22-carat gold in Rathaus

Vienna has plenty beautiful historical buildings to visit, but if you have to pick one, definitely take the guided tour through the ‘Rathaus’. The ceilings of the City Hall are actually covered with 22-carat gold leaf rosettes.

It’s more impressive than the Staatsoper and even more beautiful than the Parlement. The ‘Rathaus’ in Vienna looks more like a castle than a City Hall, with its golden-leaf ceilings and the huge chandelier in the room where the members of the City Council convene. The chandelier has a diameter of five metres and 213 lights. Because the heat from its lamps transformed the Council Chamber into a sauna, it was decided in the 1960’s to pull up the chandelier by one metre.

Guided tour City Hall, Rathausplatz (1st district, Innere Stadt)