The architecture of Austria is closely connected with the history of this country. The lands that are now Vienna and Salzburg were captured by the ancient Romans, who built powerful fortresses for Roman garrisons. Then, after the advent of Charlemagne, the first Christian churches began to be built, which looked rather primitive. The Romanesque style of architecture began to develop. Examples of this style that have survived to this day include the western facade of St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna and the church in Carinthia. The Gothic style in the architecture of Austria is represented in such buildings as the Gothic south tower of St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna, and the Church of St. Maria am Gestad in Vienna. In areas remote from Vienna, Gothic forms were simplified.
After a period of wars and political upheavals, the Baroque flourished in Austria: quaint Baroque manors, churches and monasteries became a significant architectural heritage of Austria. The development of the Baroque in Austria was strongly influenced by the Italian Baroque. Schönbrunn Palace is the first example of purely Austrian baroque, which has already acquired its own individuality. The first baroque cathedral was built in Salzburg at the beginning of the 17th century. It is here, in this quaint baroque town, that the house where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart lived and worked is located. Salzburg is also interesting because, along with the luxurious stucco facades of baroque buildings, the modern Museum of Modernism Mönchsberg or Hangar 7 is quietly located here - a modern exhibition hall for aviation equipment and other exhibits related to aviation.
WITH early XIX In Austrian cities, multi-storey and apartment buildings began to appear for not very wealthy residents, and for citizens with a higher financial position - detached mansions. They stood in stark contrast to the luxurious and imposing buildings of previous eras. There is a tendency towards pretentiousness and pretentiousness in the construction of imposing government buildings. Vienna became the birthplace of a new architectural style - the Vienna Secession, that is, a special version of Viennese Art Nouveau.
In Vienna, where ancient buildings juxtapose modern structures made of glass and concrete, this eclecticism is especially noticeable. One of the best examples of Viennese Art Nouveau, the Secession building is located very close to the Baroque Karlskirche church. The State Opera stands next to the Albertina, the world's largest gallery of modern graphics.
Richly decorated and lush architectural buildings in Austria are organically combined with modern buildings, contrasting and complementing each other, and creating a unique atmosphere of Austria.
On the territory of Austria there are buildings and attractions dating back not only to different centuries, but also to completely different styles. Here you can find magnificent imperial palaces, ancient temples and grandiose modern complexes.
Each region of Austria and even each of its towns has its own special style and extraordinary architecture. The contrast of architectural styles is strongest in magnificent Vienna. For example, if you decide to take the subway, you will see modernist architecture. Walk through the historical center and admire the Gothic churches and cathedrals, as well as Baroque buildings. Only here you can see buildings opposite each other that are completely different in spirit, nevertheless looking harmonious thanks to the special spirit of Vienna.
Vienna is also home to a large number of imperial buildings built during the reign of the great Habsburg dynasty. Among them, two magnificent palace complexes stand out - Schönbrunn Palace, which was the summer residence of the imperial family, and Belvedere Palace, which was the residence of the Prince of Savoy.
If you visit lower Austria, in the city of Wachau you can admire the unique monastery of Benedictine monks Melk. This monastery was built in the Baroque style and is a UNESCO heritage site. Walking a little further, you will find yourself in the vineyards, and then near a charming late-Gothic church. There are also a large number of ancient monuments and various ancient ruins located here.
If you visit Krems, you will see one of the most significant medieval buildings in the country - Gozzoburg. This palace, whose history dates back to the 13th century, is made in a very rare style for Austria - the Italian palazzo.
Austria is considered one of the heirs of the great Western European architecture, which has come a long way from Ancient Rome to postmodernism. Austrian architecture is a combination of Gothic, classicism and modern trends. There is certainly a lot to see in this distinctive country - we present the first part of a review of 25 stunning masterpieces of Austrian architecture.
The Roman Catholic Church Votivkirche was erected in the center of the Austrian capital as a sign of gratitude for the rescue of the young Emperor Franz Joseph during the assassination attempt on February 18, 1853. The height of the church is about 99 meters, making it the second tallest church in Austria. The architect of this unique building in the neo-Gothic style was the 26-year-old architect Heinrich von Ferstel. The construction of the temple took 23 years. Today the Votivkirche is considered one of the most recognizable architectural structures in Austria.
The Spittelau-Viaducts residential complex is located on the banks of the Donau Canal, next to the University of Vienna. In this place, a metro line runs along the canal - along an arched viaduct built at the end of the 19th century according to the design of the Austrian architect Otto Wagner. The legendary Zaha Hadid placed her building directly above the viaduct, so that trains literally pass through it. The house consists of three independent buildings, replete with broken curves and seemingly jumping across the viaduct to the canal and back. Interestingly, due to the lack of demand for apartments in this complex, it was converted into a university dormitory.
