podtour
From the Cathedral to the Imperial Palace
From Mozart's house to the gates of the Hofburg, get to know Vienna through the stories on its streets.
The Opera and Vienna in 1900: audio walk in Vienna
How Vienna traded its walls for a boulevard and its art for a rebellion: the last bastion, the Emperor's garden that young people occupied in 1979, the gate where the Emperor was stabbed, the letter that begins "It is my will", the Opera House they called a sunken crate, the Sacher cake and its legend, the Academy that turned applicants away, and the Secession with its laurel dome.
What this walk is about
You begin on the last stretch of city wall still standing, beneath the Albertina palace, and beside it, at the railings of the Burggarten, the garden that grew over the walls, belonged to the Emperor alone until 1919 and in 1979 saw young people occupy its lawn. Then the square where, in 1945, a shelter became a tomb. By the old Carinthian Gate you hear about the stabbing of 1853 and, on the pavement outside the Sacher, two versions of a cake and the cigar-smoking woman who ran the hotel. At the Opera House, the first great building on the boulevard, you hear how the Viennese called it a sunken crate, what that cost its architects and everything it has lost, and on the Ring, the letter with which the Emperor ordered the walls to be torn down. You go on to the Academy of Fine Arts, the house of official art that rejected an applicant named Hitler, and finish in front of the building of the artists who broke away from the Künstlerhaus association, white and topped with a ball of golden laurel that the Viennese nicknamed the cabbage, and above the river that runs beneath the market.
- Start
- The Piece of Wall That Saved a Palace
- Finish
- A River Beneath the Market
- Who it is for
- A walk for anyone curious about art and architecture and Vienna 1900.
- 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
The Piece of Wall That Saved a Palace
- 2
The Forbidden Garden
- 3
A Shelter Beneath the Square
- 4
The Night Gate and the Stabbing of 1853
- 5
The Cake with No Certain Birthday
- 6
The Sunken Chest
- 7
Sold Pegasus Statues, Lost Sculptures and the Fire of 1945
- 8
It Is My Will
- 9
The Academy and the Rejected Applicant
- 10
The Golden Cabbage
- 11
A River Beneath the Market
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
The Habsburgs: Vienna and Spain
Spain left its mark on the Habsburg palace through marriages, names and exiles. Follow those connections through Vienna's courtyards and squares.
The Ring: Empire, Republic and Power
The Ring is more than a line of grand buildings. Between Heldenplatz and Parliament, Austria argued over who should govern it.
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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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.