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Europe’s art capital

Hundertwasser House: A part of Kunst House, the Hundertwasser House is a tribute to the artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser who rebelled against monotonous architectural design and promoted the creative freedom to build and the right to individualise buildings. Since the ’70s, he boycotted sterile architecture and took the challenge of creating new architectonic forms, like the spiral house with afforestation of roofs, the eye-slit house, and the pit-house. His buildings radiate his encouragement of diversity and healthy living in harmony with nature.

St Stephen’s Cathedral:
Undoubtedly the city’s landmark, it stands in the centre of the old town. Each strata of this imposing limestone structure tells a story: the church was dedicated to St Stephen in 1147, the building was completed in the Gothic period in 1160. Then, in 1945 during World War II, the church was badly burnt. You can climb the 343 steps to the tower-keeper’s room of the Cathedral for a bird’s eye view of Vienna.

The Russian Square:
In 1955, the Austrian government liberalised art and monuments. The mind-blowing artwork at the Schwarzenbergplatz (platz meaning square), overlooking the monument to the Soviet victory, built by the Red Army in 1945, encapsulates the cosmopolitan feel of Vienna.

The KunstHausWien :
A whole week can be whiled away exploring the hundreds of art museums in Vienna.
The KunstHaus with its Art Nouveau building offers a spectrum of spectacular art on canvas and a permanent exhibition of Friedensreich Hundertwasser’s work. His philosophy is mirrored in his paintings, graphic works, applied arts, and architectural designs. He famously said:“Our real illiteracy is our inability to create.”

Vienna Belvedere Palace:
The 18th century Vienna Belvedere Palace museum with its extensive gardens and fountains ranks amongst the most exclusive baroque museums, exhibiting cabinet paintings, sacral art and baroque portraiture from the Middle Ages to the present. It exhibits the works of Claude Monet, Vincent Van Goh, Max Beckham and also Egon Schiele and Oskar Kokoschka. In 2012, the museum celebrates the 150th Anniversary of the pioneer of Viennese modernism, Gustav Klimt, who spent most of his life in Vienna. His best-known painting “The Kiss” is now on exhibition at the Vienna Belvedere.

Steinhof Church:
Built between 1904 and 1907, St Leopold’s Steinhof Church high on the crest of Hill ranks among the best known examples of Viennese Art Nouveau. With its copper dome, brightly coloured stucco, floral patterns and the use of marble, glass, tiles and metals, this is one of Otto Wagner’s most important works. Other inspiring works by Otto Wagner include his masterpiece, the Austrian Post Saving Bank building and Stadbahn Railway Station.

18th century Vienna Belvedere Palace museum with its extensive gardens, fountains amongst most exclusive museums.

Bookie

Apr 15, 2012 - 8:12PM

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Now this is called a slideshow.
Hundertwasser`s ability to mix colours is incomparable. I mean using such a spectrum of colours and yet keeping the maturity is impeccable. He was also an architect and have designed some unique buildings in Darmstadt Germany and are worth visiting!

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Ali Tanoli

Apr 18, 2012 - 6:48PM

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@Bookie,
How many this kind of buildings u wanna see in karachi slums area make a pictures that worth it the Art of local Mistries (masons).

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