Vienna City Hall Tour: a Free Suprise

I am always on the look out for free things to do in Vienna. There is never a shortage of activities, but sometimes I don’t feel like doling out Euros right and left. So, when I learned that the Weiner Rathaus (Vienna City Hall) offered free tours every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I had to check it out.

From the outside, the Rathaus looks more like a giant castle, or maybe a church, not a city hall. The building is huge. It is 152 meters long and 127 meters wide, and one of the biggest city halls in Europe. The inside is just as grand as the outside. The whole building was designed by famous German architect, Friedrich Schmidt. He had designed several other buildings in Vienna before he won the contest to design the new Rathaus. In 1883 he was even made an honorary citizen of Vienna, and he has his own statue in a park outside.

Our tour started in the Arkadenhof (Arcade Courtyard), the largest of seven interior courtyards of the Rathaus. In the summer it is used as a festival ground, and even features a foldout roof, in case of rain.

Then we proceeded up the Grand Staircases. These are two magnificent red-carpeted staircases leading up to the Festival Hall. On either side they are flanked by beautiful stained glass windows. Walking up the stairs reinforces the idea that this is not just any old city hall.

The Festival Hall is an event venue, which in Austria means a ballroom. When it was completed in 1883, it was the largest hall in Austria with 1,450 square meters of floor space. The vaulted ceilings, with their 16 gilded chandeliers lend the room an even greater level of grandeur. Every winter the Ball of the City of Vienna is held at the Festival Hall. And in the summer the lively Life Ball takes place here. The first ball here on February 12, 1890 featured performances by the waltz master himself, Johann Strauss II.

Next we visited the Wappensaal (Coat of Arms Hall), two rooms used for honorary ceremonies and events. They used to be home to a weapons collection, but it has since been relocated to the Municipal Arms Museum. The walls are still decorated with hangings representing the coats of arms of the nine Bundesländer (federal provinces) of Austria and their capitals. Another impressive feature are the 500 and 750kg crystal chandeliers in the two rooms.

Our last stop was the two story Council Chamber. They really pulled out all the stops for this one. The vaulted ceilings are adorned with 22-carat gold. There is a precious wood inlay ceiling, stained glass windows, frescos, and a 3,200kg chandelier. The chandelier was presented by Friedrich Schmidt at the International Exhibition in Paris. It is so heavy that it had to be anchored to the roof with steel cables and the ceiling put in afterwards.

Fresco of Maria Theresa

There was one more cool thing to see before our tour officially ended. Atop the tallest tower of the Rathaus stands Rathausmann. Why is there a statue all the way up there, you may ask? Well, there are two reasons. One, he serves as a metal lightning rod. Two, the law in Vienna at the time stated that no secular building could be taller than a church. The spires of the nearby Votivekirche are 99 meters tall. Naturally, the Rathaus tower is only 97.9 meters high. Except, when you add the 5.4 meters for Rathausmann. So, he was a sneaky loophole.

Can you spot Rathausmann?

The exterior of the Rathaus is quite the sight. Surrounded by parks and the famous Ringstraße, it offers visitors plenty to soak in. But that is only half of the story. I was really surprised by how exquisite and interesting the interior of the Rathaus was. Every room had beautiful decorations and a story to tell. And they are still in use today. That is why visitors have to take a guided tour. There are still government officials conducting business in the building. For me, it was quite an experience to see how a building so connected to Vienna’s imperial past was being translated into its present.

I think the Rathaus tour might be one of Vienna’s hidden gems. I hadn’t heard about it anywhere until I read the small print on my map, but it was a great tour. They offer audio guides in lots of languages, so anyone can go. I highly recommend checking it out.