Schmetterlinghaus

The Schmetterlinghaus is a butterfly house in Vienna’s first district, the Innere Stadt. It sits inside the north-west wing of the Palmenhaus, which stands at the edge of the Burggarten. The Palmenhaus itself was built in 1901 to designs by Friedrich Ohmann and stretches 128 metres in length. After being closed in 1988 for safety reasons, it underwent a major renovation costing about thirteen million euros. The building reopened in 1998, and since then the Schmetterlinghaus has occupied the left wing, covering 280 square metres. Inside the glasshouse, roughly four hundred butterflies from the tropics fly freely. They belong to about one hundred and fifty different species, none of which are protected under conservation laws. The interior recreates a tropical rainforest with a steady temperature of about twenty-six degrees and air humidity near eighty per cent. Visitors walk along a single path that winds through dense planting and small pools. The glass walls let in plenty of light, so the butterflies stay active throughout the day. Bright blossoms and hanging vines give them places to feed and rest. From the main hall, glass doors open onto the Burggarten, linking the indoor garden with the city park outside.