The Albertina Museum is located in the palace of Archduke Albrecht in the center of Vienna. Within its walls is stored one of the largest and most significant world collections of graphic images (in total about 65 thousand drawings and more than a million masterpieces of printed graphics) from all over the world. This unique collection spans the period from late Gothic to modern times. In addition to graphics, the museum can see two unique collections of impressionists from the early 20th century, some of which will be on display. permanent basis. The Albertina Gallery also often hosts temporary exhibitions of photographs, drawings and architectural sketches. The museum houses original works by Rubens, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Dürer and many other world-famous artists.
The incredible Voest Steelworks office structure was built by Austrian architect Dietmar Feichstinger in Linz in 2009. This 5-story building, which is actually a horizontal skyscraper, is distinguished primarily by its length. One of the end facades of the building looks very unusual, “beveled” at an incredibly sharp angle. On its top floor there is a recreation area for company employees. The office center also includes work spaces, conference rooms, meeting rooms, a private dining room, a games room and a fitness center.
The Bergisel Mountains in Innsbruck do not look like the place where you can find one of the masterpieces of the legendary Zaha Hadid, but it was in this area that she designed a ski jump as part of the reconstruction of the Olympic Arena project. This facility is equipped with two elevators, and on its roof there is a recreation area with a cafe and a terrace, offering stunning views of the mountains.
The national symbol of Austria and the city of Vienna, the Catholic St. Stephen's Cathedral, was erected in the center of the old city on St. Stephen's Square in 1147. This grandiose Gothic structure is literally overflowing with relics: crucifixes, church utensils and world-class works of art. In addition, while inside the cathedral, you can go down into the catacombs, where the remains of the Austrian emperors are buried, and climb one of the two towers. The already overly Gothic image of the cathedral is given a special flavor by the fact that it is inhabited by kestrels, the bats and stone marten.
The BTV bank branch building was built on the outskirts of Innsbruck a couple of years ago. Its facades are decorated with repeating checkerboard patterns. The shape of the building was inspired by the author of the project, architect Reiner Keberl, by the silhouettes of the majestic Alpine mountains. In this building, attention is involuntarily drawn by the steep roof, thanks to which it can be easily recognized among other objects. It appeared as a result of the architect’s desire to make the building as tall as possible and noticeable among other objects. White façade “brick” panels that form the appearance of a building play two main roles: they filter sunlight and hide from prying eyes what is happening inside.
The Vienna Secession is the name of an association of Viennese artists during the Art Nouveau era, whose works can be called the Viennese version of Art Nouveau. The exhibition pavilion of the Vienna Secession, which was built in 1898 according to the design of Joseph Maria Olbrich, is considered one of the most significant monuments Austrian Art Nouveau architecture. Obviously, the main element of the pavilion’s façade is the golden dome (made of gilded bronze), which was popularly nicknamed the “cabbage head.” Under the dome is the motto of the Secession, executed in gold: “To time is its art, to art is its freedom.”
The building of the Museum of Modern Art - huge, rectangular with a curved roof, made of blocks of gray basalt lava - looks very unusual and immediately catches your eye among the classic buildings of the former stables. Exhibition organizers sometimes use the smooth, dark walls of the museum as an “external exhibition hall,” projecting images and videos onto their surface or placing various objects on their surface.
The owner of Red Bull, Dietrich Mateschitz, once decided that he needed a place to store his collection of airplanes. For this purpose, the so-called “Hangar-7” was built - an additional pavilion on the territory of the local airport. After equipping the building with everything necessary, an aeronautics museum was opened within its walls - one of the most unusual in the world. The uniqueness of the Hangar-7 pavilion lies in both appearance, and in interior design. The building consists of many curved metal floors supporting a giant glass dome. In the halls of the museum there are unique models of recreational and sports aircraft, and some works of contemporary art related exclusively to the topic of aviation.
Austria is very popular among tourists from all over the world, largely due to its developed tourism infrastructure. Here you can see the most interesting sights, or you can relax in a world of luxury, amazing natural beauty and tranquility, going, for example, to.
Modern Austria is a child of the 20th century. Those lands that, after two world wars, became the territory of the Austrian Republic, were part of the Holy Roman Empire of the German nation for many centuries, and later became the foundation for a new empire - the Austrian Habsburgs, under whose rule in different historical periods were the lands of modern Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, part of Italy, Poland, Romania and Ukraine, as well as a number of states of the Balkan Slavs.
