The Third Man is a classic British noir that is considered one of the best movies of all time. Step into the black-and-white world of this mystery movie starring Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, and Alida Valli at these filming locations for The Third Man.
Image Credit: Studio Canal
The Third Man filming locations in Vienna
The Third Man was shot almost entirely on-location in Vienna, Austria. The only exception is that the ferris wheel cabin discussion was filmed in a London studio, but you can see a recreation of this cabin at The Third Man Museum in Vienna (closest underground: Kettenbrückengasse).
Read also: Vienna Central Station: your guide to the main train hub
Harry Lime’s alleged place of death
Closest station: Stephansplatz
In Josefsplatz, you’ll see a statue of Emperor Joseph II. What you won’t find is the body of Harry Lime in the place of his alleged death.
Image Credit: Studio Canal
The Ferris Wheel
Closest station: Praterstern (Underground)
Although the conversation in the ride itself was staged in London, The Third Man did film outside of Vienna’s Riesenrad (Viennese Giant Ferris Wheel). You’ll find this giant ferris wheel in Prater Park.
The Famous Door
Closest station: Schottentor (Underground)
Schreyvogelgasse 8, which is near Beethoven’s former apartment, has the famous door where the shadowy figure turns out to be none other than Harry Lime back from the dead.
Palais Pallavicini
Closest station: Herrengasse
The Baroque Palais Pallavicini is currently available for rent as a venue for private functions like weddings and receptions. It appears as Harry Lime’s apartment twice in The Third Man: once when Holly learns of Lime’s death and again when Holly discovers the porter was killed.
Image Credit: Studio Canal
The Cemetery
Closest station: Kaiserebersdorf
Wiener Zentralfriedhof, the central cemetery of Vienna, is where Harry Lime is supposed to be buried. Beethoven’s grave, among other composers, is also found here (and there’s zero chance of him popping up on the streets of Vienna).
Hotel Sacher
Closest station: Karlsplatz
Where better to stay than Hotel Sacher, the very same hotel where Holly Martins stayed in The Third Man? This hotel near the opera house is also famous for its decadent Sachertorte cake.
Theater in der Josefstadt
Closest station: Herrengasse
The Theater in der Josefstadt, where Holly Martins finds Anna Schmidt, is a real theater that opened in 1788. The likes of Beethoven and Wagner played here long before The Third Man rolled on production.
Image Credit: Studio Canal
The Sewers
Closest station: Karlsplatz (Underground)
Girardipark is where you’ll find the star-shaped sewer entrance that Lime fled down. This is still a legit entrance to the sewers that you can access on an official The Third Man film tour.
The Heimat Kino
Closest station: Roßauer Lände
Now called Schauspielhaus Wien, the Heimat Kino was the cinema that Holly and Anna hid in. The venue, a block away from the Sigmund Freud Museum, now showcases the performing arts.
Salesianerkirche
Closest station: Wien Quartier Belvedere Bahnhst
The Salesianerkirche is where Holly Martins gives his talk about novels. It is part of the Salesianerinnenkirche church on the outskirts of Schloss Belvedere.
Am Hof
Closest station: Herrengasse
Am Hof is the square where Anna’s apartment is set and where Lime disappears into thin air. Coincidentally (or is it?), the Vienna Clock Museum is opposite the Kirche am Hof, and yes, it features cuckoo clocks.
Image Credit: Studio Canal
Why is The Third Man so famous?
The Third Man is considered the best or one of the best British films of all time. It won the Palme d’Or, an Academy Award for best cinematography, and a BAFTA Film Award for best British film. Its script, cinematography, and real post-WWII setting create a classic film-noir. A crisis of faith overshadows the film as Harry’s cruel outlook on life is a stark contrast to Holly’s innocent, often naive perspective. They both see their ideologies shattered, albeit, one in a more figurative sense than the other.
Where were the sewer scenes in The Third Man filmed?
The star-shaped sewer entrance that Lime uses to flee down into Vienna’s underground in The Third Man is near Karlsplatz at the Girardipark.
Where is the ferris wheel from The Third Man?
The Viennese Giant Ferris Wheel, or the Wiener Riesenrad, is located in Prater Park. Prater Park is large, so if you want to enter close to the ferris wheel, go to the north entrance where Madame Tussauds and the Planetarium are.
🚂 Trainline Trivia: Madame Tussauds has a wax figure of Orson Welles as Harry Lime.
Where is the doorway in The Third Man?
The doorway in The Third Man where Orson Welles makes his dramatic appearance is at Schreyvogelgasse 8. It is across from the University of Vienna on the next block just beyond the Wien Museum Beethoven Pasqualatihaus (Beethoven’s former apartment).
Image Credit: Getty Images, Robert Ray. Image Location: Vienna Central Cemetery, Vienna, Austria
Where is the cemetery in The Third Man?
The cemetery in The Third Man is Vienna’s Central Cemetery, or Wiener Zentralfriedhof. The cemetery was famous long before The Third Man filmed there, as it’s the final resting place of famous composers like Strauss, Schubert, Brahms, and Beethoven.
Related: if you're interested in visiting the resting places of other famous musicians, including Jim Morrison, Frédéric Chopin, and Édith Piaf, read our guide to the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris.
What is the cuckoo clock quote?
The cuckoo clock quote in The Third Man is said by Harry Lime (Orson Welles): “Don’t be so gloomy. After all, it’s not that awful. Like the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock. So long, Holly.”
Image Credit: Studio Canal
Is Harry Lime The Third Man?
Yes, Harry Lime was “the third man” in The Third Man. He helped Kurtz and Popescu fake his own death. It was the orderly that the men were carrying, not Lime’s body.
What does the title "The Third Man" refer to?
The title “The Third Man” refers to the additional person seen supposedly carrying the body of Harry Lime. There’s a rabbit hole of theories regarding the symbolism of “The Third Man”, ranging from a real-life third man who tipped off two double-agents working for Russia to it simply being a MacGuffin in the story.
Is there a The Third Man tour in Vienna?
Yes, there is an official The Third Man tour in Vienna. The municipal sewer authorities host tours in the spring, summer, and autumn which take you down into the star-shaped sewer entrance to two of the filming locations for The Third Man. There are also third-party walking tours that take you to above-ground The Third Man filming locations.
You ought to go car-free in Vienna; everyone ought to go car-free in a city like this. Download the Trainline app and ride the rails to these filming locations from The Third Man.
Header Image Credit: Studio Canal
