Medieval Vienna was one of the largest cities in Europe with about 25,000 residents living in some 1,000 buildings within the walled city. Streets were very narrow and unpaved, and space was at a premium. The ground floors generally housed artisans’ workshops with living quarters on the upper floors. The lack of hygiene and clean water, unimaginable sanitary conditions, epidemics and insufficient medical care resulted in low life expectancy and a high mortality rate, especially among children. Disease was viewed as a punishment or the work of the devil. On this walk get an insight into daily life in medieval Vienna and what it was like to be an artisan, a surgeon or a scribe (notary) We also trace the course of medieval streets and squares, and explain the remains of medieval buildings.
