Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
point, you may want to take a break from the walk to tour the church (see my self-guided
Where Kärntner Strasse hits Stephansplatz, the grand, sootcovered building with red
columnsisthe
EquitableBuilding
(filledwithlawyers,bankers,andinsurancebrokers).It's
a fine example of Neoclassicism from the turn of the 20th century—look up and imagine
how slick Vienna must have felt in 1900.
FacingSt.Stephen'sisthesleekconcrete-and-glass
HaasHaus,
apostmodernbuild-
ing by noted Austrian architect Hans Hollein (finished in 1990). The curved facade is sup-
posed to echo the Roman fortress of Vindobona (its ruins were found near here). Although
the Viennese initially protested having this stark modern tower right next to their beloved
cathedral, since then, it's become a fixture of Vienna's main square. Notice how the smooth,
rounded glass reflects St. Stephen's pointy architecture, providing a great photo opportun-
ity—especially at twilight.
• Exit the square with your back to the cathedral. Walk past the Haas Haus, and bear right
down the street called...
Graben
This was once a
Graben,
or ditch—originally the moat for the Roman military camp. Back
during Vienna's 19th-century heyday, there were nearly 200,000 people packed into the
city's inner center (inside the Ringstrasse), walking through dirt streets. Today this area
houses 20,000. Graben was a busy street with three lanes of traffic until the 1970s, when it
was turned into one of Europe's first pedestrian-only zones. Take a moment to absorb the
scene—you'restandinginanareasurroundedbyhistory,postwarrebuilding,grandarchitec-
ture, fine cafés, and people enjoying life...for me, quintessential Europe.
As you stroll down the Graben from Stephansplatz, after about 50 yards, you'll reach a
modern water dispenser. Vienna has suffered fiercely hot summers lately, leading the city
government to install watering stations and shady benches for its citizens and visitors.
In another fifty yards, you reach Dorotheergasse, on your left, which leads (after two
morelongblocks)tothe
Dorotheum
auction house.Consider pokingyournoseinherelater
for some fancy window-shopping. Also along this street are two recommended eateries: the
sandwich shop Buffet Trześniewski—one of my favorite places for lunch—and the classic
Café Hawelka (both described later).
InthemiddleoftheGrabenpedestrianzoneistheextravagantlyblobby
HolyTrinity
plague column
(Pestsäule)
. The 60-foot pillar of clouds sprouts angels and cherubs, with
the wonderfully gilded Father, Son, and Holy Ghost at the top (all protected by an anti-pi-
geon net).
