Ringstrasse, Vienna: How to Visit and What to Do Nearby

The Ringstrasse is a 5.3-kilometer circular boulevard that replaced Vienna’s medieval fortification walls, constructed between 1858 and 1865 on the orders of Emperor Franz Joseph I. The boulevard passes the State Opera, Parliament, City Hall, the Burgtheater, and the twin museums, each in a historicist style referencing a different period—Greek for Parliament, Gothic for City Hall, Renaissance for the museums. Tram lines 1 and 2 follow the full circuit. The demolition of the walls also created the Stadtpark, where a gilded statue of Johann Strauss II has stood since 1921. is just one of many options in Vienna. Major attractions worth considering include Albertina Museum, Burgtheater, and Dürnstein.