Vienna can be seen from the new wooden lookout tower Bahnorama

Vienna - From today, those interested can view Vienna from a bird's-eye perspective from the new lookout tower Bahnorama at the future main railway station of Vienna. The wooden observation tower measures 67 meters, making it the tallest of its kind in Europe.
    Although the new lookout tower offers views of the Austrian capital from above, including sights such as the City Hall, the towers of St. Stephen's Cathedral, and the UN skyscrapers, it was mainly built due to the future railway station. This is being constructed on the site of the former southern station - Südbahnhof. The tower will allow people to observe the construction progress.
    The project is referred to by representatives of the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB), politicians, and Austrian media as the construction of the century. According to ÖBB, the state has about 933 million euros (23.12 billion CZK) allocated for it. However, it is rumored that the cost will be higher. The Austrian Court of Auditors, which is similar to the Czech Supreme Audit Office, criticized the financing of the railway station's construction.
    Austrian Minister of Transport Doris Bures stated today that the money invested in the new station and railway infrastructure is "well invested," although she said there is now a need for savings. She noted that the public will be able to "transparently track" the entire process thanks to the tower. According to ÖBB chief Christian Kern, the project shows that the railways care about "modernity and openness." He is annoyed when people say that money is being thrown out the window. "We are investing in Austria and future generations," he said.
    The new lookout tower stands exactly 66.72 meters tall. Its structure weighs 135 tons. The base measures eight by seven meters, while the tip is 20 by 20 centimeters. A total of 160 cubic meters of spruce wood were used for the tower. Two glass elevators take visitors to the viewing platform, which is at a height of about 40 meters.
    However, the first guests did not use these today. They experienced a malfunction right at their premiere. Those who wanted to inspect the construction site and enjoy the view of the Austrian capital had to first climb 250 metal steps. For some, it wasn't a very pleasant experience. The material from which the staircase is made has small holes in it. "When you focus on it, you can see all the way down. That didn't sit well with me," said one visitor after ascending the tower.
    An information center is located beneath the lookout tower. Here, visitors will see, among other things, a model of the future station and neighborhood, as well as a 3D animation. Admission to the tower and exhibition is free.
    The new station is expected to be completed in December 2014. It will serve as a crossroads for three corridors. One will connect Paris with Bratislava. The second will lead from Athens through Prague to Germany, while the third will route from Gdańsk through Brno and Bratislava to Venice.
    The project is being developed over an area of 109 hectares. It includes, among other things, 100 kilometers of tracks, 300 switches, eight kilometers of noise barriers, five covered platforms with an average width of 12 meters, 630 parking spaces for cars, and 1150 for bicycles, as well as a shopping center. Next to the station, a new neighborhood with parks, 5000 apartments for 13,000 people, offices, a hotel, a kindergarten, and an educational campus will be built. The plan includes the creation of 20,000 jobs. The plan also includes new streets and bike paths. The investment for the entire area is expected to be around four billion euros (approximately 99.13 billion CZK). The new neighborhood should be completed in 2019.