An esplanade or promenade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water , where people may walk. The historical definition of esplanade was a large, open, level area outside fortress or city walls to provide clear fields of fire for the fortress's guns. In modern usage, the space allows the area to be paved as a pedestrian walk ; esplanades are often on sea fronts and allow walking whatever the state of the tide , without having to walk on the beach .
48-477: In the 19th century, the razing of city fortifications and the relocation of port facilities made it possible in many cities to create promenade paths on the former fortresses and ramparts. The parts of the former fortifications, such as hills, viewpoints, ditches, waterways and lakes have now been included in these promenades, making them popular excursion destinations as well as the location of cultural institutions. The rapid development of artificial street lighting in
96-458: A glacis about 500m wide, where buildings and vegetation were prohibited for military defensive reason. But by the late 18th century these fortifications had become obsolete. Under Emperor Joseph II , streets and walkways were built in the glacis, lit by lanterns and lined by trees. Craftsmen built open-air workshops, and stalls were set up. But the Revolution of 1848 was required to trigger
144-497: A decision on whether to remain or abandon the siege. The Sultan convened an official council on 12 October to deliberate the matter. It was decided to attempt one final, major assault on Vienna, an "all or nothing" gamble. The assault was launched on 14 October, but despite extra rewards being offered to the troops, it was beaten back, with the defenders' arquebuses and long pikes proving decisive. The following day, with supplies running low and winter approaching, Suleiman called off
192-612: A funeral monument for the German commander Nicholas, Count of Salm , head of the mercenary relief force dispatched to Vienna, as a token of appreciation of his efforts. Nicholas survived the initial siege attempt, but had been injured during the last Ottoman assault and died on May 4, 1530. The Renaissance sarcophagus is now on display in the baptistery of the Votivkirche cathedral in Vienna. Ferdinand's son, Maximilian II , later built
240-514: A more significant change. In 1850, the suburbs or Vorstädte (today the Districts II to IX) were incorporated into the municipality, which made the city walls an impediment to traffic. In 1857, Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria issued the decree "I have resolved to command" ( Es ist Mein Wille at Wikisource) ordering the demolition of the city walls and moats. In his decree, he laid out
288-546: A second siege of Vienna in 1683. In August 1526, Sultan Suleiman I decisively defeated the forces of King Louis II of Hungary at the Battle of Mohács , paving the way for the Ottomans to gain control of south-eastern Hungary; the childless King Louis died, possibly drowning when he attempted to escape the battlefield. His brother-in-law, Archduke Ferdinand I of Austria , brother of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V , claimed
336-418: A variety of European mercenaries, namely German Landsknecht pikemen and professional Spanish harquebusiers , sent by Charles V , who was Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain. Queen Mary of Hungary, who was the sister of Charles V, in addition to 1,000 German Landsknechts under Count Niklas Salm, sent a contingent of 700–800 Spanish harquebusiers . Only 250 Spanish survived. The Spanish were under
384-413: A walking/jogging trail and benches. Esplanade and promenade are sometimes used interchangeably. The derivation of "promenade" indicates a place specifically intended for walking, though many modern promenades and esplanades also allow bicycles and other nonmotorized transport. Some esplanades also include large boulevards or avenues where cars are permitted. A similar term with the same meaning in
432-409: Is a 5.3 km (3.3 mi) circular grand boulevard that serves as a ring road around the historic Innere Stadt (Inner Town) district of Vienna , Austria . The road is located on sites where medieval city fortifications once stood, including high walls and the broad open field ramparts ( glacis ), criss-crossed by paths that lay before them. It was constructed after the dismantling of the city walls in
480-882: The Naturhistorisches Museum (Museum of Natural History), which were built for the imperial collections. Originally, there should have been a parallel wing opposite the Neue Hofburg, which would have been located across the Ringstrasse from the Museum of Natural History. Together with the Heldenplatz and the Maria-Theresien-Platz this plan would have constituted the Imperial Forum/Kaiserforum. However, that plan
528-896: The Promenade de la Croisette in Cannes , the famous Promenade des Anglais on the Mediterranean coast in Nice or the Lungomare of Barcola in Trieste still play a central role in city life and in the real estate market. In the United States, esplanade has another meaning, being also a median (strip of raised land) or berm dividing a roadway or boulevard. Sometimes they are just strips of grass, or some may have gardens and trees. Some roadway esplanades may be used as parks with
