Gretl Guides: Vienna's FREE audio tour

This brief introduction to the Gretl Guides: Taste of Vienna Tour includes the length of the route, nearby restrooms, dietary restrictions, and other logistical concerns.

This tour begins on Stephansplatz—St. Stephen’s Square—at the center of Vienna’s first district and reachable by the U1 and U3 metro lines.

Just around the corner at Grünangergasse 8, we find the historic façade of the “Kipferl House”: a perfect opportunity to identify the ancestors of some of your favorite pastries. You’ll hear the surprising histories of the pretzel, bagel, croissant, and even Austria’s favorite jelly donut, the Krapfen.

After a walk through one of Vienna’s most charming “Durchhäuser,” our next stop is the triangular Lugeck. Once you’ve had your fill of Austria’s most renowned main dishes (like Schnitzel, Goulash, and Tafelspitz), stick around for dessert!

This episode takes you past Vienna’s oldest tavern (open since 1447), where we meet a local wine-loving celebrity, encounter some nearly 500-year-old reminders of the First Turkish Siege, and ruminate on how the medieval city managed its meat supply.

Located just a few steps away, the busy Schwedenplatz junction lies at the heart of Vienna’s former largest market. Here we address some historical issues of child hunger, hear what Richard the Lionheart has to do with the construction of the Ring Wall, and learn how the humble potato became a staple of modern Austrian cuisine.

In this episode we visit Vienna’s oldest standing church, which also happens to be it’s only one dedicated to the patron saint of salt. After discussing Vienna’s relationship with this important commodity, we turn to the dark history of Morzinplatz (as the Vienna headquarters of the Gestapo) before popping into the church itself to marvel at some curious human remains.

At Vienna’s oldest bakery—in business since 1536—we get a chance to pick up some pastries! Along with a few recommendations, I guide you through how to order in German.

Who’s thirsty? Just around the corner, at the city’s oldest continually-operating beer joint, you’ll have a chance to sample some classic Austrian brews while I talk you through a history of beer and beer-making.

Vienna’s two Turkish Sieges left some major culinary marks on the Austrian capital. Here at Am Hof, we explore the two most celebrated legacies of these flashpoints with the Ottomans, examining both the legend and historical facts surrounding Kipferl and Kaffee.