A rather small park (but not as petite as the Japanese Setagayapark) in the heart of the 9th district of Vienna is the Liechtensteinpark. It is not the perfect picnic-park (stepping on the grass is forbidden), but it’s great for taking a brief exit from the stressful city life. And during autumn it’s magnificent in there! The foliage is amazing, taking a walk on a sunny autumn day is a great exercise to get your mind off things.
A Prince of Liechtenstein acquired a garden in Vienna in the 1687 and had the grand palace built in the south of the park (Fürstengasse 9). The Palais Liechtenstein, a mix between country house and townhouse in Roman style, used to hold the art collection of the Principality of Liechtenstein which was transferred to Liechtenstein during WWII and was thus not damaged. In the years thereafter the palace was used as a museum until 2012. Now, there is still a part of the private art collection of the Prince from the early Renaissance to the High Baroque era which can be viewed as part of a guided tour. The palace can also be hired as an exclusive venue for certain events.
At the North side of the park (Alserbachstraße 14-16) there is another grand building, a former “Belvedere” (a pavilion) erected in 1700 that was demolished and rebuilt as a garden/summer palace for the widow of a prince in the late 19th century. As far as I know it is home to various companies.
The former baroque garden with its 5 hectares used to have many statues and vases, which were mostly sold in the 18th century, and was later transformed into a landscape garden. A part of the park is left almost untouched and there are even beehives there, so it’s a good mix between a cultivated park and wild-growing nature (I am fairly sure that it’s not 100% wild-growing, but whatever :D ).
I live quite close to the park, so I thought I knew the ins and outs of the park, but turns out: I don’t (or didn’t). On my hunt for ivy leaves for the homemade all-natural detergent the other day I stumbled upon the wild-growing part of the park and found the beehives (my bf was like – duh, I knew about this all along *eye-roll* ). It’s always great to discover new things in your neighbourhood, if you ask me!
General information
The grounds still belong to the Prince of Liechtenstein Foundation, but this green oasis in the 9th district is open to the public during the day.
Unfortunately, dogs are not allowed in this park, so no dog-stalking for me :(
