Vienna Things to Do Tips by grkboiler

Stephansplatz is a square in the heart of Vienna. This is a good place to start your tour of the city. Located here is Stephansdom (see my tip), shops and a few restaurants nearby, and plenty of street performers. In the picture to the right, you can even see a little of the Haas Haus (1990), which is a modern building made of glass and aqua-colored marble.

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Address: Stephansplatz
Directions: Metro: U1 and U3 both stop here

Walking: The pedestrian shopping areas of Graben and Kartner Strasse will get you here

Stephansdom towers over the city centre with its 450 ft (137 m) spire. There has been a church on this site since 1147, but the current one was started in the 14th century and took hundreds of years to finish. Some interesting parts of this church not to miss are:

The Tiled Roof - Near the back of the church, thousands of glazed tiles create a mosaic of the Austrian Empire's coat of arms.

Climbing the Spire - Climb the stairs of the spire to the viewing area if you have the energy.

Christ with a Toothache - Legend has it that if you make fun of it, you will get a toothache.

Tirna Chapel - (To the left of the main entrance) The grave of Prince Eugene, a military hero is inside, along with a statue of Christ which is said to have human hair growing from it.

Potschen Madonna - (To the right of the main entrance) An icon of the Madonna from 1697 to which a victory over the Turks was attributed.

Pummerin Bell - This is the largest bell in Austria. It was cast from cannons that the Turks abandoned as they fled Vienna in 1683. It had to be recast in 1945 after a fire.

Catacombs (accessible only through a guided tour), Portrait of Pilgram (self-portrait carved by Anton Pilgram), and the organ gallery are more things to see.

If my digital camera's battery hadn't died, I would have gotten pictures of everything and would have been able to make tips for all of these. See my other tips for more things to see at Stephansdom (the few things I managed to get pictures of).

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Address: Stephansdom
Directions: Stephansplatz

The High Altar at Stephansdom features the martyrdom of St. Stephen. To the left of the altar is the Wiener Neustadter Altar which contains panels featuring the lives of the Virgin Mary and Christ. To the right of the altar is the tomb of Emperor Friedrich III, made of red marble with sculpted statues on it.

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Address: Stephansdom

Pilgram's Pulpit is a Gothic pulpit carved by Anton Pilgram. The figures represent church theologians, the Four Fathers of the Church.

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Address: Stephansdom

Outside Stephansdom on the northeastern side is a statue of Johannes Capistrano, an Italian Franciscan who preached against the Turkish invasion in 1451. The saint is shown trampling the body of a fallen Turk.

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Address: Stephansdom

Vienna has many famous citizens, but Mozart is probably the most famous. He lived in 11 different places in the city, but was believed to be happiest in this one located in the shadows of Stephansdom. It was here where he wrote many of his famous works, including "The Marriage of Figaro", for which the building is named. Mozart lived here with his family for 3 years.

Currently inside the flat is a modest museum dedicated to Mozart with some documents and headphones for listening to his works. There isn't much to it, and it should only take about 15 minutes to see everything.

It is worth paying the 2 Euro admission fee to walk in the rooms where Mozart lived. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9 AM to 6 PM.

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Phone: 5136294
Address: Domgasse 5
Directions: Walk behind Stephansdom on the north side and when you get past the 1st building make a right, then a left and it will be in front of you.

Griechische Kirche, or The Greek Orthodox Church of Agios Triados (Holy Trinity) was built in 1850. It has a beautiful interior full of icons. It is located at Fleischmarkt, the former meat market of Vienna. The Greek community in Vienna has its roots in this area after Greek merchants settled here in the 18th century.

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Address: Fleischmarkt
Directions: Walk down Rotenturmstrasse from Stephansdom and turn right at Fleischmarkt.

The Pestsaule is a monument dedicated to victims of the Plague of 1679. It was commissioned by Emperor Leopold I when the plague ended. This monument sits in the middle of Graben.

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Address: Graben
Directions: From Stephansplatz, walk down Graben

The Pestsaule has many haunting carvings. This one shows a religious figure and an angel destroying a woman representing the plague. Take your time to notice the detail of this monument.

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Address: Graben
Directions: From Stephansplatz, walk down Graben

Walking down Graben away from Stephansplatz, shortly after passing the Pestsaule, if you look to your right, you will see Peterskirche. This church, modeled after St. Peter's in Rome, was started in the 18th century.

Definitely walk inside. The interior is amazing to see. It is open 7 AM to 6 PM daily.

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Address: Petersplatz