Podtour of Vienna
Capital of the Habsburg empire
Vienna is several different cities. It was Roman Vindobona; in the Middle Ages, it was the centre of the Babenbergs' domains, where English King Richard the Lionheart was held for ransom; in the Renaissance and Baroque it was the capital of the Habsburg Empire. Then came the nineteenth century when the Austro-Hungarian Empire reached its greatest expanse - and the modernist reaction represented by the Secession with its Art Nouveau style.
Our audio tour of Vienna shows you all these cities - and more. We introduce you to Augustin, the drunken bagpiper; to Fischer von Erlach and Lukas von Hildebrandt, the great baroque architects; to Metastasio, the writer, and Mozart, who set one of his operas for the emperor's coronation.
Highlights of the Podtour:
- Freyung with its aristocratic palaces, including one of the finest baroque staircases in the country.
- The Karlskirche, an eclectic baroque work by Fischer von Erlach which embodies imperial propaganda - Vienna as the new Rome.
- Judenplatz with its memorial to the Jewish dead of the Second World War.
- St Stephen's Cathedral with its amazing late Gothic pulpit and the self-portrait of mason Anton Pilgram.
- The Hofburg, palace of the Habsburgs, which grew over the centuries to truly incredible size.
Price: £5
Some of our favourite places to eat in Vienna:
- Bierteufl ('Beer Devil') in the Beethoven House at Ungargasse 5. A fine selection of draught and bottled beers, together with excellent snacks to share - including some good vegetarian options.
- Cafe Demel, 14 Kohlmarkt - fine pastries to tempt the sweet tooth, together with strong coffee.
- Steiereck, a traditional Styrian style restaurant in the Stadtpark. Not cheap, but extremely good.
- Siebensternbrau, a huge brewery-and-restaurant where you can get sauerkraut, potato soup, Wiener schnitzel and apple strudel. Definitely one for the bigger appetite!
- Head out of town, if you have time, to go to one of the Heuriger in the hills outside Vienna. These traditional bars are distinguished by a pine branch hanging outside, and serve their own tart young wine.