Otto Wagner Areal

In the location's words:

The Otto Wagner Areal in Vienna is one of the most remarkable and at the same time least known places in the city. The extensive site in the 14th district in Penzing, originally built as the Lower Austrian Provincial Sanatorium and Nursing Home at Steinhof, is a total work of art of Art Nouveau and rightly bears the name of its creator: between 1904 and 1907, Otto Wagner designed not only the buildings, but the entire ensemble as a well thought-out architectural unit.

The centerpiece is the church at Steinhof, also known as the Church of St. Leopold, which is one of the most important Art Nouveau buildings in Europe and is breathtaking both inside and out. The gilded dome, the mosaic windows by Koloman Moser and the clear, functional design language make it one of the most beautiful sacred buildings in Vienna.

The site itself is huge and includes numerous listed pavilions, extensive green spaces and park paths, which make a visit worthwhile even away from the architecture. On a clear day, the view from the hill overlooking Vienna is one of the best in the city.

Today, the site continues to be used as a psychiatric hospital, while at the same time it is increasingly open to cultural events, guided tours and the public. If you really want to get to know Vienna, this is the place to come. Accessible by streetcar line 43 or 44 to the Neuwaldegg terminus, from there on foot.