Private Vienna Walking Tour with Historian

 

Vienna’s First District, its historic city center, is as intricately layered as the city’s history: Founded by the Celts, developed by the Romans, ruled by the Babenbergs, embellished by the Habsburgs, besieged by the Ottoman Empire, and occupied by the Nazis, Vienna has emerged in recent decades as a major European capital and center of arts and culture. During the course of this 3-hour private walking tour, we'll take a broad view of the city and look at the many forces that developed, and at times destroyed, Vienna's remarkably resilient historic center. We begin our tour at the Romanesque Ruprechtskirche, Vienna’s oldest church, situated in the most ancient part of the city. Passing through the area once settled by the Romans and through the area of the expansion by the first ruling family, we'll encounter the legacy of another family of great imperial power: the Habsburgs. Our path will take us briefly along the famous Ringstrasse, past the huge structures of Habsburg authority, where the Parliament building abuts the grounds of the great imperial palace, the Hofburg. As we make the turn back toward the city’s heart, we can discuss the ways that the Habsburgs’ infrastructure of empire drew the artists, musicians, and authors who created Viennese culture. We may even stop to restore ourselves with a torte and a coffee in the time-warp that is a Viennese café. Our walk ends at the Stephansdom, Vienna’s cathedral, an architectural marvel of Gothic design. By the end of our time together we'll feel a connection not only to the spectacular monuments of Vienna, but to the city’s quieter streets, its unique elegance, and its contested history. Language English