The Home of Classical Music: A Tour of Vienna with Context

(24 reviews)

Vienna audio tour: The Home of Classical Music: A Tour of Vienna with Context

This is a 1mi walking tour

It takes an average of 60 mins to complete.

Vienna

Austria

$19.99

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About the Tour

Embark on a captivating journey through Vienna‘s rich musical history guided by Context Travel expert, Gilles Gubelmann. On this walking tour, he‘ll be your maestro, connecting tales of musical prodigies with the history of the city.

The tour begins in front of the Vienna State Opera, a place where history reverberates through every note. As you explore Vienna‘s charming Old Town (Innere Stadt), your trusted guide Gilles will be your portal to the past, revealing the captivating lives and backgrounds of early musical geniuses who once called this city home. He‘ll point out the buildings they performed in, including the Stadtpalais Todesco, Palais Lobkowitz, and Café Frauenhuber, where both Beethoven and Mozart performed. As this journey through Vienna‘s musical history reaches its crescendo at the iconic St. Stephen‘s Cathedral, you‘ll have gained a profound appreciation for the city‘s soul, etched in the melodies of its past.

On this Vienna walking tour, you‘ll have a chance to:

Deepen your understanding of musical history, exploring the legendary opera houses, renowned conductors, celebrated directors, and prolific composers who have graced Vienna
Listen to timeless symphonies by Austrian and Viennese composers as you stroll through the heart of the city
See where internationally renowned composers and conductors, from Mahler to Schönberg, lived, worked, and performed
Discover the remarkable stories of Jewish musical geniuses who faced adversity and ultimately triumphed, leaving an indelible mark on Vienna‘s cultural heritage
Stroll through Neuer Markt and see where Mozart used to organize concerts
Take in Hotel Sacher Wien, built on the site of the hospice where Vivaldi died
Hear Mozart‘s “Figaro“ and see the apartment where he composed the tune, now Wien Museum’s Mozarthaus
Walk along Helmut Zilk Square and see the Monument Against War and Fascism

Join Gilles on this music-filled stroll through Vienna‘s Old Town. By the end of the tour, you‘ll feel the city‘s musical history resonate through its streets.

Tour Producer

Context Travel

92 tours

Context was founded in Rome in 2003 by Paul Bennett and Lani Bevacqua an expat couple eager to curate experiences for travelers, not tourists. Since then Context has taken over 200,000 people to 60+ destinations around the world – accompanied by thousands of leading experts. What started as a dream to create cross-cultural connections is now a worldwide network and community of thoughtful, engaged travelers and experts.

Join a live private or small group tour in destinations around the world at contexttravel.com.

Preview Location

Location 14

Deutschordenhaus, the Teutonic Order Monastery

Stop here in the courtyard please.

This building which goes back to the Middle Ages and was baroqueized during the Counterreformation. It belongs to the Teutonic knights order with both secular and religious friars and whose Grand Master is Dr. Karl Habsburg-Lorraine, a gr... Stop here in the courtyard please.

This building which goes back to the Middle Ages and was baroqueized during the Counterreformation. It belongs to the Teutonic knights order with both secular and religious friars and whose Grand Master is Dr. Karl Habsburg-Lorraine, a grandson of the last emperor.

Here, in 1781, Mozart spent 6 weeks as a guest of the monastery. He had been invited by the archbishop of Salzburg, Colloredo, to come to Vienna with the idea that it would be more favorable for his career.

Mozart’s goal was to compose and not to be forever a now grown-up prodigy child exhibited in front of Colloredo’s guests. So one day, he went to the secretary of the archbishop and said that he was very grateful for all the archbishop was doing for him and asking if he might have some more free time to dedicate himself to composition. As musicians then, even being Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, were still working for patrons and therefore considered employees. In consequence, he was literally kicked out of the monastery.

From that moment on, he became a freelance composer and musician and had to organise himself. This was in 1781, Mozart was 25 years old and this event marked an important change in the social status of musicians and composers.

Accessing the charming courtyard of the monastery, you find on your right side the windows of a so-called sala terrena, a type of room which was used during the hot summer days. It's decorated with frescoes and Mozart played a few times here. He described the room in a letter to his father. So this monastery is one of the rare still-existing original locations where Mozart stayed and worked.

Let's continue while enjoying Mozart's Piano Sonata No 16 C major K 545. With the arch you entered through behind you, pass through the vaulted passage on your right to arrive in a second courtyard.

Once inside this second courtyard, turn to your right and you'll find the exit which takes you back onto Singerstrasse. Read More

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Major Landmarks

Monument Against War and Fascism
Helmut-Zilk-Platz
Palais Lobkowitz
Neuer Markt
Donnerbrunnen
Ambassador Restaurant - Café - Bar
Café Frauenhuber
Mozart death house
Schottenstift
Teutonic Order Monastery
Deutschordenskirche
Blutgassenviertel (Blood Alley Quarter)
Wien Museum Mozart apartment
Stephansplatz
St. Stephen's Cathedral
Vienna State Opera
Palais Todesco
Hotel Sacher Wien

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Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
Opernring 2, 1010 Wien, Austria
Total distance

2km
Final location
Schulerstraße 8, 1010 Wien, Austria
Distance back to start location

757.59m

Directions to Starting Point

The tour begins at the Vienna Operahouse (2 Opernring, Vienna). The nearest subway station, or U-Bahn, is Karlsplatz and the nearest tram station is Opernring. Visitors can use the U1 or U4 subway lines or the 62, 71, BB or D tram lines. The 48A, 59A, 5B, N38 and VAL 2 buses will also take you to the starting point of the tour.

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

This walking tour will pass by the Vienna Operahouse, Palais Todesco, Albertinaplatz, Helmut Zilk Square, Neuer Markt the Teutonic Order Monastery, and St. Stephan’s Cathedral. Travelers can choose to enter the Vienna Operahouse or St. Stephen’s Catehdral. There will also be time to explore the Neuer Markt and enjoy a coffee at the famous Café Frauenhuber along the route.

Best time of day

Travelers can take this tour at any time of the day and during any season.

Precautions

Please bring a pair of headphones and a water bottle.

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“Great app. walk around at your own pace, stop where you want, move on or speed up when you want. Read the script before you go or during the commentary, speed it up or replay it. Repeat the tour whenever you like.”