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#1732765061929576-617: The beer brewer Heinrich Drasche , which was located opposite the Imperial and Royal Court Opera House or opera house until 1945. One of the earliest art historians to study the Ringstraße is Renate Wagner-Rieger , a professor and alumnus at the University of Vienna. Many of the buildings that line the Ringstraße date back to the time before 1870. The following are some of the more notable buildings: The only sacred building on
624-486: The government and the municipality , a "City Extension Fund" was created, which was administered by the government. Only the city hall was planned by the city. During the following years, a large number of opulent public and private buildings were erected. Both the nobility and the plutocracy rushed to build showy mansions and palaces along the boulevard. One of the first buildings was the Heinrichshof , owned by
672-483: The 19th century also enabled safe use in the evening. One example of this is Vienna's Ringstrasse . Esplanades became popular in Victorian times , when it was fashionable to visit seaside resorts . A promenade, often abbreviated to '(the) prom', was an area where people – couples and families especially – would go to walk for a while in order to 'be seen' and be considered part of ' society '. Beach promenades such as
720-631: The Battle of Mohács to the Austrians, including Buda , which fell on 8 September. The only resistance came at Pozsony , where the Turkish fleet was bombarded as it sailed up the Danube . As the Ottomans advanced towards Vienna, the city's population organised an ad-hoc resistance formed from local farmers, peasants, and civilians determined to repel the inevitable attack. The defenders were supported by
768-528: The Diet of Pozsony (modern Bratislava ) on 26 October, Ferdinand was declared king of Royal Hungary due to the agreement between his and Louis's families, cemented by Ferdinand's marriage to Louis's sister Anna and Louis's marriage to Ferdinand's sister Mary . Ferdinand set out to enforce his claim on Hungary and captured Buda in 1527, only to relinquish his hold on it in 1529 when an Ottoman counter-attack stripped Ferdinand of all his territorial gains. In
816-529: The Franz-Josephs-Kai, the sections are: Siege of Vienna (1529) [REDACTED] Holy Roman Empire [REDACTED] Ottoman Empire Vassal states : ≈ 120,000–125,000 Unknown, with presumably high civilian fatalities Mediterranean Ottoman–Habsburg War (1540–1547) Ottoman–Habsburg War (1551–1562) Habsburg–Transylvanian War (1556–1567) Ottoman–Habsburg War (1565–1568) The siege of Vienna , in 1529,
864-562: The Habsburgs. The attack on Vienna led to a rapprochement between Charles V and Pope Clement VII , and contributed to the Pope's coronation of Charles V as Holy Roman Emperor on February 24, 1530. The outcome of the campaign was presented as a success by the Ottomans, who used the opportunity to show off their imperial grandeur by staging elaborate ceremonies for the circumcision of princes Mustafa , Mehmed , and Selim . Ferdinand I erected
912-601: The Ottoman army incorporated a contingent from Moldavia and renegade Serbian warriors from the army of John Zápolya . Suleiman acted as the commander-in-chief (as well as personally leading his force), and in April he appointed his Grand Vizier (the highest Ottoman minister), a Greek former slave called Ibrahim Pasha , as Serasker , a commander with powers to give orders in the sultan's name. Suleiman launched his campaign on 10 May, 1529 and faced numerous obstacles from
960-405: The Ottoman force. Instead of going ahead with a second siege attempt, the Ottoman force turned back, laying waste the south-eastern Austrian state of Styria in their retreat. The two Viennese campaigns in essence marked the extreme limit of Ottoman logistical capability to field large armies deep in central Europe at the time. The 1529 campaign produced mixed results. Buda was brought back under
1008-654: The aftermath of the 1526 Battle of Mohács , which had resulted in the death of Louis II , King of Hungary , and the descent of the kingdom into civil war. Following Louis' death, rival factions within Hungary selected two successors: Archduke Ferdinand I of Austria , supported by the House of Habsburg , and John Zápolya . Zápolya would eventually seek aid from, and become a vassal of the Ottoman Empire, after Ferdinand began to take control of western Hungary, including
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#17327650619291056-689: The boulevard is the Votivkirche , which was built in dedication after Emperor Franz Joseph had survived an assassination attempt in 1853. The Winter Palace or Hofburg was extended by an annex, the Neue Hofburg (New Hofburg), which houses the Museum of Ethnology and the Austrian National Library today. On the other side of the boulevard, there are the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Museum of Art History) and
1104-508: The city could withstand a lengthy siege, he blocked the four city gates and reinforced the walls, which in some places were no more than six feet thick, and erected earthen bastions and an inner earthen rampart , levelling buildings where necessary to clear room for defences. The Ottoman army that arrived in late September had been depleted during the long advance into Austrian territory, leaving Suleiman short of camels and heavy artillery. Many of his troops arrived at Vienna in poor health after
1152-467: The city of Buda . The Ottoman attack on Vienna was part of the empire's intervention into the Hungarian conflict, and in the short term sought to secure Zápolya's position. Historians offer conflicting interpretations of the Ottoman's long-term goals, including the motivations behind the choice of Vienna as the campaign's immediate target. Some modern historians suggest that Suleiman's primary objective
