Hiking at the Wilhelminenberg

Latest when leafs change colour and morning fog creates a mystical atmosphere you know it – autumn starts and the hot summer days are over. At the same time the sun tries once more to retrieve summer times during the warmer day times in the afternoon. Latest when the sun goes down and Vienna is wrapped in a cool evening air you definitely know its autumn. Exactly during this time of the year we experience the need to spend the last warm hours in nature. That’s the time when you can see families collecting coloured leafs and chestnuts. Others work out or undertake a hike through the nature. If you decide for a city trip then this can get tricky. On the one hand you want to visit all the sights but on the other hand you do not want to experience the last warm days surrounded by concrete. For our guest the Palace Hostel Vienna offers a perfect balance between the two too different looking activities. Situated on the Wilhelminenberg you can combine both activities during a hike through the area. Along the city path 4a it is possible for you to get to know the green Ottakring in addition to the Brunnenmarkt and its trendy corners.

 

 

 

 

We start our hike at the Palace Hostel Vienna und start at the beginning on a path through the surrounding vineyards. We roam through the vineyards of the Leitner winemaker and meanwhile enjoy the view on Vienna. Via the Paulinensteig we walk towards the Ottakringer cemetery. The cemetery with its gravestones covered by moss, its special crypts and its countless memorials is worth seeing all year round and during a walk through the areal you divine the long history of Vienna’s oldest cemetery. We leave the cemetery via the exit at the Johann Staud Straße and walk a view steps to the Kuffner observatory. Built by the end of the 19^th century it soon was considered as one of the most important observatory of its time. Many famous astronomers spent their time in Ottakring and the Kuffner observatory. Today the observatory still has its old tools installed. Today the observatory can be visited and the entry is free but the organisation is happy if you leave a small donation there. After a short visit we walk up the Wilhelminenberg towards the fire station. But we decided to do not take the direct path but to pass by the extraordinary church at the Steinhofgründe. Built by Otto Wagner as a Jugendstil church it is situated within a big park called Steinhofgründe. We pass the church and hike through the big park before we arrive at the fire station. Back at the station we follow the road until we reach the Palace Hostel Vienna again. After such a hike we deserved a snack. We decided to visit the restaurant Villa Aurora. There we whiled away the evening with Austrian dishes and great views.