We met with this charismatic man at the entrance of the famous Viennese park. Engineer Gerhard Pledl, Head of department MA 42 "Viennese parks" of the municipality of Vienna,

impresses with charm and knowledge, ease of communication and even ... a metered dose of artistry. In addition to working in the municipality, this Viennese man is also a TV star -  he hosts a show about the parks on the second channel of television, he participates as a guest on many other broadcasting programs. However, he is directly responsible for the events and shows to groups, mostly children, the green landmarks of the city. Gerhard Pledl offered a tour around Tyurkenshantspark to the team of the Diplomatic Spectrum magazine.

We tell  him that Green Vienna is impressive. That its parks, so numerous and so varied, are worth being presented as an achievement in the world. We support our statement with numbers: 850 parks, 100 000 trees in their alleys, 1.2 million summer flowers ... we emphasize on the fact that the most famous park – the Prater, celebrates its 250-year anniversary! Pledl with pride, said: "The fact that Vienna was several years in a row rated as the best city to live in is due to the fact that it is green. And that it is a model for an ecological city. However, when a person lives somewhere he is inclined to see the negative things. And so it is with the Viennese – they are rarely satisfied."

We sit down to talk in the cafe near the entrance of Türkenschanzpark. It is summer and the cool morning weather surrounds us pleasantly in the park. We gave our host brochures with information about the natural parks of Bulgaria, its ski resorts and spa centers. He said he had heard about the rich culture and beautiful, still pristine nature of our country. "This is a very good combination for the future. Hopefully you will keep it". He continued: „But can one use nature without destroying it? This was not observed in Austria, especially in the skiing areas. I notice that skiers are never interested in nature." We share that this is a global problem and that in Bulgaria it is also very often talked about ski slopes – they always want to extend them, to build new ones... "Yes, but think about Sochi, China ... the sport is at a high level, but the nature is being destroyed. In a televised show yesterday I heard this joke: swimmers at the Olympics in Rio were told that they should not put their heads in the water because it is dangerous. They therefore asked: "And how can we swim and hold them over the water?" They answered: "This you should also not do, because the air is even more dangerous." We laugh and bravely dive in

the parks and the history

How many things can be said on this topic! Gerhard Pledl tells us how in the territory of one of the parks – Oberlaa, clay was dug and the first factory for tiles was built there. "Active people then started the movement for protection of the workers' rights and improvement of the working conditions. Thus in Oberlaa - today's tenth district, the social-democratic movement started. It is also interesting that many green spaces were originally cemeteries, such as the Merz Park.

History is so connected with the parks that we even have winged phrases associated with them. For example, both sides of the main ally of the Prater have wild chestnuts, and as far as I know, they come from Bulgaria. Viennese love to say: "Trees in the Prater are already blooming" (meaning the chestnuts). This means that spring is coming. There is another favorite phrase: "In Grintsik the grapes are already ripening". The autumn has arrived. Grintsik is in the 19th area where many vineyards exist.

Vienna is a city that grew up in itself historically. In our parks there are many things that remind of monarchy. The City park is full of such items.“ As well as sculptures. There is no other park in Vienna with so many monuments! The most famous among them is the gilded sculpture of the King of Waltz - Johann Strauss /son/. There is no person that has visited the Austrian capital, who has not gone tothe park and has not taken a photo with the sculpture! Opened on August 21st, 1862, it was the first public park. "Today, when a person passes quickly through it going to work or a meetinghe notices almost nothing. But when one walks foreigners around he notices and rediscovers many things.

One of the favorite questions of the guests of Vienna is: "You have the old Danube River, the New Danube River, the Danube canal, how many Danubes do you have?". We have a Danube island, which was very much disputed. We also have the Vienna River. Visitors today get a little disappointed when they see its big riverbed, and in it - a small stream. That's since the dam wall on the west of the city was made. But I remember that when in 2007 I took a group of tourists in the City Park, the Vienna river has almost reached the level of the bridge!

Vienna has fought a lot of floods

So they built facilities against them, that is why the New River was built. People like to say "Vienna on the Danube", but in fact the city was not located on the river. Once, before its riverbed was shaped, it was wildrunning with many spills and caused floods that created problems. So people did not settle next to it, but a little further. With the expansion of the city, however, they came closer to its shores. Today, there are two regions across the Danube - 21 and 22. They as well as the area of the Prater were almost uninhabitable because of the spills. The areas were agricultural and fishermen lived there. It was not until the mid-19th century that it began getting urbanized. In fact, until 1862 the city of Vienna was only today's center, surrounded by a wall and defense facilities".

