Page 115 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2016 - Austria

FUR THER AFIELD  113

and elegance; Franz Joseph’s
were much more spartan.
The villa, named after a marble
statue of Her mes, was fully
equipped with electricity.
Bathtubs and toilets were
added by the Empress in the
1890s. Attractive murals show
scenes from Shakespeare’s
A Midsummer Night’s Dream,
designed by Hans Makart
and painted by the young
Gustav Klimt.
Today, Hermesvilla holds
exhibitions, while the stables
act as summer quarters for the
Lipizzaner horses from the
Hermesvilla in Lainzer Tiergarten, retreat of the imperial family Spanish Riding School.
u Wagner Villas and wild boar escaping. It also
Hüttelbergstrasse 26 & 28. Tel 914 85 prevents modern building o Wotrubakirche
75. % Hütteldorf. @ 43B, 52A, 52B. developments from encroaching Georgsgasse/Rysergasse. Tel 888 61 47.
Ernst Fuchs-Museum: Open 10am– on this beautiful space. @ 60A. Open 2–8pm Sat, 9am–
4pm Tue–Sat, by appointment Mon & The Tiergarten was opened 4:30pm Sun and public holidays.
Sun. & 8 to the public in 1923, and in 8 by appointment.
1941 the entire area was declared
Hidden behind dense, leafy a nature reserve. Walks in the Standing on a hillside close to the
greenery, at the start of a road to woods and meadows of this Vienna Woods, this church was
Kahlenberg, stand two villas built large park will transport the designed in uncompromisingly
by the architect Otto Wagner. visitor into another world. It is modern style in 1965 by the
The oldest, built for himself, still forbidden to disturb the animals; Austrian sculptor Fritz Wotruba
has some Classical elements such bikes and dogs are banned, (1907–75), after whom it is
as Ionic columns, once favoured turning the reserve into a named. It was built in
by Wagner. It was meticulously true haven for wildlife. 1974–6 by Fritz
restored by the present owner, There are now Gerhard Mayr. The
the painter Ernst Fuchs, who also bars and church is made up
added his own colours and cafés here. From of a pile of uneven
established a museum. The villa the observation concrete slabs and
is now a famous meeting place platform on top of glass panels that
for Vienna’s artistic community Kaltbründlberg, there provide its principal
as well as a venue for fund- are great views Detail on the stables in lighting and views
raising auctions. The second over Vienna and Hermesvilla for the congregation
villa, built some 20 years later, the Vienna Woods. out onto the hills.
was completed in pure Secession A 15-minute walk along paths The building is raw in style,
style. Privately owned, it can be brings you to the Hermesvilla. but powerful and compact.
viewed only from outside. In 1885, the Emperor Franz The church looks different from
Joseph I ordered a hunting every angle and has a strong
i Lainzer lodge to be built here and sculptural quality. The central
Tiergarten presented it to his wife section, consisting of 152
Elisabeth, in the hope that this
concrete blocks, can accommo-
Hermesstrasse. v 60 to Hermesstrasse, would keep her close to the date a congregation of up to 250.
then @ 55A. Open daily. Hermesvilla: court and stop her from
Tel 80 41 324. Open Apr–Oct: 10am– perpetually seeking to
6pm Tue–Sun & hols. Closed between escape the clamour
exhibitions. & ∑ wienmuseum.at of the city. He did
∑ lainzer-tiergarten.at not succeed, but the
beau tiful Hermesvilla
The Lainzer Tiergarten in the was built by Karl von
Vienna Woods, once an imperial Hasenauer as a retreat
hunting ground, was enclosed for the imperial family.
within a 25-km (16-mile) long wall The couple’s rooms
on the orders of Maria Theresa. were on the first floor;
The wall still stands today and Elisabeth’s quarters were
successfully stops herds of deer designed with flourish The sculptural Wotrubakirche

112-113_EW_Austria.indd 113 03/09/15 5:42 pm