If you’ve landed here, you must be a hopeless romantic. The cult film classic, Before Sunrise, which tells the story of two strangers meeting on a train and falling in love over the period of one night in Vienna, has to be one of the most famous films every set in this city.
As we thought the world’s in need of some romance (when is it isn’t?) we’ve put together this complete Before Sunrise tour for you.
Our photographer set out with a damn good looking couple and photographed them reenacting the sickly romantic scenes at the sites featured in the Before Sunrise film.
With this tour, you can explore some of the most charming parts of the city by following in the footsteps of one of the most charming movies set in the city.
Westbahnhof train station
Where: Europaplatz 2/3, 1150
If you’ve seen the film, you’ll remember that this one night stand begins in a train. Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy), the main characters of the film, get off the train in Vienna at Westbahnhof’s platform 7 and wander into the city.
The Zollamtsbrücke
Where: Wienfluss
The film kind of jumps all over the city (so good luck following this tour!) Just after they leave Westbahnhof, Jesse and Celine walk over the pretty little bridge, the Zollamtsbrücke, which crosses over the U-Bahn line and the Wienfluss (translation Vienna river).
Schottentor
Where: Schottentor, 1010
Of course, one of Vienna’s old school red and white trams star in the film. How could a director resist their old world charm?! Jesse and Celine jump on one at Schottentor.
Teuchtler record store
Where: Windmühlgasse 10, 1060
The next stop on their one night in the Teuchtler record store in which a scene plays out amidst its ceiling high walls of record packed shelves. They flick through old records while flirting with each other. Then, just like you can still do today, Jesse and Celine have a listen to some records in the store.
Maria-Theresien-platz
Where: Burgring 5, 1010
Jesse and Celine then stroll through Maria-Theresien-Platz, with the scene showing off the impressive two museums that book end the square.
Friedhof der Namenlosen
Where: Alberner Hafenzufahrtsstraße, 1110
This is followed by them trekking out to the Friedhof der Namenlosen (translation: cemetery of the nameless). Celine has a moment here – she says she visited the place as a teenager (in her cute French accent). When she was there last time, she had learned that the people buried there had washed up on the banks of the Danube river. True story.
Prater and the Riesenrad
Where: Prater, 1020
This is where things heat up (well, for a film released in the 90s) – this is where the first kiss happens!
‘Are you trying to say you want to kiss me?’ Celine asks the awkward Ethan Hawke. Of course he does! They make out up in a carriage of the old Prater Riesenrad at sunset – have you even visited, or lived in Vienna if you haven’t done this with somebody already?
Kleines Cafe
Where: Franziskanerpl. 3, 1010
They then hit up Kleines Cafe where they run into a palm reader. Every time we visited the pokey cafe, we’re still looking for that palm reader.
Maria am Gestade church
Where: Salvatorgasse 12, 1010
This is followed by a romantic stroll through Vienna’s first district, in which the city’s narrow and charming streets are showcased on camera. Take this scene in front of the Maria am Gestade church, for example. Beautiful isn’t it?
Donaukanal
Where: Donaukanal, 1020
The Donaukanal promenade makes an appearance in the film. The scene was obviously filmed long before the strip became so popular and all the bars popped up, so it looks kind of different nowadays to how it did in the film.
The Arena
Where: Baumgasse 80, 1030
The Before Sunrise lovebirds find themselves amongst the graffiti and tattooed-up characters of the Arena as the night deepens. Wonder if they use the toilets there – NASTY! Anyway, there is a scene of them playing the pinball machine.
Schreyvogelgasse
Where: Schreyvogelgasse, 1010
If you’ve ever walked Schreyvogelgasse, you know that the street is straight out of some storybook, or romantic film. It’s a really charming street and the Before Sunrise lovers strolled casually down it in the movie.
Cafe Sperl
Where: Gumpendorfer Str. 11, 1060
The classic Viennese coffeehouse, Cafe Sperl, makes the cut in the film. There’s a really awkward 90s kind of scene in here where the couple make phones with their hands and pretend to call their friends back home. They get stuck into some serious flirting in this scene.
Albertina terrace
Where: Albertinaplatz 1, 1010
OK, so the last scene isn’t set on the Albertina terrace with the Staatsoper (Vienna State Opera) in the background (they actually also hit up Türkenschanzpark and the Roxy club), but we thought we’d end this tour here. It’s the perfect spot for you and you’re romance buddy to have one last, long and awkwardly drawn out kiss to drop the curtain on this tour.
We’ll leave you with a line from the movie that Celine says on this very spot – ‘it’s so weird, it’s like our time together is just ours. It’s our own creation.’
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