Today I wanted to share some of my photos from various James Bond locations in Vienna, Austria. I have written previously about The Wiener Riesenrad Ferris Wheel where Bond shared a ride with Kara in The Living Daylights. And the Confiserie Zum Süssen Eck, the place where James and Saunders did their sniper stakeout after leaving the Volksoper over the road. I have documented as much footage as possible and posted that to YouTube. Click on thumbnail below.
Click on image to watch my Travel Vlurrrrg on the YouTube
Resources
I would say if you needed to get the full skinny on the James Bond locations in Vienna then you need to invest in the beautiful book by Charles Helfenstein; The Making of The Living Daylights, available on Amazon. It’s filled with beautiful imagery and well worth the investment. And of course On The Tracks of 007, the bible for Bond travellers.
Taxi!!
After Bond hails down a taxi he goes round the Natural History Museum. Then down past Schönbrunn Palace (where the insides of all the recitals were shot) and finally parks up by the Palais Schwarzenberg and checks in. Palais Schwarzenberg is currently closed to visitors (May 2022) and we could not get in.
Outside the Natural History Museum Monument
The Sofiensäle
The Sofiensäle restored
According to the book The Making of The Living Daylights the Sofiensäle was the venue used for when Bond sees Kara practice. I actually have reservations about this because the opera house used in the original sniper sequence and the practice venue looks identical. AND we see Kara leave the Volksoper both times. Once after the performance once after the practice session.
I’m yet to really uncover what the Sofiensäle was used for in The Living Daylights, and as the venue burnt down since, I’m wondering if we’ll ever know. Still a wonderful venue to visit. Plus, it’s now a hotel chain and has a great bar to stop off for cocktails down stairs.
The old sign from outside brought inside
Rare upload
I’ve uploaded a drawing to my Redbubble page of my Mum’s drawing of the Landrover going over the cliff face in the pre-titles. Can be bought as a sticker or a badge. Check out the options.
Further Reading
I have also gone into much greater detail about the prices, hotels, restaurants etc on my friends blog Carl Thompson.
