Ruqayyah Snyder
Austria has been the filming location for several iconic films in cinematic history. The country's diverse landscapes, historical buildings, and cultural sights have made it a popular choice for filmmakers. One of the most well-known films shot in Austria is the 1949 Oscar-winning masterpiece, The Third Man, which has led to many fans flocking to Vienna to explore the movie's famous locations. Other notable films shot in Austria include the James Bond movies Spectre, The Living Daylights, and Quantum of Solace, as well as A Dangerous Method, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, and the Sissi Trilogy.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Movies filmed in Austria | The Third Man, The Mountain Eagle, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, A Dangerous Method, The Sissi Trilogy, Spectre, The Living Daylights, Quantum of Solace, The Three Musketeers, Woman in Gold |
| Locations | Vienna, Tirol, Vienna State Opera, Lake Bodensee, Café Sperl, Mölker Bastion, Schloss Fuschl, Schönbrunn Palace, Saint Michael’s Church, Innsbruck, Rosenhügel film studios, Obertilliach, Kreuzenstein Castle, Danube Valley, Wiener Musikverein, St. Ulrichs, Juden- und Rooseveltplatz, the Parliament Building, Kaiserwiese, Belvedere, the Opera House, Hotel Sacher, Palais Auersperg, Semperdepot, Belvedere Castle, Sigmund Freud Museum |
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What You'll Learn
The Sissi Trilogy
The first film, 'Sissi', follows Princess Elisabeth, nicknamed "Sissi", the second oldest daughter of Duke Maximilian Joseph in Bavaria and Princess Ludovika of Bavaria. She is raised with her seven siblings at the family seat of Possenhofen Castle on the shores of Lake Starnberg in Bavaria. Sissi is a carefree, impulsive, and nature-loving child, and the film begins with her travelling from Possenhofen to the spa town of Bad Ischl in Upper Austria with her mother and older sister, Helene (called "Néné"). In Bad Ischl, Sissi meets her cousin, the young emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria, and they fall in love. However, Franz Joseph is initially betrothed to Sissi's sister Helene, and Sissi rejects him out of loyalty to her sister. Franz Joseph eventually defies his mother's reservations and Sissi's resistance and announces his betrothal to Sissi.
In the second film, 'The Young Empress', Sissi adjusts to her new life as Empress and navigates the challenges of formal court life and her difficult relationship with her overbearing mother-in-law. The third film, 'Fateful Years of an Empress', continues to explore Sissi's life as Empress and her marriage to Franz Joseph.
Large parts of all three movies were shot in Austria, and many Austrian landmarks can be spotted throughout the films. These include Schloss Fuschl, a castle near Salzburg, Schönbrunn Palace, a former summer residence located in Hietzing, Vienna, Saint Michael’s Church, one of the oldest churches in Vienna, Innsbruck, a medieval city in southwestern Austria, and the Rosenhügel film studios in Vienna. Some scenes of the first movie were also shot in Venice, Italy.
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The Third Man
The 1949 classic noir mystery film "The Third Man" was shot almost entirely on location in Vienna, Austria. The film is considered one of the best movies of all time, winning a Palme d'Or, an Academy Award for Best Cinematography, and a BAFTA Film Award for Best British Film. The city of Vienna is considered another character in the film, with its post-WWII rubble-strewn streets providing the perfect backdrop for the story.
One of the most iconic scenes in the film is the ferris wheel discussion between Harry Lime (Orson Welles) and his friend in a cabin on the Wiener Riesenrad, or Vienna Giant Ferris Wheel. While this scene was actually filmed in a London studio, you can see a recreation of the cabin at The Third Man Museum in Vienna. The Wiener Riesenrad is located at the western end of Prater Park, and fans of the film can ride the ferris wheel and enjoy the same view that was featured in the movie.
Another famous location from the film is the sewer system, which can be explored on official Third Man tours offered by the city sewer authority in the spring, summer, and autumn. One of the filming locations in the sewers is the star-shaped entrance in Girardipark, which is still a legitimate entrance that can be accessed on the tour. The underground scene where Harry Lime disappears into the sewers was actually filmed at the River Wien, which flows under the city.
Other notable filming locations in Vienna include Josefsplatz, where you can see a statue of Emperor Joseph II, and the doorway on Schreyvogelgasse. Harry Lime's impressive apartment building, Palais Pallavicini, is also located on Josefsplatz and can be hired for special functions. The Zentral-Friedhof, or Central Cemetery, is another filming location that can be visited. This cemetery is the final resting place of famous composers like Strauss, Schubert, Brahms, and Beethoven.