1200-518: The command of Marshal Luis de Ávalos , with captains Juan de Salinas, Jaime García de Guzmán, Jorge Manrique, and Cristóbal de Aranda. This elite infantry excelled in the defense of the northern area and with discretion fire prevented the Ottomans from settling in the Danube meadows , near the ramparts, where they could have breached with enough space to work. These elite soldiers also built additional palisades and trap pits that would be essential during
1248-415: The confined space hindered their return to the city. More rain fell on 11 October, and with the Ottomans failing to breach the walls, the prospect of victory began to fade. In addition, Suleiman was facing critical shortages of food, water and other supplies, while casualties, sickness, and desertions began to take their toll. The janissaries began voicing their displeasure at the lack of progress, demanding
1296-416: The control of the Ottoman vassal John Zápolya , strengthening the Ottoman position in Hungary. The campaign left behind a trail of collateral damage in neighbouring Habsburg Hungary and Austria that impaired Ferdinand's capacity to mount a sustained counter-attack. However, Suleiman failed to force Ferdinand to engage him in open battle, and was thus unable to enforce his ideological claim to superiority over
1344-547: The difficult conditions, were lost in large numbers. Sickness and poor health became common among the janissaries, claiming many lives along the perilous journey. Suleiman arrived in Osijek on 6 August. On the 18th he reached the Mohács plain , to be greeted by a substantial cavalry force led by John Zápolya (which would later accompany Suleiman to Vienna), who paid him homage and helped him recapture several fortresses lost since
1392-410: The digging and mining of tunnels below the city's walls by Ottoman sappers , in one case almost capturing Ibrahim Pasha . The defending forces detected and successfully detonated several mines that had been intended to breach the walls. On 6 October, 8,000 men were dispatched to attack the Ottoman mining operations. They succeeded in destroying many of the tunnels, but they sustained heavy losses when
1440-546: The eastern coastal region of Spain is alameda Alameda de Hercules, Seville , o rambla , such as La Rambla in Barcelona, but more widely used terms in the rest of the Hispanic world are paseo marítimo ("esplanade"), paseo ("promenade") or explanada ("esplanade"). Ringstrasse The Vienna Ring Road ( German : Ringstraße , pronounced [ʁɪŋˌʃtʁaːsə] , lit. ring road )
1488-487: The erection of revolutionary barricades difficult and thus an easier target for artillery. Since the Ringstraße had always been meant primarily for show, a parallel Lastenstraße (cargo road) was built on the outside of the former glacis. This street is commonly known as 2-er Linie , named after the number "2" in the identifiers of the various streetcar or tram lines which used it. It is still an important traffic thoroughfare. After some disputes about competence between
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1536-529: The exact size of the boulevard, as well as the geographical positions and functions of the new buildings. The Ringstraße and the planned buildings were intended to be a showcase for the grandeur and glory of the Habsburg Empire . On the practical level, Emperor Napoléon III of France 's boulevard construction in Paris had already demonstrated how enlarging and widening the size of streets effectively made
1584-639: The founders of the First Austrian Republic , Athena , Andreas von Liebenberg , Count Radetzky , Georg Coch , and Johann Strauss amongst many. The biggest catastrophe was the fire of the Ringtheater in 1881, in which several hundred people died. It was subsequently demolished and replaced by the emperor's charity building, the Sühnhof, which was built in memory of the more than 300 victims, and inaugurated by Emperor Franz Joseph I. It
1632-531: The mid-19th century. From the 1860s to 1890s, many large public buildings were erected along the Ringstrasse in an eclectic historicist style, sometimes called Ringstraßenstil ("Ring Road style"), using elements of Classical , Gothic , Renaissance , and Baroque architecture. Because of its architectural beauty and history, the Vienna Ringstrasse has been called the "lord of
1680-544: The onset. The spring rains that are characteristic of south-eastern Europe and the Balkans were particularly heavy that year, causing flooding in Bulgaria and rendering parts of the route used by the army barely passable. Many large-calibre cannons and artillery pieces became hopelessly mired or bogged down, leaving Suleiman no choice but to abandon them, while camels brought from the empire's Eastern provinces, not used to
1728-629: The ring roads" and is designated by UNESCO as part of Vienna's World Heritage Site . This grand boulevard was built to replace the city walls , which had been built during the 13th century and funded by the ransom payment derived from the release of Richard the Lion Heart, Richard I of England , and reinforced as a consequence of the First Turkish Siege in 1529 and the Thirty Years' War in 1618. The walls were surrounded by
