Heiligenkreuzerhof, Medieval chapel and residential complex in Innere Stadt, Austria
The Heiligenkreuzerhof is a residential complex in Vienna's Innere Stadt district, built around two connected inner courtyards with stone facades. A small Baroque chapel, the Bernardikapelle, sits within the complex and opens onto one of the courtyards.
The complex originated as an urban residence for the Cistercian Abbey of Heiligenkreuz, which held the site since medieval times. A major reconstruction in the second half of the 17th century gave the buildings their current layout and the chapel its Baroque decoration.
The Bernardikapelle chapel shows Baroque decorative works that shaped Viennese artistic development in the 17th century. You can see these works while walking through the courtyard.
The complex works as a passage between two streets, so you can walk straight through at no cost and at almost any time of day. The chapel is not always open, but the courtyards themselves are accessible and easy to explore on foot.
The Austrian writer and cabaret performer Helmut Qualtinger, best known for his character "Herr Karl", lived in this building for over a decade until his death in 1986. A memorial plaque on the facade marks the years he spent here.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
