Johann Strauss Walking Tour (Self Guided), Vienna

Fans of the Waltz King should head for the apartment on the first floor of Praterstraße no. 54 where the composer lived from 1863 until the death of his first wife, the glamorous opera singer Jetty Treffz, in 1878. It was there, under the high ceilings, that he composed "The Blue Danube", Austria's unofficial anthem, despite his father's attempts to drag him out of the music business and to hinder his musical pursuits.

The apartment has (German/English) displays of Strauss' original furnishings and instruments, with visitors able to get glimpses into the man, the composer, the conductor, the caricaturist, and the card player. One room, decorated with ceiling panels of cherubs, contains his grand piano, house organ and standing desk at which he used to compose. There's also a fascinating collection of ballroom memorabilia, including an Amati violin, gimmicky dance cards and quirky ball pendants, kept as mementos of the evening. Oil paintings from Strauss' last apartment, which was destroyed during WWII, are also on site.

Tip:
As you enter the first room, wave at the sensor hidden under the title-page display until "The Blue Danube" starts to play.
The apartment is not to be confused with the Strauss Museum, which instead explicates the entire Strauss musical family.

While remarkable architecture is commonplace in Vienna, the majestic Saint Stephen's Cathedral (Stephansdom) is absolutely unmistakable. A central figure in Vienna’s spiritual and architectural landscape, it was constructed on the remnants of two earlier churches, with the first consecrated in 1147. The cathedral now exhibits a blend of Romanesque and Gothic styles, primarily developed under Duke Rudolf IV in the mid-14th century.

The building extends over 107 meters in length and 40 meters in width, with its tallest point, the South Tower (affectionately referred to as "Steffl" – a diminutive form of "Stephen"), reaching 136 meters. This tower, completed in 1433 after 65 years of construction, served crucial defensive roles during the sieges of Vienna and housed a watchman’s apartment until 1955. Contrastingly, the North Tower remains unfinished, capped at 68 meters with a Renaissance dome since 1578.

Saint Stephen’s notable features include its vibrant, tiled roof adorned with 230,000 glazed tiles portraying symbols like the Habsburg double-headed eagle and the coats of arms of Vienna and Austria. Despite severe damage during a 1945 fire, the roof was meticulously restored, substituting the original wood with 600 metric tons of steel, enhancing its resilience and self-cleaning capability.

The cathedral houses an impressive array of bells, including Pummerin, the second-largest swinging bell in Europe, cast from captured Turkish cannons in 1711 and recast in 1951 after being destroyed. This bell, alongside others in the South Tower and the Roman Tower, marks significant religious ceremonies and daily prayers.

Saint Stephen's also harbors deep connections with notable composers like Ludwig van Beethoven, who recognized his complete deafness here, Joseph Haydn, who used to sing at Saint Stephen's as a choir boy, Johann Strauss, who married twice within these walls, and Mozart, for whom the cathedral served as both his parish church and the site of his marriage and funeral.

The interior is adorned with 18 altars, including the High Altar and the Vienna New Town (Wiener Neustadt) Altar, and features the Maria Pötsch Icon, a revered Byzantine-style depiction of Saint Mary with Jesus, credited with miraculous powers.

Saint Stephen's houses several chapels, each with unique significance. The Chapel of the Cross contains the burial of Prince Eugene of Savoy and was the site of Mozart's funeral. Saint Valentine's Chapel holds numerous relics, including Saint Valentine's bones. The cathedral also encompasses historic tombs, catacombs, and crypts, storing the remains of over 11,000 people and significant Habsburg dynasty members.

Tip:
Be sure to make a loop around the structure as there are many interesting details still visible on the outside walls.

The gilded bronze tribute to the Waltz King is easily one of the most known and most frequently photographed monuments in Vienna – including after dark when beautifully illuminated. Compared to the many traditional 19th-century-style statues at Stadtpark, this certainly is a more playful, elegant and interesting composition to view. Framed by a marble relief made by founding member of the Vienna Secession, Edmund Hellmer, it was unveiled to the public on 26 June 1921.

The statue is located right behind the opulent Kursalon concert hall where Strauss Jr. gave his first concert on 15 October 1868, turning it into a popular place for concerts and for dancing ever since. After undergoing some renovation, the Kursalon is still used for balls and waltz concerts where one can hear the composer's music.

Tip:
Scattered throughout the park are other statues of famous Viennese artists, writers, and composers: Hans Canon, E. J. Schindler, Franz Schubert, Anton Bruckner.

