNESCO World Heritage Site鈥攊s where cobblestones gossip, rooftops sparkle, and emperors still seem to whisper from the walls. Indeed, this is the kind of place where every alley seems to have a PhD in European history.
Once wrapped in medieval walls鈥攂efore they rolled out the grand Ringstrasse boulevard in the 19th... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.9 Km or 1.8 Miles
Once wrapped in medieval walls鈥攂efore they rolled out the grand Ringstrasse boulevard in the 19th... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.9 Km or 1.8 Miles
Vienna's Art Nouveau Architecture Tour II
If there are cities that flirt, Vienna is definitely the one. Here, even the buildings know how to do it.
Around the turn of the 20th century, the Austrian capital caught the Art Nouveau fever and decided that straight lines, drab walls, and historical imitation simply wouldn鈥檛 do anymore. Instead, it took to ornamental swirls, flowing curves, floral flourishes, and enough decorative detail... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.0 Km or 1.2 Miles
Around the turn of the 20th century, the Austrian capital caught the Art Nouveau fever and decided that straight lines, drab walls, and historical imitation simply wouldn鈥檛 do anymore. Instead, it took to ornamental swirls, flowing curves, floral flourishes, and enough decorative detail... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.0 Km or 1.2 Miles
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