VIENNA INTRODUCTION, The Ring

As I mentioned, the Ring is a grand avenue, about five kilometers long, surrounding Vienna Old Town.

Getting your bearings in Vienna is easy: the cathedral's pointed spire marks the center of the city, with its well-organized system of squares and grand buildings. Stretching around the central district is the Ring, whose broad avenues have taken the place of the old city walls. Lined with imposing buildings that alternate with pleasant green spaces, the Ring takes the visitor on a stroll through time and architectural styles.

This inspired urban planning concept came from an idea by the Emperor Franz Joseph, who came to the throne in 1848.

He came to power at the age of just eighteen, succeeding his uncle Ferdinand I, a legitimate but feeble-minded emperor who was forced to abdicate, and his father Franz Karl, who was deemed unfit and ready to relinquish the throne in favor of his son....