But when we talk about Austrian Gothic, we move to the 14th-15th centuries, when there was no Austrian Habsburg empire yet, and on the site of present-day Austria there were several German duchies (counties, lands), one of which was called Austria (created in mid-12th century). All of them were part of the Holy Roman Empire. In the 13th century, the “Roman” Emperor Rudolf I of Habsburg became the ruler of the Duchy of Austria, after which power in the duchy was inherited among representatives of this harmful family. Gradually, the lands neighboring Austria (Styria, Carinthia, and much later - Tyrol and Salzburg) were annexed to it, but there are still historical regions in the country that are called exactly the same as in those distant times when these territories Gothic has arrived.
Gothic temples of Vienna
Neighbors Vienna and Prague - two modern capital cities European cities with a glorious history. Each of them is included in the Top 6 most visited European cities by tourists. Over the course of their long history, both capitals have also served as informal capitals of a united Europe. True, Prague was the main city of Europe for only a short time - in the 14th century under Charles IV, after which for most of its history it happened to be a provincial city in the Austrian Habsburg Empire, being in the shadow of the brilliant Vienna.
If we turn to Gothic architecture, then there can be no talk of any superiority of Vienna over Prague (as well as Austria over the Czech Republic). Yes, Vienna has St. Stephen's Cathedral and other monumental Gothic buildings, but total number Prague's temples of this style are head and shoulders above the Austrian capital. The reason for this is simple: the rise of Austria and Vienna began after the Gothic fashion had already passed. And in the 13-14 centuries, the Austrian lands did not stand out in any way economically and politically from the surrounding German lands and states. If we talk about German state formations, then the North German cities that were part of the Hanseatic League were more developed, and not the cities of modern Austria. In addition, Austria and the surrounding lands in the middle of the 14th century suffered greatly from the plague epidemic, which also affected economic development these territories.
Vienna's St. Stephen's Cathedral is one of the grandest Gothic churches in Europe and the most famous Austrian Gothic temple.
In the 12th century, a Romanesque church was built on the site of the cathedral, but it burned down in 1240. Another temple was erected in its place, but already in 1304 its reconstruction in the Gothic style began. The main work on the construction of the cathedral was completed only in the middle of the 15th century.
The tallest tower of the cathedral rose 136 meters above the ground! The three naves of the cathedral are 107 meters long, the height of the arches of the central nave is 28 meters.
The cathedral was damaged during the bombing in 1945: the fire that started led to the collapse of the roof and damaged most of the stained glass windows. The restoration was completed by 1960, but even now the temple is constantly being repaired.
Church of Thanksgiving (Votivkirche)
Another grandiose Gothic temple in Vienna is the Church of Thanksgiving. This is a remake: its construction lasted from 1855 to 1879. The church was erected during the time of the last Austrian emperor Franz Joseph on the site of an unsuccessful assassination attempt on the imperial person: in 1853, a certain Hungarian attacked the young emperor and stabbed him in the back, but the knife hit a button (on the back!), and Franz Joseph got off lightly frightened. One should not think that the name of the church is gratitude to God from Franz Joseph himself for his miraculous salvation. This is the gratitude of the peoples of the Austrian Empire. Hundreds of thousands of citizens were so happy that their emperor was not harmed that they chipped in to build this temple!
(I wonder, if the villains try to burn out our beloved king’s eyes with greenery, but miss, how many people will voluntarily donate to the Thanksgiving church?...).
Several more Gothic churches were built in Vienna, but not all of them retained their original appearance. For example, the oldest temple in the city is the Church of St. Ruprecht. Presumably it existed already in the 8th century, but most likely it is just a legend. Its design contains Romanesque, Gothic (vault design), and Renaissance elements.
The Am Hof (Nine Angels' Choir) church was once a Gothic church, but it was converted into a Baroque temple, although the foundation of the temple, hidden behind the Baroque façade, was preserved. The same thing happened with St. Michael's Church. The 14th-century Church of the Order of St. Augustine has retained its Gothic foundation inside, but standing next to it, you cannot say that it is a Gothic building.
Minoritenkirche Church ( Little brothers) managed to partially convey to us its external Gothic appearance, which it acquired in the 14th century, although the original appearance of the temple was somewhat distorted by the tower and a residential extension to the church (a very unusual solution for temple architecture!). As far as I understand, this is the result of restoration in the 18th century.
