Around 800,000 people visited the Silverster Trail before the coronavirus pandemic. The number of visitors at this year’s turn of the year is difficult to estimate. “We use our video surveillance system to monitor what is happening along the path. We have a very good overview of the flow of visitors,” says Michael Domkar, project manager of the New Year’s Trail, to “Vienna Today”.
Again New Year’s Eve trail in Vienna
After a two-year break due to the pandemic, the New Year’s Eve Trail in Vienna will take place once more on Saturday. The police are on duty. A separate traffic light system is intended to protect once morest crowds.
Information can be passed on to visitors with an electronic information system. “And should it be necessary, we can also intervene with a traffic light system and signal people whether they can go or wait a moment,” said Domkar.
Strict action once morest pyrotechnics
The chief of the Vienna Police, Gerhard Pürstl, also hopes that the New Year’s Trail will channel the crowds into the city centre. This in turn should make it easier for officials in the capital to monitor the celebrations. Pürstl announced zero tolerance for rioters.
Even private fireworks are strictly forbidden, which are controlled by private security and the police. “Basically, it is forbidden to ignite pyrotechnic objects in the city area – there is a pyrotechnic ban here. It is also forbidden to take pyrotechnic objects with you on the New Year’s Trail. And this ban is rigorously controlled by the police and punished if necessary,” said Irina Steirer, spokeswoman for the Vienna State Police Headquarters.
Six stages over a distance of one and a half kilometers
The New Year’s Trail in the city center is regarding one and a half kilometers long. Programs are offered on six stages on Freyung, Am Hof, Graben, Stephansplatz, Kärntner Straße and Neuer Markt. Waltz orchestras, dance lessons, oldies and a children’s program are planned.
The town hall square will not be used this year, according to the organizers, this is not possible from an organizational point of view between the Christmas market and the ice dream. According to Paul Weis, Managing Director of the City of Vienna Marketing, there will be no big fireworks “for the sake of the environment, the many animals in the city and also the people”.
Wiener Linien strengthened on the move
Public transport is recommended for getting to the New Year’s Eve Trail. The underground trains will initially run every five to seven minutes, and later every 15 minutes, as on weekends. The U2 to Schottentor, the U3 to Herrengasse, the U1 and U4 to Karlsplatz or the U1 and U3 to Stephansplatz are some of the options towards the city center.
For security reasons, the Stephansplatz station will be closed at 10 p.m. at the latest, because a large number of visitors to the New Year’s Eve Trail are expected. In addition, 18 tram lines and 14 bus lines are in operation on New Year’s Eve. As early as Saturday morning there were restrictions on public transport due to the New Year’s Eve run on the ring road.
