| Insignificant as it may seem, the Wien River (Wienfluss) has many a story to tell about the city whose name it bears. Following its course from the U4 Metro station Pilgramgasse through the Naschmarkt food market and across Karlsplatz to the pretty Jugendstil pavilions at the entrance to Stadtpark, this illustrated walk takes us back into the "good old times" of 19th century Vienna, when imperial grandeur coincided with appalling sanitary conditions. We talk about the regulation of the river, Otto Wagner’s metropolitan railway project (Stadtbahn), which has survived as the U4 Metro line, the fine examples of Art Nouveau along its embankments but also about the tunnel that dramatically changed the cityscape around Karlsplatz and gained world fame as Harry Lime's hideout in the cult film "The Third Man". Time of the year and day of the week permitting, we may include a look into the tunnel underneath Karlsplatz. |
