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Since the 1980s, the area around the Ruprechtskirche has been known as the Bermuda Triangle (Bermuda Dreieck), the idea being that there are so many bars in these few narrow streets that you could get lost for ever. It's certainly true that a staggering number of designer bars, late-night drinking holes and music venues are literally piled on top of one another, particularly along Seitenstettengasse and Rabensteig, but you'd have to do some serious drinking to actually lose your way. The night-time clientele tends to be young(ish) and well turned out but not that trendy. During the day, however, the scene is pretty muted, and you're more likely to rub shoulders with tourists who've come to appreciate the area's narrow cobbled streets and the two main sights: the Ruprechtskirche, the city's oldest church, and its oldest surviving synagogue, the Stadttempel. Ironically, it was the building restrictions in force at the time the Stadttempel (guided tours Mon-Thurs 11.30am & 3pm; oS30/?2.00) was built in 1826 that enabled it to be the only synagogue (out of 24) to survive Kristallnacht . According to the laws enacted under Josef II, synagogues had to be concealed from the street - hence you get no hint of what lies behind Seitenstettengasse 2-4 until you've gone through the security procedures (take your passport) and passed through several anterooms to the glass doors of the temple itself. Despite its hidden location, it suffered some damage in 1938 when this predominantly Jewish area was torched, and it has since been lavishly restored. Designed from top to bottom by Biedermeier architect Josef Kornhausel, it's a perfect example of the restrained architecture of the period, its top-lit, sky-blue oval dome delicately dotted with golden stars, and its two-tiered curving women's gallery supported by yellow Ionic pillars. The slightly sinister presence of police with dogs and machine guns outside on Seitenstettengasse is a sad consequence of the terrorist attack on the Stadttempel in 1983, which killed three people, and the continuing vandalism of Jewish property that takes place in Austria. Round the corner from the Stadttempel on Ruprechtsplatz stands the ivy-covered Ruprechtskirche , its plain, stout architecture attesting to its venerable age. Founded as long ago as the eighth century, the current building dates partly from the twelfth century and has been much altered and expanded since. Inside, the vivid reds and blues of the modern stained glass are a bit overwhelming, detracting from the church's uniquely intimate ambience. Mass is still said here, and the space is also frequently used for art exhibitions.
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