podtour
Legends of Old Vienna
A basilisk in a well, a tree trunk full of nails and a Christ with toothache. Vienna keeps its legends in plain sight.
From the Cathedral to the Imperial Palace: audio walk in Vienna
The first-time walk, told through the people who lived it and the moments they lived through: the house where Mozart received Haydn, the cathedral left with a half-finished tower, the bell cast from Ottoman cannon, the fire of 1945, the Plague Column, the writers' café and the façade that scandalised the court.
See the walkFree route
What this walk is about
You start in the street where Mozart paid a prince's rent and where Haydn told his father something no father forgets. You walk round St Stephen's Cathedral the way the Viennese used to: a friar recruiting crusaders, Mozart's last farewell, a bell that rings with the bronze of the besiegers, a door bearing the city's measuring rod and two letters of the resistance, a tower left half-built for fear of the Turks, and a roof that burned in 1945 and was rebuilt by an entire country. You go down the Graben to the column promised by an emperor who had fled the plague, pass a church that boasts of an illustrious founder without a shred of proof, and finish at the gate of the Hofburg, the imperial palace: the writers' café, the unadorned building they called the house without eyebrows, a façade that took more than a century and a half, and an artilleryman of 1848 who didn't fire, though perhaps not for the reason you've been told.
- Start
- Four Hundred and Sixty Florins and Haydn's Praise
- Finish
- The Gunner Who Did Not Fire
- Who it is for
- A good starting point for your first visit. A walk for anyone curious about music and history of Vienna.
- Languages
- Spanish and British English
- Underfoot
- The walk is mostly level.
The route, stop by stop
An outline of the walk. The full stories are in the app.
Loading the map…
Open a marker to see its page. Use two fingers to move the map on mobile.
- 1
Four Hundred and Sixty Florins and Haydn's Praise
- 2
A Friar Recruits Crusaders; Mozart's Last Farewell
- 3
The Bell of a Hundred and Eighty Cannons
- 4
A Measuring Rod, Tombs and O5
- 5
The Tower Left Half Finished
- 6
April 1945: A Country's Roof
- 7
The Plague and the Praying Emperor
- 8
Charlemagne's Church
- 9
The Café of Megalomania
- 10
The House Without Eyebrows
- 11
A Century and a Half of Façade Above Roman Houses
- 12
The Gunner Who Did Not Fire
Walking directions are based on mapped pedestrian routes. Check local access and signs; the route is not an accessibility guarantee. Times are approximate.
Vienna, before you go
The big squares can make you feel you ought to hurry. Vienna rewards looking at façades and allowing a proper pause; combine its compact old centre with transport when changing areas.
More walks nearby
From Judenplatz to Café Central
Vienna's old squares witnessed conspiracies, refuge and shifts in power. Follow their stories from Judenplatz to Café Central.
The Opera and Vienna in 1900
Vienna pulled down its walls, then argued about what should replace them. Follow the changes to the artists who made a break of their own.
Good to know
What is Podtour?
An app for self-guided audio walks. Choose a city and a route, then listen to the stories behind its streets. You decide when to start and when to stop.
When can I download the app?
Podtour is coming to iOS and Android. There is no confirmed launch date yet. Join the waitlist and we will let you know when it is ready.
Does Podtour include attraction tickets?
No. Street walks and monument audio tours do not include admission tickets, transport or a guide accompanying you.
Can I listen without an internet connection?
Download the audio in the app before heading out, then listen offline. Loading the online base map and calculating a new route from your location require a connection.
What languages are included?
Every route includes Spanish and British English. The English version is adapted for English-speaking travellers, rather than translated word for word.
How do I get a whole city for free?
Join the waitlist, choose a city and confirm your email address. When the app launches, we will email you with access details. No card is required. You can also try one free route in every city.
Can I buy for myself or for a group?
Yes. Your own access is included and you can choose 0–5 guests: up to 6 people including you. Each guest saves up to €0.50 on a walk, €1 on a pack or €2 on a whole city compared with buying separately. The counter shows the total before you confirm one payment.
How do I share, and when must guests accept?
After paying, share your purchase’s invitation link. Each guest opens it in Podtour and accepts their place on their own iPhone or Android phone. They must redeem it within 30 days of purchase. Unclaimed places then expire and cannot be recovered or renewed. Access accepted in time is kept. Opening the link does not use a place; one account takes just one place, and no more people can join once all places are taken.
Can I add guests after buying?
No. Choose all your guests before confirming the first purchase. Afterwards you can share the places you paid for, but you cannot increase their number or restart the 30-day deadline.
Your first city,
on Podtour.
Join the waitlist. When we launch, your chosen city is yours to explore.
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A little welcome gift
Your first city,
on Podtour.
Join the waitlist and get one whole city free when Podtour launches. You choose where.
Podtour manages your launch request with your consent. You can withdraw it and exercise your rights as explained in our privacy policy. Privacy details.
One city per person. All its Podtour routes in Spanish and English. Available at launch. Offer details.