St. Stephen's Cathedral & the Inner City

Beginning at St. Stephen's Cathedral, which dates to 1137, this walk traverses Vienna's inner city. The route passes the 1679 Pestsäule plague memorial, Demel confectionery, the Hofburg Courtyard, and the Vienna State Opera.

This is a self-guided walk, not a guided tour with a leader: no booking, no fixed start time. See the walking route and the walking map before you go, then follow the numbers — the audio guide plays by itself as you reach each stop. Free, with no app to install and no sign-up.

At ~45 min it fits a half day of independent travel, and joining it to another walk in Vienna makes a full-day itinerary.

Visiting St. Stephen's Cathedral & the Inner City — hours, tickets and getting there

Opening hours Cathedral open daily; sightseeing pauses during Mass
Admission Nave entry free · the towers, catacombs and treasury are ticketed
Getting there Stephansplatz (U1·U3) — you surface beside the cathedral
South tower is 343 steps on foot; the north tower has a lift

Checked 2026-08. Always confirm on the official site before you go.

More walking tours in Vienna

Imperial Vienna: Hofburg & Ringstrasse — 9 stops, ~110 min
MuseumsQuartier & Spittelberg — 8 stops, ~70 min
Prater & Danube Canal — 8 stops, ~90 min
Schönbrunn Palace & Gardens: Habsburg Summer — 4 stops, ~35 min

All Vienna walking tours · All Austria walking tours · All 149 routes

Vienna, Austria · ~45 min · 1.6 km · 8 stops

Stops on this walk

1. St. Stephen's Cathedral Stephansdom

Vienna's Gothic masterpiece with shimmering mosaic roof

Construction began in 1137, surviving two Turkish sieges and World War II bombing.

2. Pestsäule (Plague Column)

Baroque memorial from the devastating plague of 1679

Emperor Leopold I commissioned this monument in gratitude for the end of the plague.

3. Demel

Legendary confectionery since 1786

Once the official supplier to the Habsburg court, famous for Sachertorte rivalry.

4. Michaelerplatz

Roman ruins meet Hofburg entrance

Excavations in 1990 revealed Roman military camp ruins from Vindobona.

5. In der Burg (Hofburg Courtyard)

Historic inner courtyard of the Hofburg

For over six centuries, this courtyard was the center of Habsburg power.

6. Josefsplatz & Austrian National Library Josefsplatz

Breathtaking Baroque State Hall with 200,000 historic volumes

The Prunksaal was built between 1723 and 1726 under Emperor Charles VI.

7. Albertina Museum

World's greatest print room with Dürer's 'Young Hare'

Founded by Duke Albert of Saxe-Teschen in 1776, housing 65,000 drawings.

8. Vienna State Opera Wiener Staatsoper

World's premier opera house with 350+ performances annually

Opened in 1869 as the first major building on the Ringstraße.