Burggarten in Vienna

Like most of the park facilities situated along Viennese Ringstrasse (a street that came into existence after the destruction of the old glacis that once encircled the city), Burggarten (Town Garden) was previously a part of these fortifications. However, at the beginning of the 18th Century these areas were transformed into green spaces. The architects of Burggarten were the same who planned Volksgarten - Ludwig von Remy and Franz Antoine. Although this time, Emperor Franz took part in the designing process because he was an educated gardener himself, and prime attention was given to foreign plants.

A generation later, because some new buildings had to be constructed there, Franz Antoine’s son reshaped the garden’s layout into an English style with a few changes regarding its size and direction. A lovely fountain (the Herkulesbrunnen) and a series of famous people’s monuments, such as Mozart and Emperor Franz Joseph, decorate the green space of Burggarten. The jewel in the crown of the park, however, is the so-called Schmetterlingshaus (Butterfly House), which is a greenhouse with tropical plants and a large collection of butterflies. The adjacent restaurant makes the experience even more delightful.