Private tour of historical Vienna with Jan
Description
This private tour gives you an insight into the history of Vienna and Austria through a leisurely stroll in the city’s old town. The stories and topics are many, and all equally fascinating: Learn about one of the greatest dynasties in the world, the Habsburgs. Witness how their influence shaped Vienna and understand why the city is a baroque centrepiece in History. Uncover some of their biggest stories and the Grande Finale as their Empire came to a disastrous end a bit more than 100 years ago. It was a Golden age for Vienna, but also a schizophrenic one; modern, progressive, but also antisemitic and nationalistic. Surrounded by stunning art and architecture, and with these stories and more to guide you, I bring life to these ancient monuments and make this an immersive and unforgettable experience.
Tour Options
Itinerary
This tour explores the history of Vienna and Austria through the many cultural and historic monuments and buildings in Vienna's old town. You will also get acquainted with the eating and shopping opportunities as well as an insight as to what exactly make Vienna the most livable city in the world. Listed bellow are some of the highlights included in the tour.
The Hofburg is the former grand palace of the rulers of Austria. It is a patchwork of different wings and palace buildings from different periods by different rulers. We explore the palace's outer courtyards and tell story of the Habsburg dynasty, which is an essential part of the Austrian heritage.
The Hero's square is one of the best places to capture the grandeur of Viennese historic architecture. Great stories about the heros of the Austrian Empire will immerse you in the past and the mighty National Library palace will impress you with its size.
Flanked by the two impressive twin museums, Natural and Art History, stands a memorial to one of the most important Habsburg rulers: Maria Theresia. Under her rule Austria began its long enlightened modernization process which ultimately led the centralized state and the rise of a new middle class,: the bureaucrats. Her tale is one of overcoming challenges and successfully strengthening the Habsburg rule in Europe.
A break is in order to enjoy some of the immateriell sides of the Austrian culture like cakes and coffee. Sluka is a traditional Viennese coffee house with a beautiful end-of-the century Art Nouveau interior.
The spiritual and geographical heart of Vienna is the great St. Stephen's Cathedral. It's construction spans many decades and different styles. The story of its post war reconstruction is one of a positive and co operational spirit and reflects a people torn by war, but eager to come together for a successful future for both people and nation.
This is one of the finest but least visited baroque church in Vienna. There is no better place to immerse oneself with the incredibly flamboyant Austrian baroque.
Hugging the southern part of the great Ringstrasse boulevard of Vienna lies an elegant park dedicated to the many painters, musicians and politicians of Vienna's golden age. We escape the narrow streets of the old town to get a respite in this fresh and lush green space.
These are the high end shopping streets of Vienna's old town. Dominated by famous luxurious brands and coffee houses these streets offer shopping like no other place in Vienna. Graben street is particularly interesting due to the impressive baroque plague column that commemorates the surviving of a devastating plague that raged across the country at the end of the 17th century.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(44)
Jan was absolutely phenomenal—kind, knowledgeable, and genuinely personable. He guided us through an incredible selection of traditional foods while teaching us about Vienna’s rich history and seamlessly blending in with our group like an old friend. Truly one of the best travel experiences we’ve ever had—we couldn’t recommend it more highly!
We spent a fantastic afternoon with Jan exploring Vienna. From start to finish the experience was relaxed, friendly and very professional. Jan is extremely knowledgable and give us a real insight to the history of Vienna. As well as this he also gave practical advise regarding restaurants, cafes and general shopping. He did not constantly bombard us with facts so we were never overwhelmed. He welcomed questions and always knew the answer. If you want a personalised, professional tour that goes at your pace then you have finished your search!
Excellent city tour with many spots away from the crowded tourists area. Jan asked at the beginning of the tour what sites we had already visited and made certain we did not have any repeats during the tour. His knowledge and insight of Vienna was apparent and presented in a super enthusiastic manner which made tour even more interesting. I highly recommend Jan and will certainly use his services again when we visit Vienna.
Our guide was very knowledgeable and engaging. Jan was able to answer any questions and the tour was well paced -‘even stopping at a cafe for a lovely break. I would recommend him without any reservations.
Fantastic experience! Jan’s story telling weaved history and landmarks into today’s reality. Highly recommended. Just a wonderful experience!
Jan was the best guide we have ever had. He is knowledgable, professional, brilliant, and also easy to understand and kind. The day spent with Jan was the most amazing, wonderful day of our two week trip. We asked for specific places and were so pleased with everything, THANK YOU, Jan.
Our chorus tour group used Jan for two days: a bus tour and a walking tour. Definitely the best guide we had in four European cities. Highly recommend.
Jan was a knowledgeable and friendly fellow! Lots of very interesting history and stories of Vienna's history. Lovely walking tour throughout the Old Town and museum district. Five star experience!
Jan is an excellent guide. He is a storyteller so imparts a lot of information in a very accessible way. This is a very good way to learn about Vienna and see some highlights. Definitely recommend.
We scheduled with Jan for a few hours after a long travel day to Vienna. He was very knowledgeable but kept the tour light even when touching on some dark history. Jan helped us find the subway and get passes for the week, took us to a bakery because one of my kids was hungry and at the end of the tour got us a seat in a great café! All 4 of us agreed that it was a perfect first experience in the city.
