Also in the first district is the Palais Ferstel, built by the Ringstrasse architect Heinrich von Ferstel. Originally built as a bank and stock exchange building on Herrengasse, the building later served as a military casino and even as a sports hall during World War II. The palace, which was once described as "Vienna's most modern house" due to the combination of stone construction and Venetian-Florentine Trecento architecture, has housed one of Vienna's most beautiful coffee houses, the Café Central, since 1876. Well-known personalities of the fin de siecle such as Arthur Schnitzler or Sigmund Freud met here. The coffee house culture has deep roots in Vienna because the café house was and is seen as an extended living room and space for coziness. Today, Cafe Central enchants tourists and locals alike with its unique atmosphere and awaits you with a typical Viennese coffee snack, delicate, artful patisserie, and other soothing treats for the palate.