Tour Locations | The Vienna Food Walk

  • LOCATION 8 | The Vienna Food Walk

    Stock im Eisen

    On your right is an imposing building with Pilstil and Omega signs on it. Stop for a moment in front of it and turn to face it.

    Have a look at the lower left corner of the building.

    Can you see a glass vitrine that contains a wooden beam covered in nails? Make your way over to it for a closer look.


    This is called "Stock im Eisen" and it's the geographical centre of the first district of the city of Vienna. This beam was erected by the guilds of masons and carpenters around the 11th century because they were the only ones to have the mathematics to calculate where the geographical centre is. The nails represent people graduating from masonry or carpentry. Whenever a mason or carpenter finished his schooling in Vienna, he was allowed to engrave his name into the nail and drive it into the city centre to commemorate that he is now part of the city.

    Ok, let's keep moving.

    With your back to this building, facing onto Graben and continue ahead into St. Stephens square.

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