From the Danube Canal to the Prater in Vienna through the Leopoldstadt

Vienna Leopoldstadt sightseeing

Which sights does Leopoldstadt offer in Vienna? We decide to explore the surroundings of the Schick Hotel Capricorno to explore where we stay overnight. The hotel is located directly on the Danube Canal and thus on the edge of the 1st district, the old town of Vienna. Leopoldstadt or the 2nd district begins on the other bank. Leopoldstadt lies on an island between the Danube Canal and the Danube.

 

 

 

The district is still considered to be the Jewish quarter of Vienna today. On our walk from the Danube Canal to the Prater in Vienna, we meet people who wear the kippah on their heads, the men's headgear. We hardly hear any German or Austrian on our tour. On the other hand, many we meet speak French or English.

 

Walk through Leopoldstadt

We start our walk from the Danube Canal to the Prater in Vienna through Leopoldstadt in Praterstrasse and follow it to Nestroyplatz. There is a statue of the actor and playwright there. On the way we notice houses with portals and balconies. The Johann Nepomuk Church is further down Praterstrasse. Their insides, however, seem rather gloomy to us. Not far away is the Dogenhof with its Venetian facade.

 

 

 

In the Prater in Vienna - one of the Leopoldstadt sights

At the Praterstern we turn off to the Prater area and pass the main avenue in the Prater, under whose maple trees joggers, cyclists and walkers enjoy the spring green. Tulips in all shades of color are blooming under the trees and put us in a spring mood. A few steps further the Ferris wheel turns its circles and stops at every gondola that arrives below to let the passengers off.

We stroll through the Prater, but the noise of the stallholders doesn't entice us to take a ride on one of the carousels. Even a scary tour through the ghost train does not attract us. We'd rather go back to Leopoldstadt to look for traces of the Jews.

 

 

Leopold I. and the Jews

This district owes its name to Leopold I, who finally banned the Jews from here in 1669. They were expelled from downtown Vienna as early as 1624. Around 1700 ten Jewish families were again allowed to live in this part of the city. Reason: you needed their money to finance government spending. In 1764 Maria Theresa allowed the immigration of Jews, whereby the Sephardi from Spain received more rights than the Jews from the Orient. They settled between Praterstrasse and Taborstrasse.

The Jews in Vienna after 1918

During and after the First World War, more and more Jews came to Vienna. Before 1938, around 180.000 Jews lived in Austria's capital. A third of them lived in Leopoldstadt. When the National Socialists took power in Austria in 1938, the Jews fell victim to the persecution of the Jews. Many fled. Or they were transported to concentration camps. Jews are now living in Leopoldstadt again. We notice metal plates in the street on which the fates of the residents are described. They remind me of the stumbling blocks we encountered from our travels Salzburg know.

 

 

 

 

The Leopoldstadt in Vienna

Leopoldstadt is quiet on this Sunday afternoon. We hardly meet anyone else on our walk from the Danube Canal to the Prater in Vienna. A father carries his offspring through town. Walkers overtake us. Apparently a photographer has the same idea as we do. Every few meters she photographs a subject that strikes her.

We follow Heinestrasse to Große Stadtgutgasse and walk through Glockengasse back to Taborstrasse. Along our route we discover one city palace after another with entrance portals and facades that are interrupted by reliefs. But only when we reach Taborstrasse does it get livelier again. Shop windows are tempting to stroll around here, and the traffic on this thoroughfare keeps things going.

 

Conclusion: Vienna Leopoldstadt sights show a different Vienna

Our tour from the Danube Canal to the Prater in Vienna through Leopoldstadt shows us a side of the city that we have never seen before. This neighborhood gives us a glimpse into the city's past. We feel a little bit the Vienna of the imperial era. In his squares, the houses with the wrought iron balconies and bay windows, we feel the history of the Jews. They are slowly returning to the neighborhood to which they were once banished.

 

---

Travel Arrangements:

Parking at the airport

Here you can reserve your parking space at the airport.

Arrival by plane, train and bus

Compare and book flights here*. Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines and Swiss will follow Vienna. It is possible to travel to Vienna by train. Long-distance buses also go to Vienna.

---

 

 

Do you already know:

• Vienna travel tips
• Easter holidays
• Baden near Vienna in summer
• Top Attraction Germany: Main
• Picnicking in Munich - where is the nicest place

 

Source Vienna Leopoldstadt Sights: Research on site. We would like to thank the Hotel Capricorno for their support.

Text Vienna Leopoldstadt Sights: © Copyright Monika Fuchs
Photos Vienna Leopoldstadt Sights © Copyright Monika Fuchs