Vienna doesn’t fear death – it treats it like an old acquaintance. Sometimes solemn, sometimes absurd, often with dark humour. This Wien Tour isn’t for the faint-hearted – but it’s perfect for those who want to explore Vienna on their own and aren’t afraid of the eerie, the forgotten, or the strange. A full day in the shadow of transience – from honorary graves to heart urns, from pet cemeteries to a last dance under red lights. A tour between life and death. And everything in between.
Detailed Tour Map: Google Maps
- 7:00 AM
Morning walk through Zentralfriedhof
Arrive by S-Bahn or tram lines 11 or 71. If you take the tram, you’ll pass by grave gardeners, stonemasons, and wreath makers – a fitting prelude. The Zentralfriedhof is massive, almost a city in itself. Here lie Beethoven, Falco, Viktor Frankl, and Udo Jürgens. You’ll find lavish tombs, war graves, a monumental gate to eternity – and tucked away, a quiet, moss-covered Jewish cemetery, solemn and forgotten. - 9:00 AM
Breakfast at Kurkonditorei Oberlaa
Right at the cemetery gate lies Kurkonditorei Oberlaa – an elegant contrast of silver spoons and Sachertorte. The mood is light, the theme heavy. And that’s exactly why it works. Between layers of cake and clouds of whipped cream, you begin to understand Vienna. - 10:00 AM
Funeral Museum at Zentralfriedhof
Folding coffins, funeral fashion, embalming tools. The Funeral Museum is macabre – but never cynical. It’s honest, weird, and deeply Viennese. A place that shows how much life there is in death.
Visit website (bestattungsmuseum.at) - 12:00 PM
Vienna Pet Cemetery
A short walk brings you to the pet cemetery – smaller, but no less theatrical. Dogs with portraits, cats on marble pedestals, parrots with poetic epitaphs. One gravestone simply reads: “Sorry.” You’ll laugh. And swallow hard.
Then: head back to the city centre. Time to breathe. The tone shifts – the theme stays. - 2:00 PM
Catacomb tour under St. Stephen’s Cathedral
Skulls, bones, urns of royal hearts. The catacombs beneath St. Stephen’s tell of a time when nearness to the altar was a privilege, even in death. Most morbid detail: the preserved hearts of the Habsburgs. Romance, power, and decay – all in one room.
More info (stephanskirche.at) - 4:00 PM
Capuchin Crypt
Just a few minutes away: the imperial crypt of the Habsburgs – grand, quiet, unsettling. The coffins made of tin, copper, and bronze resemble silent battleships. Maria Theresa rests beside Franz Joseph. Sisi, too – admired, romanticised, alone. And in the middle: a child’s coffin. The crypt humbles you. And makes you wide awake.
Info & tickets (kapuzinergruft.com) - 6:00 PM
Dinner at the Sargfabrik
Not a joke, not a gimmick – the “Sargfabrik” really was a coffin factory. Today it’s a space for culture, housing, and great food. In the KANT_INE VIER ZEHN, they cook with purpose: regional, seasonal, sustainable. Over 75% organic, lots of vegetarian options, and part of a social project supporting 50+ workers. More than just a meal – it’s a taste of what a better world could be.
Visit Sargfabrik (sargfabrik.at) - 10:00 PM
Final dance at Tanzcafé Jenseits
Red velvet, soft sofas, music from another time. At “Jenseits” (which literally means “the beyond”), people drink, flirt, dance – and reflect. Death takes a break here. Or maybe it dances, too. If you end your night here, you’ll know: the morbid can be full of life.
Visit bar (tanzcafejenseits.com)
Map of the Morbid Wien Tour
Open in Google Maps: View Tour Map
