Rathausplatz (City Hall Square and Park), Vienna

The square in front of the new City Hall (Rathaus) in Vienna derives its name from this prominent landmark. Originally found outside city walls, the area was used for military purposes and remained undeveloped until the late 19th century when it was transformed into a vast square. Over the years, its name changed several times for political reasons, including “Adolf Hitler Square” (Adolf-Hitler-Platz) in 1938, but ultimately reverted to “City Hall Square” (Rathausplatz) in 1945.

Today, the square hosts significant cultural and social events throughout the year, including the famous Vienna Ice Dream - a mobile ice skating rink (from January to February), the Christmas market, the opening of the Vienna Festival (in May), and open-air film screenings with classical music (in July and August). The Life Ball in the City Hall also takes place in the square. Another tradition is a large Christmas tree erected every year since 1959 by one of the federal states, as a gift to the federal capital.

Adjacent to the square lies the City Hall Park (Rathauspark), one of the most popular in town. The park was established in 1873 on a former military parade ground and has remained in active use ever since.

Inside the park, there are monuments to various politicians and artists, including Austrian composers Johann Strauss Senior and Josef Lanner. The park flora features exotic plants like Gingko Biloba, Japanese pagoda tree, umbrella tree, and many others. Some of the trees predate the park itself. The oldest of them is a London plane tree, dating back to 1783. It stands 30 meters high, has a crown diameter of 21 meters, and a trunk circumference of 6 meters.