Two concert halls in one building, designed in the 1860s with dazzling gilding inside. The larger of the two, the Grosser Saal ("Great Hall"), has some of the best acoustics in the world – along with Berlin's Konzerthaus, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and Boston's Symphony Hall – and is the unofficial home of the great Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, which gives regular sell-out performances, while the other hall, the Brahms Saal, is used for smaller-scale chamber concerts.

The Musikverein's most prestigious event is the annual New Year's Day concert, a tradition started under the Nazis in 1939, and one which is now broadcast live around the world to an estimated 50 million viewers from 95 countries. If you are lucky to be in Vienna during the regular season (September-June), go for a real concert instead of a tourist-oriented one. While tickets for "proper" concerts may be sold out months in advance, other times they will be on sale up to the start of the performance. In any case, use the official box office on the left side of the building or the official website, as agencies are known to take a hefty commission.

The concert hall itself also has a rich musical history, as the place where Johann Strauss Jr. personally conducted the waltz "Freut Euch des Lebens" (Life Let Us Cherish – composed for the opening ball), and where Arnold Schönberg unleashed atonal music – or as Schönberg preferred to call it, "the emancipation of dissonance" – on an unsuspecting and unready Viennese public.

Why You Should Visit:
The building is intricately beautiful and the guided tour, fascinating.
The area itself is very happening so you should be checking it out.

Tip:
One must enter a computer lottery to win the chance to buy tickets for events, but it is well worth the effort.
One could also get a (cheaper) last-minute standing room ticket if one tries.

The Saint Charles Church (Karlskirche), located on the southern side of the eponymous Charles or Karl Square (Karlsplatz) in Vienna, is recognized as the city's most exceptional baroque temple. This architectural marvel was commissioned by Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor, in 1713 as a vow for divine relief from the plague, which was fulfilled. The church honors Saint Charles Borromeo, a key figure in the 16th-century Counter-Reformation known for his dedication to plague victims.

Completed in 1737, the church incorporates a blend of architectural styles. Its elongated dome and Greek temple-like façade are complemented by columns inspired by those dedicated to Emperor Trajan in Rome, reflecting Roman baroque influences from artists like Bernini and Borromini. These columns symbolize the vast power of the Habsburgs, likened to the mythological Pillars of Hercules.

The church has historical connections extending beyond its architecture. It is located near the burial site of composer Antonio Vivaldi, who died in 1741, and still hosts Vivaldi concerts, honoring his legacy. On May 28, 1878, Johann Strauss married his second wife at Saint Charles's. Unfortunately, the young lady wasn't keen on Strauss's music, so the marriage ended in divorce four years later. The church is also where actress Hedy Lamarr was married in 1933.

The church's interior is rich in symbolic artistry, intertwining the legacy of Saint Charles Borromeo with imperial themes. This is vividly expressed in the dome fresco, depicting an intercession scene. The church's use of marble and gold enhances the light within the space, emphasizing its majestic ambiance. The pulpit, crafted with detailed walnut carvings, also highlights the church’s historical significance, restored in 2006-2007 to its original splendor.

Tip:
You have to pay to get in (students get a discount), but it's well worth it, if only for the lovely interior alone.
A lift inside can take you close to the murals on the dome ceiling. From up there, you can also enjoy a spectacular view of the city from the dome window.

Splendid architecturally, well organized, and with a program of shows that hosts the most important artists in Europe year-round, Vinenna's oldest standing theater is a pleasure for tourists. You can read interviews with singers who say that they love it, too, because of its intimacy and the way its acoustics show off the voice.

Theater an der Wien was opened in 1801; a statue above the original Millöckergasse entrance (around the corner from the present main entrance) shows its founder, Emanuel Schikaneder, playing Papageno in Mozart's "The Magic Flute". The building is also closely linked to Beethoven, who lived here while working on "Fidelio" (his only opera, celebrating the triumph of marital love and female heroism over the cruelty of official tyranny), but also to Johann Strauss Jr, whose operetta "Die Fledermaus" was premiered on 5 April 1874 and has been part of the regular repertoire ever since.

The spirit of musical history probably adds to one's enjoyment, but the performances one sees here – including daring performances of 20th- and 21st-century works – are wonderful in themselves: imaginative and effective staging, fine orchestras and choruses, and exceptional singers. Tours of the foyer, auditorium, and stages (with a sneak peek into the cloakrooms and mask collection) sold at the box office cost €7 per person and are a wonderful way to get the entire history and see backstage areas.