The Ringstrasse: Bringing Vienna into the Mainstream

Ringstrasse

Vienna's inner ramparts were razed in 1857 and the city ditches filled in. They were replaced by the Ringstrasse, which was opened in 1865. The Ringstrasse provided many things to Vienna's stature as an international superpower in the tourism industry by acting as a transportation network for the central city, and also as the commercial backbone. By catching a cab on the Ringstrasse, a visitor to the city could be shuttled anywhere within the Inner Stadt of the metropolis in a previously impossibly short period of time. Also, for those strolling through the city on foot the Ringstrasse provided unlimited pedestrian entertainment. Along the Ring, the finest shops in Vienna, and perhaps the world, were open to the public. A tourist could easily lose track of time spending an afternoon browsing through all the expensive merchandise. Also lining the Ringstrasse are most of the highly prestigious buildings of Vienna; some of the most effective tourist attractions in the 19th century as well as today. The Nòlls Opera, arguably the most important building in Vienna, is located at the most strategic point of the Ringstrasse, and drew the attention of thousands of visitors each day. The Ringstrasse was also the home of some of the most luxurious hotels anywhere in the world, whose aristocratic visitors provided reason enough for many to come merely to see the rich and famous. Without the Ringstrasse, Vienna was as good as a vacant lot to tourists, with it, Vienna entered the ranks of London and Paris as a world leader in tourism.