Demel, Vienna
Step into the sugar-dusted time machine that is Demel, Vienna鈥檚 most regal sweet spot since 1786. Not just any pastry shop, mind you鈥攖his is the former Purveyor to the Imperial and Royal Court, which basically means it had the emperor鈥檚 official blessing to give everyone a sugar high.
Decked out in full Neo-baroque glamour, Demel serves tradition with a flourish. The waitresses, known as Demelinerinnen, don鈥檛 just take your order鈥攖hey address you in the third person, because in here, you are royalty too. 鈥淲ould the gracious guest prefer their strudel warm?鈥� Why yes, they would...
It all began at Saint Michael鈥檚 Square, thanks to Ludwig Dehne, a confectioner from W眉rttemberg, Germany, with a sweet tooth and ambition. In 1857, the shop passed into the hands of Christoph Demel, one of Dehne鈥檚 employees, whose sons鈥擩oseph and Karl鈥攍ater moved the whole sugary operation to Kohlmarkt after the old Burgtheater was torn down. Turns out, even pastries need a fresh start sometimes...
Demel hit its golden era during the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, becoming a magnet for the upper crust. Empress Elisabeth (known as Sisi), Princess Pauline von Metternich, and actress Katharina Schratt all indulged in its delights鈥攑roof that even the elite couldn鈥檛 resist a good slice of cake.
Speaking of cake: cue the great Torte Wars of the 20th century. Demel and the Hotel Sacher engaged in a legal battle over the rights to the "Original Sacher Torte." After years of courtroom drama, a peace treaty was signed in 1963鈥擠emel could keep baking its version, marked with a sleek triangular seal. Chocolate diplomacy at its finest.
Today, Demel is more than just cake and charm. It hosts a delightful museum showcasing its imperial connections and the fine craft of chocolate-making. So, whether you're here for history, sugar, or a touch of old-world theatrics, one thing is certain: no one leaves Demel unimpressed鈥攐r hungry.
Decked out in full Neo-baroque glamour, Demel serves tradition with a flourish. The waitresses, known as Demelinerinnen, don鈥檛 just take your order鈥攖hey address you in the third person, because in here, you are royalty too. 鈥淲ould the gracious guest prefer their strudel warm?鈥� Why yes, they would...
It all began at Saint Michael鈥檚 Square, thanks to Ludwig Dehne, a confectioner from W眉rttemberg, Germany, with a sweet tooth and ambition. In 1857, the shop passed into the hands of Christoph Demel, one of Dehne鈥檚 employees, whose sons鈥擩oseph and Karl鈥攍ater moved the whole sugary operation to Kohlmarkt after the old Burgtheater was torn down. Turns out, even pastries need a fresh start sometimes...
Demel hit its golden era during the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, becoming a magnet for the upper crust. Empress Elisabeth (known as Sisi), Princess Pauline von Metternich, and actress Katharina Schratt all indulged in its delights鈥攑roof that even the elite couldn鈥檛 resist a good slice of cake.
Speaking of cake: cue the great Torte Wars of the 20th century. Demel and the Hotel Sacher engaged in a legal battle over the rights to the "Original Sacher Torte." After years of courtroom drama, a peace treaty was signed in 1963鈥擠emel could keep baking its version, marked with a sleek triangular seal. Chocolate diplomacy at its finest.
Today, Demel is more than just cake and charm. It hosts a delightful museum showcasing its imperial connections and the fine craft of chocolate-making. So, whether you're here for history, sugar, or a touch of old-world theatrics, one thing is certain: no one leaves Demel unimpressed鈥攐r hungry.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Vienna. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "911爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
Download The 911爆料网 App
Demel on Map
Sight Name: Demel
Sight Location: Vienna, Austria (See walking tours in Vienna)
Sight Type: Shopping
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Vienna, Austria (See walking tours in Vienna)
Sight Type: Shopping
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Vienna, Austria
Create Your Own Walk in Vienna
Creating your own self-guided walk in Vienna is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Vienna Introduction Walking Tour
A city of green parks, opulent architecture, elegant shopping, crowded theaters, and boulevards for leisurely sauntering 鈥� Vienna, the capital of Austria, embodies a blend of regal tradition and contemporary vibrancy. The origin of the city's name is rooted in Roman times, stemming from the Celtic word Vedunia, meaning 鈥渇orest stream鈥�, which later evolved into Vindobona, a Roman... view more
Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.6 Km or 2.9 Miles
Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.6 Km or 2.9 Miles
Vienna's Art Nouveau Architecture Tour I
Vienna鈥檚 flirtation with Art Nouveau鈥攌nown locally as Jugendstil鈥攗nfolded in the late 19th, early 20th centuries. The so-called Vienna Secession movement, which emerged in 1897, was led by a group of rebellious artists and architects like Otto Wagner, Gustav Klimt, and Koloman Moser, who turned their backs on historicism in favor of bold, modern aesthetics. As the new language for buildings,... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.4 Km or 2.1 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.4 Km or 2.1 Miles
Vienna's Historical Music Venues
Austria is synonymous with classical music almost to the point of obsession, and to call Vienna the "Musical Capital of the World" would be hardly an exaggeration. Indeed, over the past centuries, the city served as the home and workplace for many great musicians like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Johann Strauss, Joseph Haydn, Franz Schubert, and others.
Among the... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles
Among the... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles
Klimt Paintings Tour
"I have the gift of neither the spoken nor the written word, especially if I have to say something about myself or my work. Whoever wants to know something about me - as an artist, the only notable thing - ought to look carefully at my pictures" 鈥� Gustav Klimt.
Klimt's name is indelibly linked to Vienna. The renowned symbolist painter was a prominent figure in the city. As a... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.7 Km or 2.3 Miles
Klimt's name is indelibly linked to Vienna. The renowned symbolist painter was a prominent figure in the city. As a... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.7 Km or 2.3 Miles
Old Town Chocolate Stores
Vienna is famous for its love for sweet indulgence. And when it comes to chocolate, it stands tall among other locally-made mouth-watering confections.
Vienna's chocolate scene is deeply rooted in a rich culinary tradition. It has been sustained by several historic chocolate houses, located in the Old Town, that have been serving decadent treats for generations.
Landmark... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.2 Km or 0.7 Miles
Vienna's chocolate scene is deeply rooted in a rich culinary tradition. It has been sustained by several historic chocolate houses, located in the Old Town, that have been serving decadent treats for generations.
Landmark... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.2 Km or 0.7 Miles
Famous Homes of Vienna
Throughout centuries, the Austrian capital has been home to numerous famous individuals, from creative people of arts to thinkers, scientists, and politicians. Vienna's illustrious history is closely intertwined with the abodes of its celebrated residents, where artistic virtuosos and luminaries of their time found solace and inspiration.
The often modest apartments of Vienna's famous... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.9 Km or 2.4 Miles
The often modest apartments of Vienna's famous... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.9 Km or 2.4 Miles
Useful Travel Guides for Planning Your Trip
Top 15 Austrian Things to Buy in Vienna
Vienna stool, Viennese schnitzel, Viennese waltz, Vienna sausage, Viennese apple strudel... There's so much Vienna to it, that you might think you've heard it all. Luckily, chances are that you haven't and there's much more in store left to be discovered about this fascinating...
7 Ultimately Austrian Foods to Taste in Vienna
Once the center of the vast Hapsburg Empire, stretched from France in the West to Russia in the East, Austria has embraced many ethnic influences in its cuisine over the course of centuries. Many of the country's distinctive dishes reflect its multinational heritage. Coffee culture, for...