Jewish Vienna Tour

Discover the fascinating history of Vienna's Jewish community, guided by a local expert

(4.8)

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From $514 privately

Tour Details

About the Tour

Category: History, Jewish Heritage
Duration: 3 hours
Location: Vienna

Photos & Highlights

In-depth look at Jewish heritage in Vienna from the 20th-century complete with samples from a local kosher bakery
Led by a local historian
Leopoldstadt Temple (Memorial), Holocaust Memorial, and City Temple (exterior)

Tour Description

On this Jewish Vienna walking tour, we'll peel back the layers of history that lay thick over the city's first district, the Inner City, and second district, Leopoldstadt. We’ll walk a constellation of both famous and hidden spots, including the City Temple, Holocaust Memorial, the former site of the Leopoldstädter Temple, and neighborhoods of notable Jewish residents like Theodor Herzl. Together, we'll discover how the streets themselves have been the hosts to many different eras of Jewish history.

Jewish Vienna Walking Tour

Jews in Vienna were integrated in the city and at times forced apart from it; here they flourished and suffered. For centuries, Vienna’s Jews have been among the influential actors in the dramatic narrative of the city, firmly at the forefront of art, science, and music in Vienna. (For more focus on the music of Vienna, join our Vienna Opera Tour.) On this walk, we’ll dig into tough topics of anti-semitism, class division, and expulsion. But we’ll also sneak a bite at a Jewish kosher bakery and let ourselves be captivated by stories of human resilience. First and foremost, the walk focuses on Jewish life and the contribution of the Jewish community of Vienna, both then and now. Austrian psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl wrote extensively of the “striving to find meaning in one's life”—with the layers of the past still so tangible, we’ll use our time together to consider what this sentiment means for Vienna and its Jews today.

Visit the Vienna Holocaust Memorial

We’ll begin deep in Vienna’s first district in front of the City Temple, the only remaining 19th-century synagogue. Here we’ll set the stage for the themes of our walk: the deep relationship of Vienna to its Jewish community, the story of their tragic losses, and their meaningful return.

Thereafter, we’ll make our way to the stark Holocaust Memorial at Judenplatz, initiated by Simon Wiesenthal. Like many other European countries, Austria still bears the recent scars of war and genocide—however, we can gain a deeper understanding of the country by experiencing how they memorialize those events in public spaces today.

Following the Way of Memory

Our exploration continues on the other side of the Danube canal, in the second district at the memorial site of the destroyed Leopoldstädter Temple, now marked by four white columns rising into the sky. From here, we’ll wind through the second district, taking in the beautiful Jugendstil architecture of the Jewish Theater, the sites of the destroyed synagogues of both the Ashkenazi and Sephardic communities, and the gathering point for Nazi deportations.

For more Jugendstil architecture, see our Vienna Architecture Tour.

We’ll also stop frequently to hear stories of some of the members of the Jewish community who once walked these same streets and whose names are known around the world today: Sigmund Freud, Viktor Frankl, Theodor Herzl, and others. As we circle towards the river again, we’ll look back at the first district and Vienna’s Inner City, tantalizingly close across the Danube canal. Here, we’ll experience firsthand the geographical division that has always underscored both the integration and separation of Jews in Vienna.

FAQ

Does this walk include the interior of the City Temple (Stadttempel, the main synagogue)?
The synagogue does not allow external visitors except on their own guided tours, which happen at restricted times, so we cannot currently offer this option.

Will this tour go inside any of the venues?
This is an entirely outdoor door with the exception of a stop for a pastry at a kosher bakery.

Do we visit the Jewish Museum on this tour?
The Jewish Museum is not part of our standard Jewish Vienna tour. Visitors should contact the synagogue independently to sign up for an interior visit.

Where You'll Start

Tour Experts

Marieta

Bulgarian by birth, Marieta has lived in Vienna since childhood. She has a degree in Informatics and is a licensed guide for Vienna and all of Austria. After having worked in the IT business for over 20 years, she decided to dedicate herself to leading tours, and in particular to the transfer of knowledge about history, art, culture and the way of life to the visitors of Austria, mainly Vienna. Her area of specialty is Music in Vienna, Jewish Vienna, Vienna around 1900, and wine culture. Marieta focuses very much on continuous education on her specialties and actively deepens her knowledge by conducting independent research, attending lectures at various institutions like the Institute for Jewish history, exhibitions and museums in Vienna and abroad.

Peter

Peter was born in Vienna and grew up in the 3rd District, at that time British occupation zone after WW II. His school years were spent in Krems, the gateway to the Wachau Valley, and he graduated at the local Piaristengymnasium before studying law at the University of Vienna. Immediately after University, Peter started his own business as an art and antique dealer and gallery owner. The gallery was located in Krems and specialized in applied arts (in particular for Austrian silver and porcelain from the 17th - 19th centuries) and Austrian paintings from the 19th and 20th centuries. He participated for many years as an exhibitor in the prestigious Austrian Art Fairs in Vienna and Salzburg. 25 years in the arts and cultural sector have been followed by years as an entrepreneur in Vienna in the field of financial consulting and communication training. Now he is back to his old love - the world of art and culture, and is very pleased to be able to inspire all of his guests and friends with his passion for the finer things in life.

Jan

Jan is a true European cosmopolitan: born in 1988 to a polish family in Oslo, Norway, then educated in a French Lycée, and graduated from an English IB, he never truly belonged to one place. With an unending curiosity for cultures and history, Jan was inspired to study Art History at the University of Oslo. After graduating, Jan set out to explore Europe and experience all the fantastic art and architecture he had spent years studying. The best way to do this in a sustainable way was to become a guide. Between 2011 and 2016, Jan travelled and worked in almost all major tourist destinations in Europe, and America. In 2017, he moved permanently to Vienna and made the city his new home. Here he became an official state-licensed guide and has since then welcomed and shared Vienna’s great stories with thousands of people.

44 Reviews – (4.8)

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Stephan was incredibly knowledgable. We loved the little hidden corners that he pointed out. Perhaps a coffee stop would be good!

Lynndy

Dec. 21, 2019

Stephan was a great tour guide: knowledgeable, friendly and open to our questions and interests. Actually, there wasn’t a question that we asked where he responded that he didn’t know the answer. Once again we were the only two people on the tour, so Stephan could proceed at our pace and take more time to delve into questions we asked or conversations that transpired after comments he made. A very interesting tour. Thank you.

Elizabeth

Dec. 19, 2019

Everything was great

Stacy

Dec. 8, 2019

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