Gothic of Lower and Upper Austria
Klosterneuburg Abbey
The monastery is located in the suburbs of modern Vienna. If you look at it from a bird's eye view, it may seem that the church in the monastery is Gothic. Actually this is not true. Initially, a Romanesque temple was built here in the 12th century, which was partially rebuilt in the Baroque style in the 18th century. In the next century, two neo-Gothic towers were added to it, which is why from a distance it looks Gothic.
Church in the village of Weißenkirchen
The ancient wine-growing village in the Wachau region has a rather impressive 14th-century Gothic Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, which stands out for its strange shape and huge roof. The tower was added to the temple in the 16th century for defensive purposes, since at that time the ubiquitous Turks began to roam around Wachau.
Basilica of St. Laurenz in Enns
Now Enns is a small town near Linz (approx. 10 thousand people). It's hard to believe, but this is the most Old city in Austria! But not because it was already a city in Roman times, but because in the Duchy of Austria it was the first to receive city rights. A funny coincidence: in 212, Enns became a municipality by decision of Emperor Caracalla (under the name Lauriacum), and exactly 1000 years later, in 1212, it received city rights from the German Duke Leopold...
In this ancient city you can also see one of the oldest Austrian Gothic churches, built in the 13th century. The Basilica of St. Lawrence has a unique design: the façade of the church is located in the transverse nave. And the facade itself is extremely unusual for a temple of this size: in terms of its width, it would be more suitable for a majestic Gothic cathedral, but not so small church, as in Enns.
New Cathedral in Linz
The luxurious three-nave cathedral has one big drawback: it was built in 1862-1924. The height of the cathedral tower is only a few meters lower than that of St. Stephen's Cathedral.
Gothic churches of Styria, Carinthia, Salzburg and Tyrol
Cathedral of St. Egidio in Graz
Graz is the capital of Styria and the second most populous city in Austria. The local cathedral was built in the 15th century (consecrated in 1441). From the outside it does not make a strong impression, but from the inside it looks very impressive.
St. Jacob's Church in Villach
Villach is a city on the Drava River in the very south of Austria, the second largest in Carinthia after Klagenfurt. The local three-nave Gothic church (built in the 14th century) has a very impressive interior. Visitors' attention is drawn to the vault, which has an extremely complex ribbed pattern.
Church of St. Vincent in the village of Heiligenblut
The village of Heiligenblut is lost among the mountains on the border with Italy. The local church was built in 1400-1490. on the income from the silver and gold mines located near the village. The church is notable not for its architecture, but for its location. Together with the landscape around it, it simply begs to be a postcard. If you Google, you will find hundreds of postcard photos of this church.
Church of the Assumption of Our Lady in Schwaz
In the small town of Schwaz, near Innsbruck, there is the largest Gothic church in Tyrol. It was built in the second half of the 15th century. Externally, the church is quite unpretentious, but inside it has a very unusual Gothic design. The temple has one hall (nave), but three rows of columns inside the hall that support the vault. A very unusual design solution!
In addition to those listed, in the towns and villages of Austria you can find another 2-3 dozen Gothic parish churches. In Styria there is a very small Gothic church in the town of Bruck an der Mur, in Carinthia there is a nice temple in the village of Maria Wörth and a parish church in the town of St. Veit an der Glan (14th century), not far from Salzburg - 15th century church in a village with the unpronounceable name St. Wolfgang im Salzkammergut, in ski resort Kitzbühel - Katharinenkirche church (14th century)...
When I was preparing a post about a walk through the center of Vienna, about a hundred photographs were pre-selected, which did not fit into the post due to the 36-photo limit. I had to select several more thematic ones from the main general post, and the first thing I did was successfully create a thematic selection about churches, temples, basilicas, cathedrals and monasteries, which was slightly supplemented with their interiors.
The review included: St. Stephen's Cathedral (the main symbol of Vienna), Ruprechtskirche (the oldest church in Vienna), St. Peter's Church, the court churches of St. Michael and St. Augustine, the Scottish Monastery, the Am Hof Church, the Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity, the Greek Catholic Church of St. Barbara, Dominican and Jesuit churches, Votivkirche and Karlskirche outside the Inner City and one completely modern church outside the historical center.
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3. Stefansdom is one of the ten tallest churches in the world (the height of its southern tower is more than 136 meters), and during the reign of the Habsburg dynasty, not a single church in Austria-Hungary could be higher than St. Stephen's Cathedral.
