{"id":64981,"date":"2023-11-02T06:05:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-02T05:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/?p=64981"},"modified":"2025-06-26T14:14:59","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T13:14:59","slug":"franziskanerplatz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/franziskanerplatz\/","title":{"rendered":"Franziskanerplatz"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/franziskanerplatzsmall.jpg\" alt=\"A street sign\" class=\"wp-image-64985\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/franziskanerplatzsmall.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/franziskanerplatzsmall-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Over at the cathedral, the streets throng with visitors. A five-minute walk away, and you can sit with a coffee on a quiet(ish) square, enjoy 17th-century surrounds, and nod politely at a passing monk. Welcome to Franziskanerplatz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Opened up in the early 1600s<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Encircled by historical buildings<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u2026including a church &amp; monastery<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Home to the iconic Kleines Caf\u00e9<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Add a themed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/en\/vienna-city-tours-l205280\/?partner=visitingvienna&amp;tq_campaign=LG_CityTours\" rel=\"sponsored\">guided tour<\/a>* to your Vienna trip<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>See also:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/freyung-2\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"29646\">The Freyung<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/vienna-book-song-film\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"1684\">Vienna film locations<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Monks and Moses<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/franziskanerplatz.jpg\" alt=\"View of Franziskanerplatz with the Moses fountain and Kleines caf\u00e9\" class=\"wp-image-64982\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/franziskanerplatz.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/franziskanerplatz-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(View across to the houses 1, 2 and 3)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Back in the day, the area that&#8217;s now the small Franziskanerplatz square was far more cluttered. Too cluttered in fact: the numerous carriages bringing the aristocracy to services at the Franciscan church there led to chaos in the narrow streets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An appeal to the emperor of the time (Ferdinand II) saw the house directly in front of the church removed in the 1620s, thus creating the small square we have today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After all, no emperor wants to hear of aristocratic road rage or noble ladies finding themselves ankle deep in horse manure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These historical origins explain the L-shaped layout of the area. It takes the form of a street along the front of the Franciscan monastery before opening out into a more conventional square at the church.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"309\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/franziskanerplatz1724.jpg\" alt=\"Drawing of Franziskanerplatz from 18724\" class=\"wp-image-67631\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/franziskanerplatz1724.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/franziskanerplatz1724-300x185.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(Franziskanerkirche and Franziskanerplatz pictured in a 1724 publication; drawn by Salomon Kleiner, engraved by Johann August Corvinus, and published by Johann Andreas d. \u00c4. Pfeffel; Wien Museum Inv.-Nr. 105765\/15; excerpt reproduced with permission under the terms of the CC0 licence)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The buildings surrounding the square count their age in centuries rather than years, giving a lovely historical flavour to the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And the central but secluded location makes Franziskanerplatz an ideal place to spend an hour or two in the company of a fine coffee or something colder from one of several caf\u00e9s and restaurants in the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So what are all those buildings? Here a quick overview\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Franziskanerplatz 1<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/franziskanerplatz1.jpg\" alt=\"The Orellisches Haus\" class=\"wp-image-64983\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/franziskanerplatz1.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/franziskanerplatz1-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(The Orellisches Haus at Number 1)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The house opposite the church at number 1 was built in 1698 for a Baron Peter von Orelli; a plaque on the wall indicates that Egon Caesar Corti once lived there. Corti (1886-1953) was an author and historian perhaps best known for his biographies of the nobility and aristocracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Numbers 2 and 3<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/franziskanerplatz2_3_klein.jpg\" alt=\"The Kleines Caf\u00e9 on Franziskanerplatz\" class=\"wp-image-71724\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/franziskanerplatz2_3_klein.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/franziskanerplatz2_3_klein-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(The much-loved Kleines Caf\u00e9 at number 3: translates as Small Caf\u00e9 and you can see why)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The buildings at 2 and 3 form part of a complex surrounding a courtyard and extending back to Singerstra\u00dfe, where <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/deutschordenshaus\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"6317\">Mozart once lived<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The house at No.2 (the Alter Dompropsthof) predates the square itself; the 1609 building served for many years as the residence of the Bishop of Vienna.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>House number 3 is a little younger, having been (re)built just a few years after the square appeared, presumably to expand the width of the street to further ease carriage congestion.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/franziskanerplatz1814-1.jpg\" alt=\"The Franziskanerplatz in 1814\" class=\"wp-image-64986\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/franziskanerplatz1814-1.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/franziskanerplatz1814-1-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(The left-hand part of a painting of the Franziskanerplatz from around 1814 by Franz Scheyerer; Wien Museum Inv.