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 Prater: Strauss, the Ferris Wheel and The Third Man: audio walk in Vienna
Vienna's avenue of pleasure, all the way to its great funfair: Nestroy's theatre, the flat where Strauss composed The Blue Danube and its lukewarm premiere, an imitation Venetian palace, the imperial hunting ground opened "without distinction", the 1873 Exhibition and its crash, Calafati's Chinese figure, the Venice in Vienna impresario and his Hollywood son, and the Giant Ferris Wheel: its Jewish owner, who was murdered, and the Third Man scene in occupied Vienna.
What this walk is about
You begin where the Leopoldstadt went to the theatre: the stage of Kasperl and of Nestroy, now an office tower. You walk up Praterstraße to the flat where Johann Strauss the younger wrote The Blue Danube, which had its premiere in an empty swimming pool, without him and without much success. A palace with the Lion of St Mark explains the cardboard Venice that once stood in the Prater. At Joseph II's star you'll see how a hunting reserve was opened to everyone, and why an admiral keeps watch from his column. Then, at the funfair: the 1873 Exhibition that ended in a crash and cholera, Calafati's revolving Chinese figure, the Venice impresario and his son, who wrote the music for Casablanca, and the Giant Ferris Wheel: an English build of 1897, the story of Eduard Steiner, who bought it and lost everything, and Harry Lime's scene in a Vienna divided in four, with a line about cuckoo clocks that the screenwriter didn't write.
- Start
- The Theatre of Kasperl and Nestroy
- Finish
- Harry Lime's Cuckoo Clock and the Soviet Sector
- Who it is for
- A walk for anyone curious about leisure and music and film. You can also enjoy it as a family.
- 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 Theatre of Kasperl and Nestroy
- 2
The Blue Danube: A Flat and a Swimming Pool
- 3
A Venetian Palace on Praterstrasse
- 4
Joseph II's Star and the Admiral
- 5
Without Distinction: The Prater for Everyone
- 6
The Exhibition of 1873 and Black Friday
- 7
Calafati's Chinese Figure
- 8
Venice's Mr Steiner and His Hollywood Son
- 9
An English Wheel in an Imitation Venice
- 10
Mr Steiner's Giant Wheel
- 11
Harry Lime's Cuckoo Clock and the Soviet Sector
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
Jewish Leopoldstadt
Markets, musicians and Jewish communities made their home in Leopoldstadt. Walk its streets to discover that life and the traces of its destruction.
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.
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.
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on Podtour.
Join the waitlist and get one whole city free when Podtour launches. You choose where.
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One city per person. All its Podtour routes in Spanish and English. Available at launch. Offer details.