Dark Vienna

We’ll take a night-time stroll through a mysterious city shrouded in shadow. As life quiets down and the streets empty, squares and corners reveal a silent, almost mystical soul.

We’ll encounter centuries-old, unusual, dark events hidden behind walls: peculiar cemeteries, strange burials, odd deaths, and ghosts, witches and vampires … A notorious Blood Countess who, out of vanity, bathed in the blood of young women? Historically documented or not, she was undoubtedly involved in sinister deaths, and the Viennese, of course, immediately loved this story, because horror sells. Just to be safe, though, they walled her up inside her castle.

Joseph Haydn, whose skull was actually stolen after his death. Unfortunately, the wrong skull was returned. The real one (?) didn’t arrive until 130 years later, but then with great fanfare. Some say Haydn laughed about it, others say he shook his head.

Sometime during the night, we’ll stop at a sausage stand – a meeting place since imperial times and probably the only place in Vienna where everyone is truly equal. Its flair and charm have earned it UNESCO World Heritage status. Here, we can enjoy an “Eitrige” (a cheese-filled sausage) while watching the city lights shimmer above us and seeing Vienna reveal its nocturnal face.