Tourist attractions in Vienna : Palais Ferstel

The splendid Palace Ferstel on the Freyung, a triangular historic square in first district of Vienna ( Innere Stadt ), was built between 1856 and 1860 by the well-known Austrian Architect Heinrich von Ferstel as a bank and stock exchange building. 

Photo by dugspr — Home for Good

Inspired by Venetian architecture, Palace Ferstel, with its stylish ballrooms and the glass-covered inner courtyard and its special details, such as genuine wood-colored marble and elegant touches of gold, was considered “the most modernly designed and up-to-date” building in Vienna at the time of its opening in 1860. The Vienna stock exchange rented the ground floor, up until the opening of the official Viennese Stock Exchange building at the Ringstrasse, also the Austrian-Hungarian national bank had their headquarters in this building.

Photo by pao.photo

Photo by juergen.mangelsdorf

Photo by Amin.Mana

Photo by Amin.Mana

Photo by Amin.Mana

The Ferstel Passage - also sometimes referred to as the Freyung Passage - is an elegant shopping arcade connected to the Ferstel Palace. The arcade links the Herrengasse with Freyung square. The marble-clad passage with pilasters and vaulted ceiling is lined with luxury stores.

Photo by csaavedra

The passage leads to a small inner courtyard covered by a hexagonal glass dome. The center of the courtyard is occupied by Donaunixenbrunnen (Danube mermaid fountain), a six meters tall fountain which is also designed by Heinrich von Ferstel . Three mermaids seductively arise out of the water forming a sculptural base in the marble basin. Above the mermaids are three characters around the column symbolizing the occupations related somehow to water; a merchant, a boat builder and a fisherman.  At the top of the fountain stands the Donaunixen (Danube water nymph), with flowing hair and half-raised right hand, in which she holds a small fish.

Photo by Hr. Sammelkorn

Photo by anjeve

Photo by darijus

Photo by darijus

Since 2001 the Ferstel Palace has belonged to Palais Events Veranstaltungen GmbH, who also operates the Daun-Kinsky Palace and the Viennese Stock Exchange building. Palais Ferstel is still one of the most interesting building works of the Wilhelminian style.

Photo by tuxophil

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Photo by Carlos Lorenzo

The Ferstel Palace was also known for its Café Central, which was opened in 1876 by the Pach brothers in the ground floor of the building - after the move of the stock exchange - and soon turned into a focal point for the intellectual elite of Europe at the end of the 19th century. Many notable socialists, including Leon Trotsky, the founder and first leader of the Red Army , were also regulars here .Café Central was closed in 1943 because of the damage caused by the world war and remained closed for about four decades. 

Photo by mobilix

Photo by Corvair Owner

Photo by annabelfarleyphotography

Photo by chris_st

Renovation of the building started in 1975. The Café re- opened few years later, however in a different part of the building in the Arcade court. In 1986, The Ferstel Palace was fully renovated once again and the Café moved back to its origin in the Column hall.

Text sources :
wikipedia.org
palaisevents.at
aviewoncities.com