STOCK IM EISEN PLATZ Vienna. Photo:Jeff Gilbert

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Stock-im-Eisen-Platz is a square next to Stephansplatz and leading directly into Kärnter Strasse. It takes its curious name from a tree trunk into which many nails have been hammered and which stands in a niche of house No. 3/4, at the corner of Graben and Kärnter Strasse. There is evidence that the tree trunk has been here since 1533. According to legend, every locksmith's apprentice who came to Vienna in the course of his wanderings had to hammer a nail into the tree trunk. Visitors are recommended to view the charming stairway and beautiful inner courtyard of the "Equitable" house at No. 3. The Stock im Eisen (German: staff in iron) is the midsection of a tree-trunk from the Middle Ages, a so-called nail-tree (Nadelbaum), into which hundreds of nails have been pounded for good luck over centuries. It is located in Vienna, Austria, in Stock-im-Eisen-Platz, now part of Stephansplatz, at the corner of the Graben and Kärntner Straße and is now behind glass on a corner of the Palais Equitable.

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Size: 5616px × 3744px
Location: Stock im Eisen Platz, Vienna, Austria
Photo credit: © Jeff Gilbert / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: eisen, im, platz vienna, platz vienna people square outdoors tourists architecture, stock, vienna stock-im-eisen-platz stephansplatz