Baroque Donnerbrunnen on Neuer Markt
back to "vienna
pictures"
The Donnerbrunnen is a Baroque fountain that can be found in the centre of
Neuer Markt Square in Vienna′s first district. It was designed by
Georg Raphael Donner in the early 18th century and made it into 20th century pop culture by featuring in "Before Sunrise" with Jonny Depp and Julie Delphy. Tourists that come to Vienna normally encounter it whilst going to the
Kapuzinerkirche, which is famous for the Imperial Tomb or Kaisergruft (aka Kapuzinergruft), the
tomb of the Habsburg family since the 17th century.
The original figures made for the casts can be seen in the marble hall at the Lower Belvedere. Georg Raphael Donner was highly regarded as an artist in Baroque Vienna; a memorial dedicated to him can be found at Schwarzenbergplatz, but you will have to look out for it - it is situated at a rather bleak spot with a lot of traffic around it.
The Neuer Markt as a square is at the centre of Vienna′s exclusive shopping areas: The Kohlmarkt, Graben and Kärntnerstraße areas are full with boutiques and expensive souvenir shops; the area towards the Hofburg is famous for its many antiquity shops, nourished by the Dorotheum, a very traditional auction facility.