Historic Old Town Alleys

The multicolored roof tiles of St. Stephen's Cathedral form a massive, zigzagging pattern of yellow, green, and blue that dominates the Vienna skyline. This Gothic structure rose over the ruins of two earlier churches starting in the…

The Blutgasse is a narrow, twisting lane defined by its uneven cobblestones and high, medieval house walls that seem to lean toward each other. The name, translated as Blood Alley, dates back to the aftermath of the Knights Templar…

The Mozart apartment is marked by a plain, stone-framed doorway on Domgasse street, tucked behind the massive spire of Saint Stephen's Cathedral. This is the only residence where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart lived in Vienna that still stands…

The Heiligenkreuzerhof features a facade decorated with a large, ornate statue of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, holding a model of the church he founded. This complex served as the Viennese city residence for the Cistercian monks of…

The Basiliskenhaus at Schonlaterngasse seven is marked by a stone relief embedded high on the facade, depicting a creature with a rooster's head and a dragon's tail. Legend says a baker’s apprentice killed the beast in a well here in…

The Griechenbeisl features a crooked, butter-yellow exterior that looks like it is leaning into the narrow alley of Fleischmarkt. This restaurant dates back to at least fourteen forty-seven. Inside, a room called the Mark Twain Zimmer…

St. Rupert's Church sits on a small rise above the Danube Canal, identifiable by a sturdy, square Romanesque tower that predates the surrounding city streets. It holds the title of the oldest church in Vienna, with foundations dating back…