As I walked round the corner… bang…
The most wonderful and wacky building jumps out of the street at me!
If you’re planning a trip to Vienna, you won’t want to miss the opportunity to explore the Hundertwasser House. This stunning building is not only a masterpiece of modern architecture, but it also has a fascinating history that’s worth discovering.
Hundertwasser House is one of the best free things to do in Vienna and definitely a contender for Europe’s most quirky tourist attraction, so it should be a must in your travel plans.
This blog details how you can visit the beautiful Hundertwasserhaus.
The Austrian tourist hotspot draws in international tourists all trying to get the full funky building in their camera shots for their latest Insta posts, and this isn’t an easy task.
In a grand city where the building architecture is very similar, this is one is a frontier, a building that would look more at home in a city like Barcelona. As a unique quirky tourist spot within Europe, the Hundertwasser House has been a very popular draw for intrigued visitors for nearly four decades.
Canals, street art, trams and Hundertwasserhaus – in this corner of Vienna, you will find quirky tourism in abundance.
You are guaranteed a charming moment admiring the visionary Viennese’s bold work of art!
Hundertwasserhaus in Vienna, Austria.
What exactly is Hundertwasserhaus?
Hundertwasserhaus was finally built between 1983 – 1985 after a dispute around the initial plans between Co-creators Friedensreich Hundertwasser and architect Josef Krawina.
The social housing project now houses residents throughout the 52 apartments and 16 private terraces.
The tourism side of the funky landmark is all confined to the building exterior – which is as quirky as it comes!
This sort of Art Nouveau architecture can be found in other places in Europe, such as Bratislava’s Blue Church.
A key philosophy of Hundertwasser was that every individual is unique and their surroundings should also be this way. He manifested his thoughts in weird ways, such as uneven floors, bright colours and natural slopes. His vision still lives on over two decades on from his passing in the year 2000. Residents of the house have the right to decorate the facade around their windows in whichever way they desire.
I am sure Hundetwasser would be proud as the building is now covered in greenery from over 200 trees, creating a living embodiment of his vision.
His principles could certainly be applied to a travelling context.
The uniqueness of individuals and spontaneity is the reason why I ended up standing outside a random colourful bizarre house in the middle of Vienna one random December day!
Hundertwasser is likened to the great Gaudi, a Spanish architect and designer known as the finest exponent of Catalan Modernism.
This explains why there is a Catalan style vibe swirling through the Kegeelgasse alley, which is now pedestrianised with benches and a fountain to give tourists the perfect environment to really absorb the vibrant coloured mosaics and tiles, along with the curvy paths which make for a bumpy walk to snap your photos.
Certainly an architectural highlight of Vienna!
How to visit Hundertwasserhaus?
Kegelgasse 34-38 / Löwengasse 41-43, 1030 Vienna
There are some lovely walking routes and beautiful scenery throughout Vienna, so getting your daily exercise in is a good option when making your way to Hundertwasserhaus – especially on sunny days!
You are looking at around a 20-30 minute walk from Innere Stadt (Vienna old town), and a 45 minute walk from Wien Hauptbahnhof (Vienna Central station).
If the weather isn’t great, or you just don’t fancy walking, there are some other options available to you:
Tram.
You need to catch tram line 1 to Hetzgasse – you won’t have far to walk, as the tram stop is very close to Hundertwasserhaus.
Subway.
Lines U3 and U4 have stations close by. This will be a bit further away than the tram stop though.
Wien Mitte-Landstraße and Rochusgasse are the stations to look out for.
Bus.
Bus lines that pass near the Hundertwasserhaus are 4A, 59, A77, A80 & A29.
The Hundertwasserhaus can be visited from outside around the clock, but please bear in mind this is where people live.
So there is a Hundertwasser Village as well?
Europe’s most quirky tourist attraction would need to make money off increasing visitor numbers wouldn’t it?
Let me introduce Hundertwasser Village to you.
Following a year of developing a tyre workshop, the village was opened to the public on June 17th 1991, with shops, a café and a bar.
Another result of Hundertwasser’s creative mind. Similar to Hundertwasserhaus, the village has a whole forest on the roof and offers a quirky feel throughout with imaginative decor.
You will find souvenirs in Hundertwasser Village, however, they are priced a bit higher than other locations throughout Vienna. There are beautiful paintings and ceramic mosaics, so it is definitely worth visiting the shop just to admire the magnificent art.
Hundertwasser Village Opening times
Everyday 9:00am – 6:00pm.
You will find some toilets downstairs in the village, but there is a small charge, like most other public places in Vienna.
Shop in Hundertwasser Village in Vienna, Austria.
Got the postcard snap – now what?
If you haven’t had enough of Hundertwasser by the time you have checked out the house and village, then you can head to the museum.
The Hundertwasser Museum in the Kunst Haus, which is only 400m away from the Hundertwasserhaus.
Hundertwasser Museum
Untere Weißgerberstraße 13, 1030 Wien.
Opening times are 10:00am until 6:00pm daily.
You can’t miss the museum as it also has a very attention-grabbing exterior.
You will find different examples of Hundertwasser’s work in the museum:
Paintings.
The Austrian creator’s distinct style used a lot of radiant colours and he was known to combine complementary colours together to really emphasise his vision. He developed his own recipes for mixing, coating and priming to ensure a long life for all his pictures.
Tapestries.
Hundertwasser’s tapestries were famous for being created without cardboard templates. All the weavers of later tapestries were selected by Hundertwasser to follow these guidelines.
133 Pissing Boy with Skyscraper was the name of Hundertwasser’s first tapestry in 1952.
Every tapestry was unique as they did not follow a template, so were an authentic work of art each and every time.
You will find many of these in the museum.
Architecture.
Some of Hundetwasser’s architectural masterpieces are exhibited at the museum through his thoughts, words, models and pictures. Along with the Hundertwasserhaus, the other landmarks displayed are:
SPITTELAU.
HUNDERTWASSER-CHURCH ST. BARBARA IN BÄRNBACH.
MEADOW HILLS: THERMAL VILLAGE BLUMAU.
Other notable pieces from Hundetwasser are original graphics, a film about him, his dedication to the ecosystem, and applied arts.
Sideview of Hundertwasserhaus in Vienna, Austria.
Final thoughts on Vienna’s quirky architectural masterpiece.
There is no doubt that the world is filled with weird and wacky places, but, where better to start on your quirky tourism journey, than the living embodiment of a creative genius, and among the quirkiest artists out there!
His work is still admired two decades after his passing and is sure to live long in the memory through his creative masterpieces. Sure, the Hundertwasserhaus could do with a spruce up and a lick of paint, however, it is still a must visit on your itinerary during your Vienna stay.
15 minutes is enough time to admire the attraction and get your postcard shot, and it is free – so it caters for everyone!
I visited in December to make the most of the Christmas markets and it was dark and gloomy, but the quirky Hundertwasserhaus certainly brightened up my day!
I would like to revisit one day in the summer to really feel the magic!