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A hidden garden in the courtyard of an inn. The white blossom along the Prater Hauptallee. A bench in the shade of old chestnut trees where you close the book and simply stay. Vienna is an imperial city, certainly. But it is also a very green one, and the green often begins where you least expect it: behind a gate, at the end of a lane, on the other side of a wall.
For her book „Grüne Glücksorte in Wien” (Green Havens of Vienna), Martha Tretter chose 80 places that have become dear to her: baroque palace gardens with fountains and flower beds, quiet courtyards, natural bathing spots, vineyards on the edge of the city and the Vienna Woods. Each place comes with a little story, a tip and everything you need to get there. Published in April 2024 by Droste Verlag, in German.
A first taste, and a glimpse of how Martha tells Vienna.
A staircase made famous by a novel. Heimito von Doderer dedicated a poem to it, today carved in stone beside the steps: of leaves on the stairs, of light shoes and heavy footsteps, of the moss-covered vase in the middle. Martha’s tip: come on a moonlit night and let the poem sink in.
Named after August Dehne, confectioner at Michaelerplatz, who made his fortune with cakes and confectionery and put it into a piece of the Vienna Woods. In 1857 he sold his shop to an apprentice named Christoph Demel. The rest is sweet history. Today the park is one of the quietest spots in the city: old trees, a pond, an artificial ruin.
At the Nussdorf weir two stone lions watch over the river, then it winds through the city as a green ribbon. In summer the banks turn into a promenade with beach bars and deckchairs; further downstream crows nest in the plane trees and beavers fell trees. After 17.3 kilometres the canal joins the Danube at the Praterspitz.
„Vienna has a lot to tell. You just have to know where to listen."
Martha Tretter grew up in Kirchdorf an der Krems in Upper Austria and studied Comparative Literature and Portuguese in Vienna. After years in Brazil and Portugal, Vienna became her home, and since 2001 she has been showing the city as a state-certified Austria Guide. In 2009 she founded artemezzo because she wanted to do city tours differently: more personal, with more stories, and with time to linger.
The book came about on foot. Martha likes to explore Vienna walking, through small lanes and across back courtyards, and she loves that the vineyards on the slopes of the Vienna Woods are only a tram ride away. Her background in literature still shapes the way she tells things: vivid, alive, with an eye for detail and for the story behind it. She has talked about the book in the studio of Radio Wien and read from it at Thalia.
Anyone who walks with her soon notices: she knows not only the facts but the people behind them. The confectioner who left the city a park. The poet who dedicated a poem to a staircase. The Viennese who turn their courtyards green. That is what turns a walk into a story.
A book invites you to set off. Even better when someone comes along who knows the places and tells their stories. Two tours that go with the book:
Martha’s favourite green places in the old town: from the Burggarten via hidden courtyards to the Stadtpark, with stories of emperors, town planners and nature-loving Viennese. Meeting point at the Goethe monument on the Opernring.
Many green havens lie beyond the old town, and by bike they are the loveliest to reach. You choose one of the twelve routes from Martha’s second book, with your own bike or a rental, with a stop for coffee or wine and sights along the way. Also for groups.
Martha reads from her book, tells how it came about, shows pictures of places hardly anyone knows and is happy to answer questions. A reading lasts between 45 and 90 minutes and takes place at your venue, in Vienna and the surrounding area, or as an online talk via Zoom for guests who live further away or are no longer so steady on their feet. Readings are in German; talks can be given in English.
A reading with conversation and book signing, also as an evening event.
An illustrated talk on Vienna's green side, with tips for your own discoveries.
An afternoon full of Vienna memories, in house or online via Zoom.
From palace gardens to community beds: the stories behind the green.
Geh raus & blüh auf (Get out and blossom). 80 green places in Vienna, from splendid palace gardens to hidden natural bathing spots, with stories, tips and practical details.
Droste Verlag, April 2024, German
168 pages, paperback with flaps
ISBN 978-3-7700-2503-9
Or order it from your local bookshop, from Thalia or Morawa, or directly from Droste Verlag. The book is in German.
Yes. The Green Lucky Places Tour takes you in two hours to Martha’s favourite green places in the old town. For places outside the centre, the cycling tour is ideal: you choose one of twelve routes.
Gladly: in bookshops, libraries, adult education centres, clubs and retirement homes, in Vienna and the surrounding area or online via Zoom. Write to office@artemezzo.com and we will agree on date, length and format together. Readings are in German, talks can be held in English.
The book is published in German. The tours, of course, are in English as well, and Martha is happy to tell the stories from the book in English along the way.
In any bookshop in Austria and Germany, from Thalia and Morawa, directly from Droste Verlag or online from Amazon.
On every tour and at every reading Martha is happy to sign. If you would like a signed copy as a gift, just write to office@artemezzo.com.
Write to office@artemezzo.com and we will get back to you personally: for a tour, a talk, or simply with a tip for your next walk.
