Navigating the 3rd District: The Landstraße

This week we journeyed out beyond the comfort of the Pfeilgasse and we set our sails for Landstraße. From the Rathaus district, we took the U2 to Karlsplatz getting off at the Volkstheater and we transferred to the U3 heading to Simmering. After getting out at the landstraße station, we had a vague idea where the Belvedere was, but in our adventure there we got lost and found the Stadtpark and the Hochstrahlbrunnen fountain. The Stadtpark was very picturesque, with a small creek running down the middle, lots of green grass, historic sculptures, and trees. I would suggest going later in May when it is spring to see some of the flowers in bloom.

The Hochstrahlbrunnen fountain was really impressive. After wandering through some small cobblestone streets we came upon this statue of a Soviet soldier and the fountain. After doing some research, the fountain has 365 jets for days of the year, and 7 in the middle for days of the week. The fountain was originally created in 1873 and the statue of the soviet soldier was added in 1945 to honor the soviets for freeing Vienna from fascism.




If you're curious, you can read a bit more here.














We continued to wander through the Landstraße in hopes that we would eventually come across either the famous Belvedere or the Hundertwasserhaus.  Unfortunately, we got a little lost and weren't able to find the Hundertwasserhaus, but we did eventually make it to the Belvedere.  And it is absolutely stunning!  It is made up of two baraque palaces and gigantic gardens.  Once a summer palace for Prince Eugene, it is now home to the Belvedere Museum which houses Gustav Klimt's Der Kuss.

Knowing that we would see the inside of the Belvedere later with Dr. Frost-Battaglia, we did not purchase tickets.  However, they are between 10-15 Euros for a student ticket, depending on which level you purchase.  With or without the ticket, just seeing the outside of the Belvedere, with its massive gardens and giant pools, is surely enough for any visitor.  For more information on the Belvedere's permanent and temporary installations, here is their website.

The Landstraße is a really beautiful area of Vienna. The Belvedere, Stadtpark and Hochstrahlbrunnen are all important places for one to see while here.  We encourage you to check it out, and to remember your map!

- Conor and Daniel