In the alleys of Türkenschanzpark

We went for a walk in the park. Once, during the first Turkish siege of Vienna, there were Turkish redoubts. This is where the name comes from - "Park near the Turkish redoubts".

As we were walking Pledl showed us elements in it, recreating pictures of the Alpine scenery, something enshrined in the philosophy of its construction. Many things here are made according to natural archetypes. Such as the beautiful small waterfall that appeared before us, representing the water supply of the city. "Vienna’s drinking water comes from the Vienna Woods through a natural slope, i.e., there is no a special facility built. The waterfall shows the path of the water from the source to Vienna"- tells Pledl. "Between the two World Wars there was a children’s’ pool. The parks were then built as places for poor people living in miserable conditions in orderto make themable to go out in the open air. There were fountains and drinking water, as the water supply of the city from the Vienna Woods happened later".

We saw lush green meadows which recreate the pastures in the Alps. We passed by the monument of the Ukrainians Cossacks who helped in the release of Vienna by the Turks in 1683, we saw parts of the roof of the University of Agriculture among the trees, the fountain, donated by the former Turkish ambassador in sign of friendship...

A truck with officials from the municipality who care for the park passes on the alley. "The employees in our department that supports all 840 municipal parks, are approximately 17 000. And this is too little, because the administration is included in this figure, as well as, all the workers "- explains Pledl.

We come to a footbridge, whose railings are made of branches, resembling trees in the mountains. We passed across it and found ourselves in front of the

Paulina Tower

It reminds us that the parks are filled with spicy stories. The observation tower, the highest point in Türkenschanzpark is named after Princess Paulina von Metternich (1836-1921), granddaughter of Chancellor Klemens von Metternich (1773-1859). "She was a rival of Sissy and her complete opposite. As it is known, the Empress did not like high society, did not attend many events, and lived quite alone and closed. While Paulina von Metternich was the center of social events and balls, and always  had a dig at  Sissy regarding her origin. Paulina thought she should be at her place. The princess had a nursery-garden and gave many plants to this park. In gratitude, in 1909 the tower was named after her."

Initially it was a water tower, with a water tank bottom, which is preserved to this day. The pumping and pipeline equipment for the power of the waterfalls and fountains in the park were kept here. At the entrance of the tower we saw the sign that sais that here at the opening of the park on September 30th, 1888, the Emperor Franz Joseph I said he desired from the bottom of his heart for this young park to thrive, to be green and bring joy in the suburbs of the city. Whether after the celebration the ruler climbed the stairs of the tower - that is not known.

For security reasons there was some time that the tower was closed to visitors. In 2009, its recovery, which lasted two years, began. Today the tower is open to visitors only during certain hours once a month /weekends/ by the association "Friends of Nature". Gerhard Pledl opened it personally for us. We climbed the beautiful spiral staircase to the top. From the observation platform there, everywhere you look, beautiful views are revealed. Mr. Pledl showed us the main attractions of Vienna: the UN building, churches, the waste processing factory, vineyards... "If there were not trees here you could see all the way to the Alps. Look how well greened Vienna is! See how the city has grown in the foothills of the Vienna Woods. Here are some rare and large trees in the park:

the mammoth tree, the redwood and the "Pavlovna" tree

The latter is imported from abroad, but it is quite common in here now. It blooms beautifully in purple colors. Named after the daughter of the Russian Czar - Anna Pavlovna. Initially it existed in Japan and China. There, of course it was not called Pavlovna, but was considered a tree of happiness. When one family wanted to have a girl, they planted it in the yard. They believed that it will attract the Phoenix, who brought happiness. The tree is known in our country since 19th century when the park was came into being.

Many plant species became popular to the public then. There was even a profession "plant seeker". These were people who traveled the world, found and brought exotic species. They were sent to those missions by noble families or by nursery-garden owners who financed their journeys. We owe to them this great diversity of plant species in our parks today. These seekers of plants were something like Indiana Jones. Many of them died or did not return.

Another factor to  Many plants came from there too. And the opening of Japan to the world. Until then, this country did not trade with Europe, but diplomats and Europeans who arrived in it were held on islands. And when they were allowed to leave, they would secretly take with them seeds and plants.“

We listen to Pledl and understand why Vienna has a museum of the parks! They are not only places for recreation and entertainment, they are history, having become a part of the Viennese life. Like this...

