When you walk through the doors of the Landtmann, you leave the hustle and bustle of the Ringstrasse behind you and immerse yourself in a world full of sweet history, the foundation of which was laid 150 years ago. Back then, Vienna had a different face - one without a magnificent Ringstrasse and without a world-famous Burgtheater. The town hall and the university were covered in dust and construction noise. But Franz Landtmann had a vision: he wanted to create something very special for the people of Vienna - namely the most elegant café in the city. And he succeeded. It was opened on October 1, 1873 – and all of Vienna was thrilled.
Over the years, the Landtmann has been shaped by a few loving hands and has witnessed many a bizarre thing that later became a popular anecdote. The house was able to welcome many celebrities - including people from the English royal family or from the filmed Austrian imperial family. In all this time, the inviting coffee house has lost none of its charm and none of its elegance. Even today, you can sit down here on original Thonet chairs, some even from the imperial era, and let your gaze wander over the historical inlay work on the walls and the mirrors from the golden 1920s. Only once was the Landtmann in extreme danger, only once did Vienna almost lose its Grand Café. A sentence of explanation would be good, otherwise it remains open.
The fact that today we can dream of a bygone era in the Landtmann with a wonderfully fragrant coffee and a heavenly sweet piece of Guglhupf is thanks to the efforts of its current owners, the Querfeld family. Herbert and Anita Querfeld found out about the impending closure and simply couldn't imagine a Ringstrasse, or indeed a Vienna, without the Landtmann. The café was lovingly restored and carefully modernized. Today, cosmopolitanism and typical Viennese coffee house culture go hand in hand and continue to inspire Viennese and international audiences alike.
