Mozart Walking Tour (Self Guided), Vienna

Out of total 11 of Mozart's abodes in Vienna, Mozarthaus at Domgasse 5 is the only one that still exists – restored in 2006 to commemorate his 250th anniversary – and is where the composer reportedly spent his happiest years. Perhaps this explains the significant number of compositions Mozart created while here, including the exquisite Haydn-dedicated quartets, a handful of piano concertos and "The Marriage of Figaro" and "Don Giovanni" operas. From this point on it was all downhill for Mozart, who then moved to the suburbs due to financial difficulties.

Unlike some other famous house-museums in Vienna, this one has none of the original furnishings to see; instead, it focuses on the composer's genius and allows visitors to imagine how the spacious, elegant apartment might have looked. Concerts are regularly staged here, along with some activities for children.

It might be a good idea to take the lift to the 3rd floor and start your way from there downward, exploring Mozart's life as a child prodigy touring all across 18th-century Europe until finally moving from Salzburg to Vienna. His vices – namely: womanizing, gambling and ability to waste excessive amounts of money – lend a spicy edge. The 2nd floor deals with different versions of his operatic works (some played in sync), while the 1st floor focuses on the years that Mozart lived at this exact address.

Why You Should Visit:
To explore the life and work of the musical genius in a unique setting in the heart of Vienna. Nowhere else did Mozart compose more music. Visitors can see not only the historical apartment but also an extensive presentation of major works by Mozart and of the times in which he lived.

Tip:
Save on the entrance fee by combining your ticket with either Haus der Musik or Dom Museum Wien.

With its intricately patterned tiled roof, the imposing Gothic cathedral of Saint Stephen's (Stephansdom) is a prime landmark inside Vienna's old city center, having stood watch over the place for nearly 700 years. Its distinctive south tower rises to an impressive 445 feet and previously has served as the main observation and command post for the city's walled defense, for which purpose it even contained an apartment for watchmen who, until 1955, manned the tower at night and rang the bells if a fire was spotted. There was to be a twin north tower, but for several reasons, it ended up being just half the size and of a different design.

The views from the Watch Room, at the top, are surely worth climbing the 343 steps, otherwise you can take a lift up to a viewing platform on the shorter tower, home to the massive Pummerin ("Boomer") Bell – the largest in Austria, originally cast from melted-down cannons abandoned by the Turks while fleeing Vienna in 1683.

High points of the interior are the gorgeous vaulting of the Albertine Chapel, the stone pulpit (a masterwork of late Gothic sculpture), canopies or baldachins over many of the side altars, and a most spectacular Renaissance work – Friedrich III's tomb. You also won't want to miss the 14th century catacombs and the treasury where some of the cathedral's most valuable objects are displayed. Some of them can only be seen on a guided tour, such as a red marble sepulcher sculpted in 1467-1513, the 16th-century pulpit, a Gothic winged altar from the 1440s, and the tomb of Prince Eugene of Savoy dated 1754.

Visit Saint Stephen's Cathedral and you'll be standing in the same church in which Joseph Haydn once sang as a choir boy until his voice broke, and where Johann Strauss married both of his wives, Henrietta Treffz and Angelika Dittrich. A memorial tablet gives a detailed account of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's relationship with the cathedral, including that of him being appointed an adjunct music director here shortly before his death. This was his parish church when he lived at the Figaro House and he was married here; two of his children were also baptized at Saint Stephen's, and his funeral was held in the Chapel of the Cross inside.

Why You Should Visit:
While incredible architecture is rather commonplace in Vienna, this majestic Roman-Gothic masterpiece is absolutely unmistakable and not to be missed.

Tip:
Be sure to make a loop around the structure as there are many interesting details still visible on the outside walls.

Tucked away in a side street not far from Saint Stephen's Cathedral, this is a small, quirky and lesser visited church belonging to the Order of Teutonic Knights – one of the three main military-religious orders to emerge during the Crusades in the 12th century. The building never fell prey to the baroque frenzy that swept the city after the Counter-Reformation, so you can see it pretty much in its original form – a Gothic church decorated with the Order's numerous coats of arms.

Enter through the arched gateway into the cobbled courtyard – a peaceful spot adorned with ivy and flower boxes, where Johannes Brahms spent the best part of 1863–65, though inevitably it's Mozart who gets a plaque for his brief sojourn here in the spring of 1781 (March 10th to May 2nd). Despite the span of only a few weeks, this was to be a crucial period for the then 25-year-old composer's future, who lived in Salzburg and was in the service of that city-state's ruler, Prince-Archbishop Count Colloredo. During a Vienna visit by the Archbishop and his retinue, Mozart had a row with him and resigned his commission, instead deciding to stay in Vienna where he worked his way up from an unemployed artist to a respected and prosperous pianist, composer and music teacher.

