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City Park
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The Viennese City Park (German: Wiener
Stadtpark) extends from the Parkring in the First District of Vienna up to
the Heumarkt (a street, literally translated as hay market) in the Third
District and is visited both by tourists and by native Viennese. The total
surface area is 65,000 m².
Even as early as in the Biedermeier period, the glacis before the
Karolinenstadttor (Caroline City Gate) was a popular site of entertainment.
During the demolition of the city walls and the creation of the Vienna
Ringstraße in its place, the mayor at that time, Andreas Zelinka, promoted
the project of creating a public park on the territory. The park was
designed in the style of English gardens by the landscape painter Josef
Selleny, while the plans were made by the city gardener Rudolf Siebeck. On
21 August 1862 the park was opened, becoming the first public park in
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On the southern shore of the Wienfluß,
the so-called Kinderpark (Children's park) was created in 1863, which is
today still used mainly as a playground and for sports. The Karolinenbrücke
(Caroline Bridge), which was built in 1857 (since 1918 it is known as
Stadtparkbrücke - City Park Bridge) connects it to the Stadtpark proper on
the northern side of the river. After the regulation of the Wienfluss, the
whole river area was rebuilt by Friedrich Ohmann and Josef Hackhofer between
1903 and 1907, with a gate out of which the river flows, pavilions and
stairs to its shorts. The architecture, together with the U-Bahn station by
Otto Wagner, is among the sights of the park.
At the water glacis, a spa pavilion was built, in which mineral water with
healing properties was served. The current Kursalon building was built
between 1865 and 1867 according to plans of Johann Garben. The opulent
building in the historicist style of the Italian renaissance is located next
to the Johannesgasse.
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A wide terrace reaching into the park
is attached to it. After it was opened on 8 May 1867 amusements were
originally prohibited. However, since that concept was not accepted, it was
changed, and Johann Strauss II gave his first concert here on 15 October
1868. The Kursalon thus became a popular place for concerts and for dancing,
especially during the area of the Strauss brothers. Today, after undergoing
some renovation, it is still used for balls, concerts, clubbings and
congresses. There is also a Café-Restaurant inside it.
The gilded bronze monument of Johann
Strauß II, is one of the most known and most frequently photographed
monuments in Vienna. It was revealed to the public on 26 June 1921 and is
framed by a marble relief made by Edmund Hellmer. The gilding was removed in
1935 and laid on again only in 1991. There are several other monuments, e.g.
of Franz Schubert, Franz Lehár, Robert Stolz and Hans Makart; the Stadtpark
is the park with the largest number of monuments and sculptures in Vienna.
The former milk drinking hall was erected as part of the installations
surrounding the Wienfluß according to plans of Friedrich Ohmann and Josef
Hackhofer during the years of 1901 to 1903. After suffering heavy damage
during World War II, the building was extended during reconstruction. Today,
with another annex having been built, there is a restaurant in the Meierei.
The planting of the City Park is characterized by a large diversity of
species. By that design, it was attempted to achieve blooms during all
seasons. A parkway bordering the Ringstraße filters noise and emissions from
the park. Some groves are natural protection zones, such as a Ginkgo, a
Christusdorn, a Pyramid Poplar and Caucasian Wing Nut.
Text Source: Wikipedia
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