mmcgriff

We are going to be in Vienna for 3 days the end of September. We will definitely take in the highlights of the beautiful city but would love to go hiking somewhere in the region. Any suggestions on where we could go? Thanks!

annhig

I hope that forum regular fourfortravel will see this, mmcgriff, as she lives in Vienna and is best placed to advise you, but in her absence, I'll tell you about two walks that we did, both of which we enjoyed a lot.

The first was from the top of the Kahlenberg [a hill overlooking Vienna to the north of the city] - we got a tram and then a bus to the top, and then we walked down through the vineyards into Heiligenstadt to the Beethovensommerhaus, and then further back into Vienna via Grinzing, stopping on the way at any Heurige [wine taverns that sell their own wine and usually some nice food too] that took our fancy.

The second one we did later in our stay when we were staying in a village south of Vienna called "Gumpelskirchen" - we drove to Baden and then walked through the woods along the Beethovenwanderweg to a very nice Gasthof where we had lunch, and walked back again.

I'm sure that there are lots of other possibilities but these were very good; the walk down from the Kahlenberg was perhaps one of the most memorable things we did while we were in Vienna.

mmcgriff

WOW! Thank you Annhig. This information is a great start and is just what I was hoping for.

annhig

no probs, mmcgriff. if I come across four4 on my virtual travels, I will direct her to your thread!

here are some more ideas:

https://www.wien.gv.at/english/leisu...ing/paths.html

NB - the first one also features the Kahlenberg but is an uphill walk which strikes me as a very bad idea!

fourfortravel

annhig, we are just back from a Großglockner long weekend and alm hike, with a short side hike to Krimml Falls. Stunning and highly recommended, but not with only 3 days in Vienna.

"Hiking" in Vienna takes various forms. For easy "hiking," and depending on your late September visit, the Wien Weinwandertag occurs this year on 1 and 2 October. The vineyards in the northern part of Vienna open tiny taverns, and one can walk the trails across the vineyards at their prettiest, sampling the wines and enjoying the small plates of local fare. The event is a great way to walk off one too many tastes of Grüner Veltliner, too.

If you'll not be in Vienna for the Wandertag, you can still walk much of the same route and treat yourself to lunch at a heuriger in Grinzing, Nußdorf or Heiligenstadt. The walks that annhig describe for a Kahlenberger start or in Gumpoldskirchen will be rewarding, as well.

For more serious hiking as well as lighter walks with beautiful scenery, the city offers nine Stadtwanderweg (city wandering trails) at https://www.wien.gv.at/umwelt/wald/f.../wandern/wege/ I can write from experience that 1, 1a, 2, 3, 4, and 8 are not really intended for casual walkers; there are steep inclines along stretches of the routes better suited for those who routinely hike.

Vienna in September is beautiful. Happy Planning!

annhig

glad you found this Four4. the Grossglockner was on our itinerary when we did our Austrian trip a few years ago but we bailed out [literally] when the incessant rain persuaded us that more time in the city would be a good idea.

I think that website you link to is the german version of the one I found and the description of the first one which said that it's up-hill all the way certainly put me off.

fourfortravel

annhig, we've been waiting four years for the "right" weather on Großglockner. Of course, after we had crossed the cancellation point with our hotel, the forecast for the day prior to arrival at the peak included 29cm of snow! Thankfully the roads and paths were dry and clear, and the air temperature was a balmy 15°, otherwise our plans would have been scrapped, too.

Ha! about the paths! I saw "leisure" in the English language link and would never connect it to most of those city trails. Austria takes hiking seriously; those wearing athletic shoes and coordinated outfits need not apply.

annhig

Four4 - they are exactly the same; presumably they think that Brits have the same idea of what constitutes fun as Austrians.

roshniray

I was in Vienna and Salzburg for 4 days last month. Have written up a blog post https://avidtravellers.net/2016/08/0...ud-and-mozart/ See if you can get some ideas from it.

otto

@roshinray that's a great blog! thank you, very useful...

roshniray

Thank you Otto

fourfortravel

From one of my news feeds today, a timely article of possible interest, though all but the Kahlenberger outing would require additional planning.
https://www.virtualvienna.net/hiking...s-from-vienna/

Happy Planning!

annhig

Another one of Vienna’s local mountains, the Schneeberg (“snow mountain”) is the highest mountain in Lower Austria (2.076m) and can be readily seen from parts of Vienna on a clear day. There is a rack-and-pinion railway – the Schneeberg railway – going up all the way to a height of 1.800m, cutting down the hike to the summit to about two hours. >>

well thats all right then.