Before you leave, pop inside the ground floor's Sala Terrena to admire the Baroque trompe l'oeil murals of flowers, animal scenes, statues and carousing gods; the room was where Mozart gave concerts for the Viennese aristocracy (even some of his premieres were at this very place) and is now used for concerts of his works.

Tip:
The treasury – one of the oldest in Vienna – is open less frequently than the church, but well worth checking out for a small fee as it displays various fine collections acquired by the Order's Grand Masters over the centuries. Apparently, too, you can stay in the adjacent "hotel" owned by the Order – one of the cheapest places in central Vienna, albeit cash-only and somewhat hidden (you'd have go up some stairs to find it).

Vienna's oldest café, which has been going since 1824, is, as you'd likely expect, unchanged and traditional: vaulted ceiling, huge chandeliers, deep burgundy upholstery, newspapers on racks, classically attired waitstaff and no recorded music. One little change is that these days they have an outside terrace, but there is still one other good reason to come: the café's storied history, including performances by Mozart and Beethoven. The former gave his last concert in public here on March 4th, 1791 (the famous Piano Concerto No. 27), while the latter was a regular as patron and pianist, having usually sat in the back room which is easily visible from the front.

The waiters expect you to walk in and seat yourself – something that is unexpected to foreign visitors who think that such beautiful "period restaurant" must require that they be seated. No, no, go ahead and take the menu, sit down and try the usual fine Viennese fare of schnitzel, beef goulash, and either Kaiserschmarr or Haustorte for dessert. As well as these, they serve good breakfast and a range of vegetarian dishes.

The oldest building on Michaelerplatz, and the source of its name, Michaelerkirche was first built in the 13th century, though the Neoclassical facade, added in 1792, somewhat obscures this fact. The high polygonal Gothic bell tower from the 16th century may be seen from far away, having become one of the Inner City's symbols. Above the entrance, on top of the pediment, resting on Doric columns, stands a group with winged angels and Saint Michael slaying Lucifer (1725). These sculptural figures were executed by the Italian sculptor Lorenzo Mattielli, who also sculpted the Hercules figures at the Hofburg entrance, just opposite the church.

Inside, the church retains its plain Gothic origins, but sculptor sculptor Karl Georg Merville's "Fall of Angels" steals the show: a monumental stucco alabaster Rococo sculpture, tumbling from the ceiling above the high altar. The gilded pipe organ (1714) – Vienna's largest Baroque organ – is very fine; it was once played by the 17-year-old Joseph Haydn, who lived next door in a small attic room. The very first playing of Mozart's unfinished "Requiem" first took place here on December 10, 1791, in a requiem service for the composer. Just to the right of the church's entrance, you will find two dark reliefs commemorating said performance.

Off the north choir is the entrance to a huge crypt, discovered by U.S. soldiers in 1945, when they forced open its doors, which had been sealed for 150 years. Found lying undisturbed for centuries were hundreds of mummified former wealthy parishioners, clothed in their burial finery that was perfectly preserved by the rarefied air within.

In the quiet oasis of Burggarten stands an elegant statue of Mozart, moved here from the Albertinaplatz after the war, when the city's charred ruins were being rebuilt. This intimate place is an excellent spot for Mozart lovers to have a photo with the 7.5-meter-high statue made by architect Karl König (1841–1915) and sculptor Viktor Tilgner (1844–96) which features Mozart with a music stand. The putti on the socle, representing the power of Mozart's music, are stylistically suggestive of Art Nouveau.

On the front, a relief refers to two scenes of Mozart's opera "Don Giovanni", while above it are a stone keyboard, masks, instruments and music-making cherubs. The rear side relief shows the six-year-old prodigy at the piano, with beloved sister Maria Anna ("Nannerl") and father Leopold by his side. Unfortunately, the siblings' partnership would experience a sudden and severe fracture in 1769, when Nannerl turned 18, meaning she was of marriageable age, which, as far as father Leopold was concerned, signaled the end of her performing career. As father and son continued to travel Europe and play to distinguished audiences, Nannerl remained at home with her mother.

From spring to autumn, the statue is surrounded by a small manicured lawn with a trebleclef-shaped flower bed. The steeples of Saint Stephen's and the Augustinerkirche, old trees and blooming shrubs add to the atmosphere. Noteworthy, also, is the nice sculpture of famous philosopher Goethe in the same area.