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Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation
The 2015 action-thriller film Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation was filmed in several locations around the world, including Austria. The movie follows Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his team as they face off against a network of highly skilled operatives called the Syndicate, which aims to establish a new world order through a series of terrorist attacks.
The Austria-based scenes in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation were shot in Vienna, specifically at the Vienna State Opera, where the Chancellor of Austria is shown attending a performance of Turandot. The Vienna State Opera is a renowned opera house in Vienna, known for its grand architecture and rich history. The filming of these scenes was particularly challenging due to the location's significance and the need to capture the opera's grandeur accurately.
The production team chose the Vienna State Opera for its impressive architecture and cultural significance, enhancing the film's aesthetic and thematic depth. The Opernring, a section of the Vienna Ring Road that surrounds the historic Innere Stadt, was also featured in the film. This grand boulevard is known for its circular shape and provides a picturesque backdrop for the fast-paced action sequences in the movie.
The choice to film in Vienna added an element of authenticity to the story, especially since the city has a long history of opera and classical music. The production design and cinematography teams worked closely to capture the beauty of the Vienna State Opera and showcase the elegance and sophistication associated with opera culture.
In addition to the Vienna State Opera, other locations in Vienna that were featured in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation include the Wiener Riesenrad, a famous Ferris wheel located in Prater Park, and Maria am Gestade, a 15th-century Gothic church. These locations contribute to the diversity of settings in the film and showcase the unique architectural and cultural landmarks that Vienna has to offer.
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James Bond films
Austria has been the filming location for several James Bond films. The 1987 movie "The Living Daylights" was shot in Austria, in the town of Bregenz. The 2008 Bond film "Quantum of Solace" was also filmed in Austria, in Feldkirch. The beautiful Kreuzenstein Castle, located 20 kilometres north of Vienna, was featured in the 2015 Bond film "Spectre". This castle, overlooking the Danube Valley, served as a clinic in the film. The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra also performed classical works for 20 minutes of the film, which were recorded in the golden hall of the Wiener Musikverein.
Austria has also been the filming location for several other famous films. "Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation" was filmed in Vienna, at the Vienna State Opera. "A Dangerous Method", a historical drama about Sigmund Freud and Carl Gustav Jung, was largely shot on location in Vienna, including at the Belvedere Castle and Sigmund Freud's actual house, now the Sigmund Freud Museum. The 1949 Oscar-winning masterpiece "The Third Man", starring Carol Reed and Graham Greene, was also set in Vienna, and fans still flock to the city to explore the movie's famous locations.
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A Dangerous Method
The 2011 film 'A Dangerous Method' was largely shot on location in Vienna, Austria. The film is a historical drama exploring the conflict between Sigmund Freud and his protégé, Carl Gustav Jung.
The film was shot at several locations across Vienna, including the Belvedere Castle, where Freud strolls in the garden, and the Sigmund Freud Museum, which was Freud's actual house. Even Freud's real desk was used for the film. The atmospheric Cafe Sperl, one of the most original Viennese cafes left in the city, was used as a location for a scene in which Jung and Freud meet for coffee and Sachertorte. The period gardens of the Belvedere Castle were also used for filming, as were the grounds of the Burgholzli, filmed at a monastery in Inzigkofen.
The University town of Konstanz in Germany was used for exteriors of the Burgholzli and Sabinas apartment. Other German locations included Überlingen, where Jung and Spielrein were filmed walking through cobbled streets, and Lake Constance, which stood in for Lake Zürich, where Jung used to work and study. However, due to modern architecture around Lake Zürich, it was impossible to film there, so the production chose Lake Constance, or Lake Bodensee, instead, for its perfect period architecture.
Other filming locations in Austria included Mölker Bastion, a bastion of the former Vienna city fortifications, and the Giant Ferris Wheel, or Wiener Riesenrad, located at the western end of Prater Park.
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Frequently asked questions
Many famous movies have been filmed in Austria, including Oscar-winner "The Third Man" (1949), "The Sissi Trilogy" (1955, 1957), "Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation" (2015), "Woman in Gold", "A Dangerous Method", and several James Bond films.
Large parts of "The Sissi Trilogy" were filmed in Austria, featuring landmarks such as Schloss Fuschl Castle near Salzburg, Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, Saint Michael’s Church in Vienna, Innsbruck, and the Rosenhügel film studios in Vienna.
"A Dangerous Method" was largely shot on location in Vienna, including at the Belvedere Castle, Sigmund Freud’s actual house (now the Sigmund Freud Museum), Café Sperl, and Mölker Bastion.
