#33 of 1,170 · Things to do in Vienna
Ringstrasse
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About
Ringstrasse is a 5.3 km circular boulevard around Vienna’s historic centre, following the route of the former city walls.
Why go
- Grand buildings from the second half of the 19th century line the boulevard.
- The route passes the Vienna State Opera, Hofburg, Parliament, Burgtheater and University of Vienna.
- The boulevard and its buildings belong to Vienna’s Historic Centre World Heritage Site.
Don't miss
- Parliament fountain statuesAthena and Nike stand at the Parliament fountain.At the Austrian Parliament Building
- Stadtpark composersStadtpark is divided by the Wien river and has statues of Johann Strauss II and Franz Schubert.Stadtpark
- Mozart statueBurggarten contains a Mozart statue and a greenhouse.Burggarten, behind the Hofburg
- Volksgarten and RathausparkVolksgarten and Rathauspark are two parks lining the boulevard.Along Ringstrasse
Tips for your visit
- Explore the boulevard on foot or take a guided bus tour.
Know before you go
- For drivers, Ringstrasse is a three-lane, clockwise one-way road; trams can travel in both directions.
Interesting facts6
Shorts
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Vienna, Austria: The Ringstrasse - Rick Steves’ Europe Travel Guide -…Rick Steves' Europe
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Wiener Ringstrassetopaz84
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150th Anniversary of Vienna's Ringstrasse: UniversitätsringT I M S T A N I
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The Redevelopment of the Ringstrasse in ViennaBobby Tidmarsh
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Vienna: Ringstrasse, City Hall, Parliamentfluglehrer
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150th Anniversary of Vienna's Ringstrasse: OpernringT I M S T A N I
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Vienna RingstrasseAustria Tourism Info
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Vienna's Signature Road: The RingstrasseJungles in Paris
History
Under Joseph II, streets and walkways crossed the glacis, accompanied by lanterns and trees. During the July Revolt of 1927, Social Democrats protested here against the acquittal of three far-right paramilitary members.
- 13th c.Vienna’s city walls were first built.
- 1529; 1618The fortifications were strengthened after the 1529 Ottoman siege and during the Thirty Years’ War.
- 1848The Revolution helped set the area’s transformation into a boulevard in motion.
- 1857Emperor Franz Joseph I ordered the walls and moats demolished and planned the boulevard.
- September 1859The boulevard received its official name.
Show all
- 1865The Ring opened, though several sections were still largely undeveloped.
- 1881A fire at the Ringtheater killed several hundred people; the Sühnhaus later replaced the theatre.
- 1871–1890The Kunsthistorisches Museum was built along the boulevard.
- 1872–1883The Neues Rathaus was built along the boulevard.
- 1913Construction concluded with the Ministry of War, by which time the Ringstraßenstil had fallen out of fashion.
How to get there
- TramTram lines 1 and 2 run partly around the boulevard.
- On footKärntner Straße and Mariahilfer Straße lead into the boulevard. Opernring runs beside the Vienna State Opera; Burgring runs beside the Hofburg.
Sources: Ringstrasse - Wikipedia · Wiener Ringstraße - Wikipedia · Ring (Vienne) - Wikipedia · checked 24 Sep 2026
Where
Vienna
Questions and answers
What is the outer Ring?
A second concentric boulevard carries traffic in the opposite direction.
What is the Zweierlinie beside Ringstrasse?
It follows the former freight road, Lastenstraße, along the glacis’s outer edge. Tram line 2 began running there in 1907; the name Zweierlinie came into use in the 1960s.
Why was open ground kept beside Ringstrasse’s old walls?
A roughly 500-metre glacis was kept clear of buildings and vegetation for defence.
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