Landstrasse - 3rd district
Landstrasse is a district, not a street even if the name tells so, that consists of Landstrasse plus smaller districts that have been merged. It is situated just east of the first district (city center) on the same side of the Danube Canal. The beautiful Belvedere Palace and garden and the architect/artist Hundertwasser's 2 famous innovative buildings are probably what the district is mostly known for. Except for around the tourist attractions the district feels a little bit empty compared to the city center. In Landstrasse, most American hotel chains are situated around Stadtpark that is bordering the first district. Some tall modern office buildings have been constructed in Landstrasse recently.
KunstHausWien. Friedensrich Hundertwasser's innovative building from 1991 that is now a permanent exhibition of Hundertwasser's drawings and works. There is also a shop where you can by Hundertwasser stuff and and indoor and an outdoor café, designed by Hundertwasser.
Details of KunstHausWien's exterior. Note that this is a museum, a different building from the nearby Hundertwasserhaus that is a residential building.
The restaurant.
The shop with Hundertwasser stuff at KunstHausWien.
The cozy outdoor café of Hundertwasser's KunstHausWien.
Hundertwasser decorations atUntere Weissgerberstrasse, the street that goes between Hundertwasser's 2 most famous buildings in Vienna.
These colourful houses I saw on my way to Hundertwasserhaus on Untere Weissgerberstrasse.
The first sight of Hundertwasserhaus. The grey building to the left of it is a shame.
Hundertwasserhaus, the famous residential building designed by Friedensrich Hundertwasser. That is how it looks when a an artist become an architect. Magnificent!
It was built between 1983 and 1986.
Details of Hundertwasserhaus at Kegelgasse. Huge amount of tourists.
Hundertwasserhaus. Hundertwasser didn't want to get payed for the work, he thought it was worth it to prevent something ugly to get built on the site.
Hundertwasser Village, a complex opposite Hundertwasserhaus made to take care of all the tourists visiting that wants to buy gifts.
Unfortunately there has became some kind of a Disneyland feeling in it.
The interior of Hundertwasser Village with galleries and tourist shops, also designed by Hundertwasser.
The café of Hundertwasser Village with Klimt paintings.
A bench made by Klimt.
The nice gallery and gift shop of Hunderwasser Village.
"Skyscrapers" by Hundertwasser can be yours for 109 euro.
Hundertwasser's staircase leading down to the Hundertwasser toilet in the Hundertwasser basement of Hundertwasser Village.
That is how Hundertwasserhaus looks from Löwengasse.
The tallest church in Landstrasse.
To the west, closer to the city center, a totally different kind of architecture could be found: The Belvedere, a baroque palace and gardens built by Prince Eugene of Savoy. Both the upper and lower Belvedere were drawn by the architect Johan Lukas von Hildebrandt. There is an art museum that used to have a famous painting by Klimt, that was stolen by the Nazis, but has now returned to it's original owners after a long lawsuit.
Upper Belvedere. Built in 1720-23.
Lower Belvedere. That was the first part built, originally not a palace but a villa finished in 1716. Lower Belvedere is closer to the city center than the upper version.
The entrance to Belvedere. In 1752 the complex was sold to Maria Theresa of Austria, who invented the name Belvedere.
It was extended by the Habsburgs family. Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the last one to reside in Belvedere.
The Austrian Gallery museum resides in Belvedere since WWI.
The buildings and gardens have recently got a facelift.
The garden is a cheaper and more centrally located alternative to the very hyped Schönbrunn.
Unfortunately it was closed inside just when I reached the palace.
The terrace of Upper Belvedere offers views over the city.
The city center with Stephansdom seen from Upper Belvedere.
Funkturm seen from Belvedere.
Traffic jam at the hilly Prinz-Eugenstrasse.
The Brazilian embassy at Prinz-Eugenstrasse.
Hilton Hotel seen from the Stadtpark (City Park), where most American hotel chains are.
Stadtpark, the park that divides Landstrasse from Innere Stadt. A canal goes through the park.
The reconstrution of Wien-Mitte Station, with City Tower in the background. Most of Vienna's railway stations were very shabby and looked like something that belongs
in communist Soviet.
A modern glass facade mirroring an old one. Next to the station.
City Tower 1. 97m tall and 26 floors. This modern cubistic highrise from 2003 is an example of a new construction wave in Vienna.
Marxergasse. A number of modern office highrises have been constructed on this street.
The end of Marxstrasse.
The colourful Hotel Ukraina.
UNIQA Tower in Leopoldstadt seen from Dampfschiffstrasse from Landstrasse at Danube Canal.