For one of Vienna's main Art Nouveau landmarks, head to the free-access psychiatric hospital grounds in the west of the city, where the beautiful St Leopold Church on the Steinhof stands.
The building was completed in 1907 to a design by Otto Wagner, a member of the Vienna Secession movement. For this reason the church is often known as the Otto-Wagner-Kirche.
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Shining like a beacon
The church takes the form of a plain white square with attached rectangles, in which you will find facilities such as sacristies etc. The dominant feature of the church, however, is clearly the copper dome, which shines like a gilded beacon into the surroundings on sunny days.
The interior is decorated with beautiful Art Nouveau mosaics and stained glass windows by another member of the Vienna Art Nouveau Society, the artist Koloman Moser.
An interesting feature is the complete separation of the altar from the congregation for the safety of the priests, as the church primarily serves patients of a psychiatric clinic. For a similar reason, there are two side entrances so that in the event of a seizure, the patient can be quickly removed.
Admission and opening hours
The Otto-Wagner-Kirche is located in the park of the psychiatric hospital. Entrance is free for all visitors and you can move around the park between the different pavilions without any restrictions.
The church is open to the public at the following times:
- Tuesday through Friday - 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Saturday - 2:00-5:00 p.m.
- Sunday - 11:00-17:00
The cost per ticket is 5 eur.
Current opening hours and ticket prices are available at wienmuseum.at/kirche_am_steinhof.
Location and transport
The Steinhof is located on the very western edge of Vienna.
At the main entrance to the psychiatric hospital is the bus stop "Otto-Wagner-Spital", where the following lines stop:
- 48A - direction Ottakring (metro U3), Volkstheater (metro U2 + U3)
- 47A - direction Unter St. Veit (underground U4)
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