Rathauspark

The Emperor Franz Joseph I, in 1863, made known his desire to transform the area into a city park for the residents of Vienna.

Toward that end, he removed the military parade ground from the site and tasked Dr. Rudolf Siebeck, the city's gardener, with designing the park.

The park opened in 1873 with two nearly symmetrical segments on the north and south sides of the site.

Between the two parks is a large square that became a gathering site throughout the years.

Traditionally, the area is used for a Christmas market, a winter skating rink, and a summer outdoor movie venue.