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Vienna Woods

My wife & I are going to be in Vienna a few days starting September 30th. Is it worth the time for a day trip to explore the Vienna Woods area? Walking/hiking & visiting small towns are of interest to us.
If so, where to start/spend the time? We'd have to travel by train. Recommendations please.

Posted by
154 posts

Connecting the woods with Vienna may not fit quite with what you are hoping to see and do and could be difficult with train. I recommend visiting the Wachau Valley since it is easy to connect with Vienna and there is a better mix of things to see and do. You can Visit Melk and Krems to fill your small town hopes and Melk has a large and beautiful abbey. You can also walk or bike along the banks of the Danube River to connect these towns.

Posted by
4137 posts

Since you say you will be visiting Vienna for several days , visiting the Vienna Woods or Wienerwald , as it is known , is quite easy from downtown . Since your time in Vienna is limited and you could easily spend a month there and not see everything , I would not recommend the day trip to Melk and the Wachau Valley . It's quite nice and I did it on my recent trip , but the limited time has an impact as far as I'm concerned . There are several places in the woods - Kahlenberg , Nussdorf , Neustift am Walde are several , but a favorite for me is Grinzing . While some feel this village is " touristy " and it may well be in the height of the summer season , I visited at the end of September ( as you will ) and the place was deserted . There are any number of Heurigen , or wine taverns to choose from ( read about the Heurigen before your trip ) and Grinzing is charming . As a lifelong professional musician , it holds some significance for me in the flow of music history . Buried in the cemetery near the church are the composer Gustav Mahler ( a very evocative memorial designed by Josef Hoffmann ) , and the grave of his wife , Alma Mahler Werfel ( She has quite a story of her own ) . Grinzing is easily accessible from the lower level of the Schottentor tram stop on the Ring and the pleasant ride up into the hills takes about twenty five minutes . You can connect to a bus at the end of the tram line which will take you further up Himmelstrasse into the woods if you choose . If you can , before your trip , try to read " The Number 38 Streetcar " chapter in a book entitled " The Play of the Eyes " by the writer Elias Canetti . This is the last section of his memoirs that is set in Vienna in the 1930's .EDIT-PS Sorry , the Tram is #38 , sorry to forget the obvious !

Posted by
5362 posts

The Vienna Woods is a huge area stretching from the northern suburbs of Vienna proper well into more rural regions of the country. While it is quite impossible to explore the whole area in a day, it is most reasonable to check out the areas which are within Vienna. These areas often include vineyards, which makes it all the more interesting.

This link provides some background info and great advice on hiking.

http://www.wien.info/en/sightseeing/excursions/vienna-woods

For me, I think the best plan would be to take the 38A bus from Heiligenstadt to Kahlenberg, which is on top of a large hill overlooking Vienna. Walk over to the lookout and then follow the signs for Stadtwanderweg 1 down to Nussdorf. Along the way, you will walk through some woods for about 15 minutes, then through vineyards for a while. Within these vineyards are numerous heurigen to stop and enjoy a glass of wine (or better yet Sturm in September) and a small bite to eat. Once in Nussdorf look for Tram D which will take you back to the center of town. This program will take an afternoon.

I would also like to note that, in my opinion, Grinzing should be avoided as it is completely full of busloads of tourists and canned entertainment. I don't doubt that the poster above has had a positive experience there, but there are so many more authentic parts of town to enjoy the heurigen experience, such as Nussdorf and Stammersdorf.

Finally, I strongly encourage you to explore the Wachau Valley as a day trip from Vienna, even in lieu of the trip to Kahlenberg. In September in particular, this is a lovely time to visit the area for the grape harvest. The villages of Weissenkirchen, Spitz and Duernstein are not to be missed.

Posted by
295 posts

Hi, we will be in Vienna the 2nd week of October and will be going to take in some heurigen spots. I have read lots about grinzing vs nussdorf(sp), etc. I am just a little confused about the route to get to them, bus 38A is mentioned and tram 38 also. Is this determined from where you would depart? We are staying close to Karlsplatz but can go to whatever is the better departure point .Just looking for some clarification and possible recommendations for a good heurigen . Thanks

Posted by
5362 posts

Grinzing = touristy and busloads of people with mediocre food; take tram 38 to the end and walk. You pick up tram 38 at Schottentor; to get to Schottentor from Karlsplatz take the U2.
Nussdorf = more local and better quality. Look at Schuebel-Auer, for example, but note their closed days. Take Tram D for Nussdorf (end station). You can pick up Tram D at Karlsplatz.

Bus 38A departs from the U4 Heiligenstadt station and ascends Kahlenberg where you have a lovely hilltop view of Vienna and the Danube. It is a real treat to then walk down the well marked path of Stadtwanderweg 1 to Nussdorf. This will take you through vineyards and you will pass other nice heurigen on the way down.

Alternatively, you could go wild and try an area such as Stammersdorf. Take tram 31 to the end from Schottentor (get there from Karlsplatz on the U2). Many excellent heurigen are in this area.