Donner Fountain

The Donner Fountain is a Baroque structure located in the heart of Neuer Markt Square. Connecting Stephansplatz and Karlsplatz, the area is filled with several cafes, bistros, popular and chic shops, and boutiques. It is a very good place to unwind and relax for tourist and locals alike.

The fountain was built by a famous sculptor Georg Raphael Donner and unveiled in 1739 on the name day of Emperor Karl VI. The centerpiece of the fountain is a statue of Providentia, the Roman divine personification of envisage and prophesy. There are four figures surrounding the Providentia that are metaphors for four important rivers of Austria. As per local lore, the man catching fish with a trident is River Traun, the old ferryman is River Enns, the girl with a jug is River Ybbs, and the resting woman on a relief depicting battle is River March. The vision certainly makes for a great leisure and photography spot. During Empress Maria Theresa’s rule, the depiction of nudity in the statues were considered too inappropriate for public view, but they were reinstated soon afterwards. After much dilapidation over the years, the granite statues were replaced with bronze ones in 1873. The original piece is now preserved in the Marble Hall of the Lower Belvedere Palace.