-Nr. 18166; excerpt reproduced under the terms of the <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY 4.0<\/a> license; photo by Birgit and Peter Kainz, Wien Museum)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The above image cropped from a longer 1814 oil painting of the square shows both buildings on the left side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Number 3 also happens to be the address of the Kleines Caf\u00e9, a small (but hugely popular) caf\u00e9 and bar with a Hollywood pedigree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The caf\u00e9 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/songsfilms\/before-sunrise-locations\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"36997\">appeared in Before Sunrise<\/a>, where the two stars of the movie sat outside and talked with a fortune teller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div align=\"center\"><em>Ad:<\/em><br><\/div><div data-tiqets-widget=\"discovery\" data-cards-layout=\"horizontal\" data-slug-ids=\"exp206741,exp238032\" data-partner=\"visitingvienna\" data-tq-campaign=\"DA_ConcTour\"><\/div><script defer src=\"https:\/\/widgets.tiqets.com\/loader.js\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Franciscans<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/franziskanerplatzmonastery.jpg\" alt=\"The front of the Franziskanerkloster\" class=\"wp-image-64989\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/franziskanerplatzmonastery.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/franziskanerplatzmonastery-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(The Franciscan monastery)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>House 4 is actually the Franciscan monastery (Franziskanerkloster) and church (Franziskanerkirche). Both are new buildings put up on the site of an older monastic and church complex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What counts as new, of course, is a matter of perspective: the construction work took place in the early 1600s.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/franziskanerplatz1890.jpg\" alt=\"Photo of a monastery and church entrance in front of a small square\" class=\"wp-image-84397\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/franziskanerplatz1890.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/franziskanerplatz1890-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(The monastery and church in a photo published by Michael Frankenstein &amp; Comp. at the end of the 1800s; Wien Museum Inv.-Nr. 79000\/4246; excerpt reproduced with permission under the terms of the CC0 licence)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The sunken circles in the fa\u00e7ade give the monastery a distinctive and unique look for Vienna, and the church houses the city&#8217;s oldest working organ&#8230;completed in 1642.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Quite apart from a history of religious service, the complex also has screen credits to its name. We spotted it several times in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/songsfilms\/vienna-blood-season-2\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"38572\">Season 2<\/a> of Vienna Blood, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Numbers 5 and 6<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/franziskanerplatz5.jpg\" alt=\"The building at Franziskanerplatz 5\" class=\"wp-image-64984\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/franziskanerplatz5.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/franziskanerplatz5-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(Franziskanerplatz 5)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The house at number 5 is a relative newcomer, dating back to 1797. Part of the building extends over the entrance to Ballgasse, which you can walk down to experience the kind of cityscape that serves as a backdrop for period drama productions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The neighbour at number 6 is also a youngster, dating back to the 1780s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Mosesbrunnen<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/franziskanerplatzmosesbrunnen.jpg\" alt=\"The Mosesbrunnen fountain\" class=\"wp-image-64988\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/franziskanerplatzmosesbrunnen.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/franziskanerplatzmosesbrunnen-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(The fountain with the Franciscan church behind)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, no good square is complete without its fountain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Mosesbrunnen (Moses fountain) appeared here at the end of the 1700s, though the basin may be older. A highly-regarded sculptor of the time (Johann Martin Fischer) designed the figure of Moses on top. What you see today is apparently a bronze copy from the late 1800s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The front relief shows the Israelites quenching their thirst. This alludes to the biblical story where Moses strikes a rock to bring forth water in the desert after leading his people out of slavery in Egypt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to get to Franziskanerplatz<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Emerge from the central Stephansplatz subway station (on the U3 and U1 lines) and you have just a short walk along Singerstra\u00dfe behind the back of the cathedral. The 1A, 2A and 3A buses that travel around the old town also stop at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/stephansplatz\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"83491\">Stephansplatz<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Address: Franziskanerplatz, 1010 Vienna<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div align=\"center\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/d\/u\/0\/embed?mid=1IxPFEhDg3FsX7IS7iCoTg5wgA-9Mi0Cq\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Discover the history of this lovely square surrounded by historical buildings and featuring an iconic caf\u00e9-bar<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":64985,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-64981","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sights","8":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64981","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=64981"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64981\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":84398,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64981\/revisions\/84398"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/64985"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=64981"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=64981"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=64981"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}