Graben Street, Vienna
The Graben鈥擵ienna鈥檚 glitzy catwalk of history, high fashion, and a bit of medieval ditch drama. Yes, believe it or not, this elegant boulevard began life as鈥� a trench. That鈥檚 right鈥斺�淕raben鈥� means 鈥渄itch鈥� in German, and it once ran right in front of the city walls back when this area was still the Roman outpost of Vindobona.
Fast forward to the 12th century: the ditch gets filled in鈥攖hanks in part to a juicy ransom paid for none other than Richard the Lionheart鈥攁nd suddenly, Vienna鈥檚 growing faster than a Baroque wig in a windstorm. The Babenberg Dukes extended the city, and voil脿鈥攖he Graben became a proper street. Still called "the Ditch," though. Old names die hard...
Look closely and you鈥檒l notice the split personality of this street. On the north side, it's a bit of a chaotic maze. On the south, neat side streets fanning out like clockwork鈥攑roof of some seriously medieval city planning chops. Over time, the Graben morphed into Vienna鈥檚 main artery, pumping life, gossip, and powdered wigs through the city鈥檚 heart.
By the Baroque era, the Graben was the place to see and be seen. Think of it as 18th-century Instagram, but with actual human interaction. Nobles strolled, markets bustled, and the elite shopped, dined, and judged your fashion choices in real time. Come the 19th century, luxury shops arrived, and by the mid-20th, it became the pedestrian haven we know today鈥攄itch-free and proudly strut-worthy.
Start your walk at Stock-im-Eisen-Platz, end at Tuchlauben, and enjoy a lineup of architectural heavyweights along the way. There鈥檚 the Ankerhaus, once home to architect Otto Wagner, and Bartolotti-Partenfeld Palace, the summer hangout of one very well-to-do Baron family.
Music lovers鈥攄on鈥檛 miss the Generalihof, once headquarters of the Musikalisches Magazin, which first published some of Mozart鈥檚 work back in 1784. And keep going till you reach the Grabenhof, built in 1876, now radiating all the grandeur of a Viennese power pose.
And before you go: tip your metaphorical hat to the Plague Column, that theatrical swirl of angels and anguish, erected by Emperor Leopold I after the Great Plague of 1679. A monument to survival, faith, and the baroque love of a dramatic statue.
Happy strolling鈥攎ind the history underfoot...
Fast forward to the 12th century: the ditch gets filled in鈥攖hanks in part to a juicy ransom paid for none other than Richard the Lionheart鈥攁nd suddenly, Vienna鈥檚 growing faster than a Baroque wig in a windstorm. The Babenberg Dukes extended the city, and voil脿鈥攖he Graben became a proper street. Still called "the Ditch," though. Old names die hard...
Look closely and you鈥檒l notice the split personality of this street. On the north side, it's a bit of a chaotic maze. On the south, neat side streets fanning out like clockwork鈥攑roof of some seriously medieval city planning chops. Over time, the Graben morphed into Vienna鈥檚 main artery, pumping life, gossip, and powdered wigs through the city鈥檚 heart.
By the Baroque era, the Graben was the place to see and be seen. Think of it as 18th-century Instagram, but with actual human interaction. Nobles strolled, markets bustled, and the elite shopped, dined, and judged your fashion choices in real time. Come the 19th century, luxury shops arrived, and by the mid-20th, it became the pedestrian haven we know today鈥攄itch-free and proudly strut-worthy.
Start your walk at Stock-im-Eisen-Platz, end at Tuchlauben, and enjoy a lineup of architectural heavyweights along the way. There鈥檚 the Ankerhaus, once home to architect Otto Wagner, and Bartolotti-Partenfeld Palace, the summer hangout of one very well-to-do Baron family.
Music lovers鈥攄on鈥檛 miss the Generalihof, once headquarters of the Musikalisches Magazin, which first published some of Mozart鈥檚 work back in 1784. And keep going till you reach the Grabenhof, built in 1876, now radiating all the grandeur of a Viennese power pose.
And before you go: tip your metaphorical hat to the Plague Column, that theatrical swirl of angels and anguish, erected by Emperor Leopold I after the Great Plague of 1679. A monument to survival, faith, and the baroque love of a dramatic statue.
Happy strolling鈥攎ind the history underfoot...
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Graben Street on Map
Sight Name: Graben Street
Sight Location: Vienna, Austria (See walking tours in Vienna)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Vienna, Austria (See walking tours in Vienna)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
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's Art Nouveau Architecture Tour II
If there are cities that flirt, Vienna is definitely the one. Here, even the buildings know how to do it.
Around the turn of the 20th century, the Austrian capital caught the Art Nouveau fever and decided that straight lines, drab walls, and historical imitation simply wouldn鈥檛 do anymore. Instead, it took to ornamental swirls, flowing curves, floral flourishes, and enough decorative detail... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.0 Km or 1.2 Miles
Around the turn of the 20th century, the Austrian capital caught the Art Nouveau fever and decided that straight lines, drab walls, and historical imitation simply wouldn鈥檛 do anymore. Instead, it took to ornamental swirls, flowing curves, floral flourishes, and enough decorative detail... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.0 Km or 1.2 Miles
Johann Strauss Walking Tour
Throughout the entire 19th century, Vienna was a hub of cultural and musical activity, particularly in the realm of classical music, to which Johann Strauss and his father, Johann Strauss Sr., contributed greatly.
Strauss, the son had a personal connection with Vienna deeply rooted in its cultural fabric. Not only was he born here and spent most of his life, but also he achieved tremendous... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.1 Km or 2.5 Miles
Strauss, the son had a personal connection with Vienna deeply rooted in its cultural fabric. Not only was he born here and spent most of his life, but also he achieved tremendous... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.1 Km or 2.5 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
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 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
Mozart Walking Tour
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart spent a significant portion of his life in Vienna. Here, he achieved recognition, and the city holds enormous historical and cultural significance for his legacy. Mozart first visited Vienna as a child prodigy in 1762, and in 1781 came here to stay.
The city met the composer with a vibrant and cosmopolitan atmosphere brought about by some of the top musicians and artists... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.0 Km or 1.2 Miles
The city met the composer with a vibrant and cosmopolitan atmosphere brought about by some of the top musicians and artists... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.0 Km or 1.2 Miles
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