Stephansplatz

This guide to Stephansplatz in Vienna centers on the Stock im Eisen, an iron-studded tree stump on the corner where the Graben meets Kärntner Strasse, and the centuries-old legend that grew around it. You'll hear about the old folk custom behind the first nails, and how traveling locksmiths turned driving one in into a rite of passage by the seventeen hundreds. Look for the five iron bands cinching the wood, dated to 1575, before you move on into the square.