Vienna Art Nouveau and Otto Wagner walking tour with a historian

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Place: Vienna

Duration: up to 3 hours

Language: English

Availability: See calendar

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Do this because

Visit the iconic Art Nouveau buildings in Vienna
Explore Otto Wagner's use of Art Nouveau
Admire the design elements of Vienna's metro stations
Follow Vienna's transition from the historic imperial capital to a modern metropolis

What to expect

Learn about German Jugendstil, or Art Nouveau, on this 3-hour walking tour through the metro of Vienna.

When Vienna's parliament hired Otto Wagner to design their new metro in the late 19th century, they wanted a modern construction to match the majestic buildings of the Ringstrasse and accommodate the capital's ever-expanding population. Wagner set out to make an easy-to-use system that could be quickly adapted to the city's different areas and highlight Vienna's cosmopolitanism. So he chose the international avant-garde style of Art Nouveau, creating designs for fences, doors, and stone carvings that were displayed across the Vienna's metro and surroundings.

Your tour will explore two of the remaining iconographic stations while exploring Viennese Art Nouveau more in depth. You'll start at Karlsplatz with a visit to the small Wagner Museum. Afterwards you'll move on to Stadtpark station, the best preserved of the original metro stations still in use. Next, you'll visit the Kettenbrücke station. Along the way you'll be able to visit the famous Sezession art building, the best example of Viennese Jugendstil that there is, and two beautiful apartment houses designed by Otto Wagner. Your guide will also delve into the philosophy of the style and help you understand the symbols and materials used in the designs.

Then you'll take the metro to your last destination, the Imperial station. Originally built for the Emperor's use only, it demonstrated to the metro's critics that Vienna's emperor supported the line. From here to Schönbrunn castle you can find more elements of the generally bourgeois style of Art Nouveau hidden within imperial grandiosity.