Wanderlust in Vienna

Vienna is famous as the city of music and for its countless sights from different eras. But beside of sightseeing Vienna offers its visitors something different namely hiking. Surrounded by the Viennese forest Vienna is a real hiking paradise with tracks for everyone. No matter if you want to do a small hike with your family or you want to circle the city on the 120 km long green belt – Vienna offers you the right choice. These hikes will definitely offer you a great balance to the hustle and bustle of the city. Our blog team has been on the track for you and checked some great trail for you.

City hiking path 4 of Vienna

Total distance: ca. 9 km
Duration: ca. 2.5 – 3 hours
Difficulty: medium
More information: Hiking paths of Vienna

The hiking trail 4 of Vienna directly passes by at the Palace Hostel Vienna and is therefore the perfect hiking path for all of our guests at the Palace Hostel. From the starting point on the trail leads you via the Predigtstuhl directly into the Viennese forest. In a little while you leave the hustle and bustle of the city behind you and find yourself in the middle of greenery. Surrounded by nothing but pleasant silence you will overcome an altitude difference of about 100 meters before you reach the Heuberg, a small hill on an altitude of 464 meters. From there you hike on to the Kreuzeichenwiese. This clearing is a great place for a break and to get in contact with other hikers. After the short break you wander to the Jubiläumswarte. In 1898 the tower was built for the 50 years governmental anniversary of Emperor Franz Jospeh I., husband of the famous Empress Sissi. One year later the Jubiläumswarte was transferred to its actual position. Since then the site has been complemented and in 2012 the tower was renovated. The tower is accessible for free and on a clear day it offers a great view over Vienna, the Viennese forest and the bordering provinces Lower Austria and Burgenland. From the tower your trail leads you via the Otto König tower to the fire house Steinhof. From there you wander on to the cemetery of Ottakring. After passing by the cemetery you turn into the Erdbrust street and hike back to the Wilhelminenberg. Through the neighbourhood of Ottakring you reach the wine tavern of the winery Leitner(German). This tavern awaits you with Austrian cuisine and great wine and is a great place for a final break before you reach the Palace Hostel Vienna again. After the break you range through the vineyard back to the Palace Hostel Vienna where you can recover yourself from the hike.

Green belt, section 5

Total distance: ca. 3 km
Duration: ca. 30 minutes
Difficulty: easy
More information: Green belt (German)

Just a few steps from the Palace Hostel Vienna away section 5 of the green belt hiking trail starts. The hike starts at the fire house Steinhof. From there you wander through the Steinhofgründe, a big garden, heading to Hütteldorf. For a long time the gardens have been a great local recreational area for many Viennese citizens. In summer you can set your soul free and take a look at the playing kids during a picnic and in winter you can take your cross-country skis and take a ride on the runs through the gardens. From the Steinhofgründe you walk downwards through the Dehne park until you reach a street called Dehnegasse. From there you reach via the two streets Linzerstraße and Bahnhofstraße the railway station Hütteldorf. Just a few steps from the railway station away you will find our Hostel Vienna Hütteldorf. That’s why this track is suitable for all of our guests. If you are already in Hütteldorf it is not far to the Palace Schönbrunn and the Zoo Schönbrunn anymore. Just take the green line of the subway and exit at station Hietzing. Therewith you can combine a great hike with sightseeing and at once reach the Schönbrunn palace in less than 40 minutes from the Palace Hostel Vienna.

Hiking track Lainzer Tiergarten

Total distance: ca. 13 km
Duration: ca. 3 hours
Difficulty: medium
More information: Lainzer Tiergarten (German)

Our third track starts at closest quarters to the Hostel Vienna Hütteldorf. The Lainzer Tiergarten is a free accessible nature reserve and home to much wildlife within the city of Vienna. If you are lucky you can see boars, sheeps and also deer during your hike through the reserve. Our route starts at the Nikolai gate in the northeast of the park. From there you pass by the Nikolai chapel and via a small pond and some feeding grassland you reach a small hill called Johannser Kogel. There you can take a break or you directly walk on until you reach the tavern Rohrhaus. Recently the tavern was reopened and it offers a big garden restaurant with a great view over the reserve where you can recover yourself. You can strengthen yourself for the rest of the hike with a typical Austrian “Jause”, a meal consisting of dark bread, sausages, cheese, ham and much more, or one of the other typical Austrian dishes. After the break the path leads you to the “Palace of dreams” of the famous empress Sissi. The Hermesvilla was a present of Emperor Franz Joseph. With this little present Emperor Franz Joseph tried to keep his wife who loved to travel more often in Vienna. During the occupation after the Second World War the villa was heavily destroyed and not renovated until the end of the 60’s. Today the villa is a museum which gives its visitors a great insight into the private life of the former Emperor couple Franz Joseph and Elizabeth. After that interesting insight you will leave the park for a short time via the Lainzer gate before you entre it again at the tavern Lindwurm. At the lookout “Wienerblick” you can enjoy the great view over the city of Vienna before you wander back to the Nikolai gate via forests and one of the many lush feeding grasslands. If you arrive the Nikolai gate it is just a few more steps back to the Hostel Vienna Hütteldorf where you can recover yourself in the big garden.