You’re walking through the cold Viennese air, and suddenly you catch a sweet, smoky scent of roasted wood and chestnuts. No doubt about it: there’s a chestnut roaster nearby. This scent is as much a part of Vienna as St. Stephen’s Cathedral, and it has a surprisingly long history behind it.
Where they come from
In 1509, Emperor Maximilian I settled about three hundred families of prisoners of war from Franconia and Thuringia in the Gottschee region, then part of the Duchy of Carniola (now Slovenia). The land there was barren, so the people set out as traveling merchants, with sweet chestnuts—known as “Maroni”—as one of their most sought-after products. As early as the beginning of the 17th century, the “Gottscheer” were granted peddler privileges, and by the mid-18th century, Empress Maria Theresa even officially permitted them by decree to sell their maroni in the cities.
An integral part of Vienna’s cityscape
With their portable, charcoal-fired iron stoves, chestnut roasters became popular figures in Viennese street life in the 19th century—they even appeared in literature and satirical publications, often accompanied by commentary on politics and society. Around 1900, there were about 300 chestnut stands in Vienna. The lives of the women and men who roasted chestnuts were mostly marked by poverty.
What’s on the menu today
Today, the Market Office counts about 190 businesses with roughly 250 stands in Vienna’s shopping streets; this number has remained stable for years. Their season runs from October through March, and in addition to chestnuts, they now also offer fried potatoes, potato pancakes, and baked apples.
And how to enjoy them
Chestnuts taste best just the way they always have: fresh from the “Stanitzl”—that pointed paper bag—while the heat tingles through your gloves. A little bag on a cold winter day, somewhere between Stephansplatz and Karlsplatz—that’s pure Vienna.
Don’t miss out on the first chestnuts of the season—and feel free to warm your hands on them, too …