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5. If you go from Stefansdom along the Graben street towards the Hofburg, then from right side there will be St. Peter's Church (however, it will be there, even if you don't go there :). The very first Church of St. Peter was built in the second half of the 9th century on the site of the future current building (however, nothing remains of that building today). The new Church of St. Peter in Baroque style was built at the beginning of the 18th century. They didn't go inside.
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6. From Graben Street we turned left onto Kohlmarkt Street (“Coal Market”). The majestic dome at the end of the street was mistaken for another church, but in fact it turned out to be one of the buildings of the huge Hofburg complex of imperial palaces on the side of Michaelerplatz.
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7. But, nevertheless, there is also a church on Michaelerplatz - this is the Church of St. Michael, the parish of which included the imperial residence located nearby. The first version of the church was built in 1221, and subsequently it was rebuilt several times different styles: Gothic, Baroque and Classicist. According to legend, bodies in St. Michael's Church were naturally mummified thanks to special climatic conditions and are available for inspection.
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15. Ruprechtskirche is the oldest church in Vienna, one of the oldest surviving buildings (built between 796 and 829). Dedicated to Saint Rupert of Salzburg (whose portrait, by the way, is depicted on the house on the right). After the destruction of the Roman military settlement, the city began to grow around this particular church. And in 1147, the role of the main church was transferred to the Church of St. Stephen, which we approached a little earlier.
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23. A couple of buildings south of St. Barbara's Church is the Dominican Church. The first church on this site was built by Dominican monks who arrived in Vienna in 1225–26, but it was destroyed and rebuilt several times. The current façade of the church was built in the Roman-Lombard style (the first time I’ve heard of this).
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33. Now we go beyond the Inner City. To the west of the old town, near Sigmund Freud Square, is the Votivkirche - the Church of the Vow in a neo-Gothic style. In 1853, an unsuccessful attempt was made on Emperor Franz Joseph's life. In gratitude to God for his salvation, his brother vowed to build a church on this site. Construction of the church lasted 23 years. The height of the church towers is 99 meters (the second highest among Viennese churches).
"One of oldest churches Vienna is the one dedicated to the Archangel Michael. It is located on Michaelerplatz square within the Inner City. The monks of the Order of St. Michael founded it in 1221...”
“This church is one of the most beautiful and oldest churches in Vienna. It began to be built in 792 on the site where an older Christian temple had previously stood, and the order for construction was given by the Emperor himself...”
“St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna has long become a symbol not only of the capital, but of the whole of Austria. Its slender Gothic spire soars 136 meters, so it is visible from almost every corner of Vienna. Located...”
“The Church of the Vow (Votivkirche) is a Roman Catholic church located in the center of Vienna. It stands near the university, on the Ringstrasse. The neo-Gothic architecture of this..."
“Tourists visiting St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna usually go up to its observation platforms, from which a wonderful view of Vienna opens. From here you can even watch the Danube. On the..."
“In the center of Vienna, northwest of the imperial Hofburg Palace, there is a Minorite Church. The Minorites were a smaller branch of the larger Franciscan order. Leo invited the Minorites to Vienna in 1224...”
"Close to cathedral The residence of the archbishop is located on the Residenzplatz square in Salzburg. Moreover, there are two buildings of the old and new residence nearby. They were built at the beginning of the 17th century...”
“In the Wachau Valley on the banks of the Danube, at an altitude of 422 meters, stands Göttweig Abbey. It is 5 kilometers from the neighboring town of Krems. This monastery was founded in the 11th century - its altar was consecrated in 10...”
"At the foot of the Mönchsberg mountain in historical center Salzburg is home to a Benedictine abbey dedicated to St. Peter. It was founded in 690 by one of the first bishops of Salzburg - Rupert, ... "
“There is a University Church or Jesuit Church in the Inner City of Vienna, which belongs to the Archbishopric of Vienna. This monument of Baroque architecture was built in 1623-1627, and less than a century later...”
“In the inner city of Vienna on Josefplatz stands the Gothic-style Church of St. Augustine. When the Austrian Duke Frederick was imprisoned in Trausnitz Castle, there he met several ... "
“On the eastern bank of the Salzbach River, Capuchin Mountain rose 640 meters above sea level, and opposite it is the Salzburg City Museum. In fact, this is a hill, not a mountain, and on its top there is a beautiful..."
“The parish Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady the Victorious is worthy of attention as an architectural and historical monument, despite the presence of a huge number of different churches in Vienna. Located...”
“In the historical part of Austrian Salzburg, one of the oldest buildings is the Franciscan church. The portal of the 13th century in the Romanesque style turns into a Gothic-looking presbytery, in which... "