1776-504: The siege and ordered a withdrawal to Constantinople. With unusually heavy snowfall, conditions deteriorated. The Ottoman retreat was hampered by muddy roads along which their horses and camels struggled to pass. Pursuing Austrian horsemen took many stragglers prisoner, although there was no Austrian counter-attack. The Ottomans reached Buda on 26 October, Belgrade on 10 November and their destination, Constantinople, on 16 December. Some historians speculate that Suleiman's final assault
1824-494: The siege. The Hofmeister of Austria , Wilhelm von Roggendorf , assumed charge of the defensive garrison, with operational command entrusted to a seventy-year-old German mercenary named Nicholas, Count of Salm , who had distinguished himself at the Battle of Pavia in 1525. Salm arrived in Vienna as head of the mercenary relief force and set about fortifying the three-hundred-year-old walls surrounding St. Stephen's Cathedral , near which he established his headquarters. To ensure
1872-619: The spring of 1529, Suleiman mustered a large army in Ottoman Bulgaria , with the aim of securing control over all of Hungary at his new borders by Ferdinand I and the Holy Roman Empire . Estimates of Suleiman's army vary widely from 120,000 to more than 300,000 men, as mentioned by various chroniclers. As well as numerous units of Sipahi , the elite mounted force of the Ottoman cavalry , and thousands of janissaries ,
1920-540: The tribulations of the long march through the worst of the wet season. Of those fit to fight, a third were Sipahis , ill-suited for siege warfare. Three richly dressed Austrian prisoners were dispatched as emissaries by the Sultan to negotiate the city's surrender; Salm sent three richly dressed Muslims back without a response. As the Ottoman army settled into position, the Austrian garrison launched sorties to disrupt
1968-579: The vacant Hungarian throne. Ferdinand won recognition only in western Hungary; a noble called John Zápolya , from a power-base in Transylvania , challenged him for the crown and was recognised as king by Suleiman in return for accepting vassal status within the Ottoman Empire. Thus Hungary became divided into three zones: Royal Hungary , Ottoman Hungary and the Principality of Transylvania , an arrangement which persisted until 1700. Following
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2016-650: Was also generously planned with green spaces and trees, the most notable parks being the Stadtpark with the Kursalon , Burggarten , Volksgarten , and Rathauspark , as well as a number of squares such as the Schwarzenbergplatz , Schillerplatz , Maria-Theresien-Platz and Heldenplatz. Dotted along the Ringstraße are various monuments. They include statues to Goethe , Schiller , Empress Maria Theresia , Prince Eugene of Savoy , Archduke Charles of Austria ,
2064-760: Was destroyed during the bombing of Vienna in 1945; today the municipal police-headquarters is there. Other buildings that were destroyed or heavily damaged during World War II was the Opera House, the opposite building Heinrichshof which was replaced in the 1950s with the Kärtnerhof. The Urania observatory, the Kriegsministerium and the Parliament building were heavily damaged, and the Burgtheater burned down. The famous Hotel Metropole , which
2112-658: Was located at the Franz-Joseph-Kai, was completely destroyed and replaced with a monument to the victims of Nazism. The Ringstraße has several sections. It surrounds the central area of Vienna on all sides, except for the northeast, where its place is taken by the Franz-Josephs-Kai , the street going along the Donaukanal (a branch of the Danube ). Starting from the Ringturm at the northern end of
2160-649: Was not necessarily intended to take the city but to cause as much damage as possible and weaken it for a later attack, a tactic he had employed at Buda in 1526. Suleiman would lead another campaign against Vienna in 1532, but it never truly materialised as his force was stalled by the Croatian Captain Nikola Jurišić during the siege of Güns (Kőszeg). Nikola Jurišić with only 700–800 Croatian soldiers managed to delay his force until winter closed in. Charles V, now largely aware of Vienna's vulnerability and weakened state, assembled 80,000 troops to confront
2208-548: Was shelved for lack of funds. The construction ended only in 1913 with the completion of the Kriegsministerium (Imperial and Royal Ministry of War). At that time, the Ringstraßenstil was already somewhat outdated, as is shown by the Art Nouveau (Jugendstil) inspired Postsparkassengebäude (Postal Savings Society Building) by Otto Wagner opposite the ministry building, which was built at the same time. The Ringstraße
2256-647: Was the first attempt by the Ottoman Empire to capture the city of Vienna in the Archduchy of Austria , part of the Holy Roman Empire . Suleiman the Magnificent , sultan of the Ottomans, attacked the city with over 100,000 men, while the defenders, led by Niklas Graf Salm , numbered no more than 21,000. Nevertheless, Vienna was able to survive the siege, which ultimately lasted just over two weeks, from 27 September to 15 October, 1529. The siege came in
2304-443: Was to assert Ottoman control over all of Hungary, including the western part (known as Royal Hungary ) that was then still under Habsburg control. Some scholars suggest Suleiman intended to use Hungary as a staging ground for further invasion of Europe. The failure of the siege of Vienna marked the beginning of 150 years of bitter military tension between the Habsburgs and Ottomans, punctuated by reciprocal attacks, and culminating in
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