Vienna's sausage stands are more than a place to grab a bite — they're cultural icons. In 2024, UNESCO named them to its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
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00:01This place is about more than just sausages.
00:05In 2024, Vienna's sausage stands were recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage.
00:14A good Viennese sausage is aromatic in taste and crispy in texture.
00:21Quality? Freshly made. Austrian street food, you could say.
00:25They're rarely this good at home.
00:26The sausage stand is the place to eat them, and the quality has to be right.
00:33Viennese sausage stands are an integral part of the city and a popular meeting place.
00:39But their numbers are dwindling.
00:41In 2010, there were some 500 stands in the Austrian capital.
00:45Today, there are as few as 120.
00:50At Alles Wurst in the city center, they have at least eight distinct types of sausage.
00:57Sebastian Neuschle is the head sausage maker here.
01:01He went from high-end cuisine to street food.
01:04So, this is where the magic happens.
01:08There's barely room to turn around.
01:10Here we are.
01:12But today, we're talking about the sausage.
01:14One of my favorites, the Waldviertler, the sportsman's sausage.
01:17Low in fat, with a high meat content, and double smoked over beech wood.
01:22Let's prepare one.
01:26The key is nicely grilled, but not too much.
01:31Neatly chopped, with a dollop of spicy mustard, a little horseradish,
01:36a little horseradish, and two hot peppers.
01:45That's exactly how it's served.
01:49To work at a sausage stand, you have to be a people person.
01:52A sausage seller ought to have psychological training, like a barman.
02:01It's about the same thing.
02:03Being able to multitask is vital, because you take orders, cut the sausage, make drinks.
02:09You have the job description of a chef, a waiter, and a psychologist all at once.
02:15You should also have a penchant for cabaret.
02:18You shouldn't take everything too seriously.
02:20And you need to have some schmäh, Vienna's characteristic humor, in your banter.
02:25The so-called Bratelbrater have shaped the cityscape of Vienna since the 16th century.
02:32They had mobile stoves and sold meat and sausages to the poorer population.
02:36Back then, many of the locals didn't have kitchens in their apartments.
02:41The sausage stands of today emerged in the 1960s.
02:48Mike Lanner's sausage stand is all about authenticity, even down to the architecture of the stand itself.
02:57This one is an original Viennese sausage stand from the 1970s.
03:01They used to look like this all over the city, and there are only a few of them left.
03:04The ones that still exist are often plastered with various advertisements.
03:09To us, it's important that the stand looks just like it always did.
03:13In addition, Mike has gone organic.
03:16He even offers vegetarian and vegan sausages.
03:18We may only be a small Viennese sausage stand, but we too have to do our bit for climate and environmental protection.
03:28Organic production and sustainability is our contribution.
03:31One variety is especially popular.
03:42One sausage that's only available in Austria, I think it was invented here in the 1960s.
03:47The Käsekreine. It's a smoked sausage filled with a cheese. It's only available here, and it's our best seller.
03:55My favorite is the Käsekreine. I think it's the classic here. Nice and crispy, tastes good, and it fills you up too.
04:04I got a Käsekreine in a hot dog bun.
04:08My favorite is the Käsekreine because it contains everything I like, and it's been my go-to since I was young.
04:14So how do the Viennese feel about the UNESCO status of their sausage stands?
04:19World cultural heritage in Vienna feels really great. I couldn't imagine a Vienna without them.
04:28Vienna's sausage stands. A piece of history with a future.