When people think about WWII bombings, Vienna isn't one of the cities that come to mind immediately. It wasn't bombed heavily until relatively late in the war, and though the city sustained a good bit of damage (20% of housing stock lost) it didn't see the widespread devastation of places like Dresden or Berlin.
The damage has been fixed - though there were some impressive bullet/shrapnel holes in a building near our apartment. The Flakturn is one of the few tangible remnants - it rises out of a lovely residential neighborhood, stern and forbidding. I can't imagine what it would have been like to live here back then, to see this scary tower being constructed and then see it be put into use firing at Allied bombers night after night. Absolutely terrifying.
Today, the reality is much different - thank goodness. The tower sits in the middle of a cute little park where dogs and children play and couples walk hand-in-hand. The tower itself has been repurposed as the highest artificial climbing wall in Europe, which is pretty cool.
Absolutely worth short trip out from the center, especially for WWII buffs. read more