Central Bathhouse Vienna

The Centralbad (today: Kaiserbründl) for the last 120 years is generally regarded as the oldest and most distinguished bathing-establishment in Vienna.

The unusually deep well of the building itself was already in use in Roman times for the small fortification at a bridge (proven through the discovery of coins dating back to the Emperors Heliogabalus and Alexander Severus).

This building structure, later known as Weihenpurgkh, formed part of a separate fortified small suburb outside Vienna until 1156.

In the Middle Ages and until 1880 this area was the centre for textiles (der alte Ramhof), the first document mentioning a padstubn (“bathing room”) in this house dates back to 1369.

During the late 19th century the Centralbad (then the only bath in the city centre) gained a very great social reputation.