250 years ago Emperor Joseph II opened the Prater

to the public. "Until then, the park was owned by the royal family. It was visited, but only partly and solely from the aristocracy. Joseph II was quite a progressive ruler. And it was the time of the Enlightenment. And the progressive people in that time, without thinking so much of how to improve the welfare of the population, they still turned to it.

On April 7th, 1766 Emperor Joseph II opened the park to the public and only after two weeks inquiries from various contractors that wanted to open restaurants there appeared – for ice cream, lemonade, tea and more. This gave the basis of the so-called "Prater of entertainment".

Although it was open to everyone, the park was separated in two parts. On one side was the green Prater with a main avenue on which went the carriages with the aristocrats and the ladies who showed their outfits, and the other was the amusement part where people had fun. The society in the park was not mixed up in terms of real democracy, it remained divided.

On the main avenue then were the more fancy cafes for the aristocracy, while in the amusement area were the national restaurants and the circus theater. At the time the commedia dell'arte of Italy became popular - a little rough amusement for the people with clowns, street singers and so on. Several theaters also moved from the city center to the Prater, because there was demand for entertainment.

Now the cafes in the main promenade are gone, but some of the families of the artists then later opened their restaurants that exist until today. Like the most famous restaurant for knuckles - "Kolarik." The true Viennese, however, would not go there or at the famous pastry shop that once served the royal court. He will visit them only if there are guests to show them. The Viennese would seek a quieter place."

Another interesting thing about the Prater.

In 1873 the World Expo was held there

A large part of the park was sacrificed for this. At its center was built a round building - rotunda. About 100 nations took place.

"For those Viennese back then it was very exotic to go to the Prater and taste Finnish cuisine, for example. Nowadays it is commonplace, but for the people at that time it was something new, unfamiliar, curious.

There were performances, songs and dances from various parts of the world. For example, from North America, or from the island of Samoa. An interesting fact is that the dancers from the island could not get used to the climate here and even one of them died. His funeral became an exotic sensation. People paid tickets to see the traditional ceremony of Samoa. What is my personal conclusion from the case fin terms of political correctness? What then was considered a natural thing today would be qualified as a scandal.

The World Expo brought financial ruin, because, unfortunately there was an outbreak of cholera. Well, though there was some income - to explore the wonderful buildings and palaces in which the nobility lived, entry fees were taken".

And some more interesting facts. In the Prater there is one, so-called Royal meadow. During the exhibition there was presented the "Mini Venice" - with palaces, canals, gondolas... A Venetian atmosphere of 6 hectors! But we must say that the interest of the Viennese in this attraction quickly disappeared. On the royal meadow today there is an open stage for concerts.

But the symbol of the Prater, and the whole of Vienna is the

Ferris wheel

They call it "gigantic" and "enormous". It was built by the English engineer Walter Basset. The wheel was built for eight months and was opened in 1897. They say that the wife of the ambassador of England in Austria then - Lady Rumbold, installed the last bolt in its construction. And here it keeps spinning for almost 120 years! "Even during World War II it survived the bombing, unlike the majority of the Prater and the city. However, its statics was impaired and therefore it needed reconstruction, during which its cabins was reduced by half. I have heard a lot about that time from my parents. My father was born in 1926, he was mobilized during the war and he was in the prison camp.

During the bombing, however, the other symbol of the Prater - a building, I would say of joy or pleasure - "Lusthaus", was completely destroyed. It was built for the royal family, even when the park was a hunting place, in order for it to rest in it. The victory over Napoleon was noted there with many fireworks.  Representatives of the countries that were at war with him arrived for the celebration. After World War II, it was fully restored in the form in which it existed before." Today in there is the famous restaurant "Lusthaus", where the old Viennese and Austrian cuisine can be tested in imperial atmosphere.

"In fact, many fireworks have taken place in the Prater. There were first conducted flights with balloons (many more to follow), which were a magnet for the audience" - Pledl ends his story. And we, in conclusion will only add, that there are countless entertainment and cultural events in the park for the citizens of Vienna today, when the 250 years of its opening are celebrated.

The material is realized with the support of Eurocomm-PR Wien.

Photos: "Diplomatic Spectrum" magazine.

Row first and second: the alleys of Türkenschanzpark

Third row: Tower of Paulina von Metternich. The team of the "Diplomatic Spectrum" magazine with Engineer Gerhard Pledl, Head of department MA 42 "Viennese parks" in the City of Vienna and Karin Krisper from Eurocomm - PR Wien.