GRABEN

In the city centre, the Graben is a long-standing shopping street. It is Vienna's most popular pedestrian street and therefore the most frequented in Vienna, lining up sumptuous historic facades with the fronts of luxury labels, ice-cream parlours and souvenir shops.

History. The urban occupation of the Graben dates back to Roman times. It was on this site that the Vindobona camp was established. The camp grounds are located along Naglergasse, bordered by a moat. In the Middle Ages, a castle took the place of the castellum enclosure. In the 12th century, the Babenbergs enlarge the town with the ransom paid for the liberation of Richard the Lionheart and fill in the ditch creating the Graben, the main artery of the town. Five streets cross the Graben to the south and new buildings emerge. At the beginning of the 14th century, a fire swept through the entire district. During its reconstruction, the bourgeoisie began to settle there. During the Renaissance, the Graben became an important market and trading centre. At the end of the 19th century, the owners began to embellish the facades of their houses with Baroque elements. In 1753, the market was established here, and in 1772 the Christmas market was opened. The Graben became a popular place for strolling. At the beginning of the 19th century, luxury shops were established here. In 1974, the Graben became Vienna's first pedestrian street. The pedestrian zone was extended to the adjacent streets when the underground was built.

Buildings. The Anker House was built in 1894 by Otto Wagner. It will become the residence of the artist Hundertwasser. The Baroque Bartolotti-Partenfeld Palace (18th century), the Generalihof built between 1794 and 1795, and the Grabenhof, the work of the architects Thienemann and Wagner, built in 1873, can be admired. Numerous cultural events are nowadays programmed in this building. The monumental neo-classical building of the Sparkasse Austria is located at No. 21 Graben.

Monuments. In the middle of the Graben stands the Plague Column with the Holy Trinity, which was erected in 1679 at the request of Leopold I following the great plague epidemic that ravaged the town. Two fountains also adorn the street. The fountain with the four lion's heads, mentioned as early as 1455, was built to help fight fires. The other, to the south-east of the street, dates from 1561 and features lead statues by Johann Martin Fischer.

Not to be missed. The magnificent underground toilets in Art Nouveau style, built in 1905 by the architect Adolf Loos.