I would love to spend a weekend in Vienna every month, admiring all the architectural wonders, enjoying all the delicacies, and exploring all the secrets of the Danube metropolis. Because new ones are added every year.
It’s hard to stop being amazed. Once you’ve visited all the major sights of Vienna, such as Schönbrunn Palace, St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Belvedere Palace, the Vienna State Opera, the colorful Hundertwasser House, and maybe even the Spanish Riding School, it’s time to leave the beaten path and take a short break from grandeur and splendor. Because Vienna is as diverse as hardly any other European city, with plenty of outdoor and natural wonders in addition to the urban jungle attractions.
What I love about warm days in the city is the opportunity to enjoy Vienna with a good glass of wine in peace, amidst paradise-like nature, from above. The writer Karl Kraus once said that the streets in Vienna are paved with culture, while those of other cities are paved with asphalt. He’s right, and hardly any other European metropolis is as closely linked to viticulture as Vienna. Who else can boast over 6 million m2 of vineyards within city limits? If this number means nothing to you, perhaps the idea of 857 football fields planted with grapevines might. Today, Vienna is the only metropolis worldwide with significant winemaking within city limits.
According to gourmet expert Jürgen Dollase, winegrowers were already allowed to serve their own wine for three months a year under Charlemagne around the year 800. Wine culture in Vienna flourished in the Middle Ages when each district had its own vineyard, a practice later abolished as the city expanded. In 1784, Emperor Joseph II allowed wine service. At that time, a spruce twig was used as a guiding symbol: Please, this way to good wine. The tradition of the Buschenschank inn was born. Enjoying nature, with wine and beautiful views.
A City View Like in Cinemascope
So, leave the magnificent urban jungle and head up to the pleasure mountains. From the final stop of tram line D in the Viennese Heuriger village of Nussdorf, City Hiking Trail 1 leads you to wonderfully beautiful viewpoints. Through vineyards and forests, you reach the Viennese people’s local mountain, the Kahlenberg. During the summer months, along this path, wine taverns and Heurige tempt you with culinary delights and fine wines.
From the Stefaniewarte, at about 300 m, you have a broad view over the Vienna Basin, the beautiful hills of the Vienna Woods, and the Danube.
After a stop at the cosy Josefinenhütte – which, by the way, also features an e-bike charging station and, for adrenaline junkies, a forest ropes course complete with flying fox and climbing trees – you return to your starting point via the gently descending ridge of the Nussberg.
But wait! That went too quickly. Because an absolute must in good weather is Wieninger am Nussberg – a large, idyllic natural terrace offering one of the most spectacular views of Vienna. Surrounded by nature, guests can enjoy all the regional delicacies conjured up by the Wieninger family and Sigi Machatschek. Think pumpkin salad with pomegranate seeds or courgette salad with mushrooms, organic Mangalitza pressed sausage from master butcher Thum, or selected cheese specialities from the Paznaun Valley. For dessert, there’s sheep’s milk ice cream and poppy seed cake. You can easily walk off the calories in Vienna — as, after all, there’s no shortage of attractions to explore.
Vienna – the city of a thousand wonders
I had a hauntingly beautiful feeling during a guided night walk through the city, which naturally has its fair share of ghost stories and — with a nod to Sigmund Freud — plenty of mysteries too. Few people know that Vienna is home to one of the tallest wooden skyscrapers in the world, located right by the U2 station Seestadt in the 22nd district, Donaustadt. The HoHo Wien is a timber-hybrid high-rise, standing at 84 metres tall, making it the second tallest wooden building in the world after the Mjøstårnet in Brumunddal, Norway. The fascinating part: the architects designed the façade to resemble the bark of a giant tree.
Vienna is as diverse as hardly any other European city. © Paul Bauer
Another surprise for me was the visit to the Magic Box Museum — a fantastic journey into the world of illusions. Unfortunately, this show can only be admired on the first Sunday of each month. But all aspiring magicians and illusionists should plan a visit, as the collection of over 3,000 magic sets on display is accompanied by demonstrations of some of the best and most astonishing tricks.
To recharge afterwards, a visit to a Viennese coffee house remains a true classic. My top three are still the small, cosy Café Jelinek with its cast-iron wood-burning stove, Café Sperl with its own signature house cake, and the legendary Café Hawelka with its in-house roastery. Sampling local specialities like Tafelspitz and Kaiserschmarrn is, of course, a must on any trip to Vienna. For something more unusual, head to Rothneusiedl in the south of the city, where a farm boasts a snail farm and a globally unique delicacy: pleasantly nutty-tasting snail liver.
Secrets of Empress Sisi
Last but not least, I must confess to being a great admirer of Empress Elisabeth, known affectionately as Sisi. Across Europe, there are still places where the memory of this remarkable woman is kept alive. Even in Transylvania, in a small village called Halmágy, I discovered a statue of Sisi — the local Hungarian population still holds her in deep affection. In Vienna, anyone interested in the secrets of this iconic figure should visit the Sisi Museum at the Hofburg Palace. On cloudy or cooler days, it’s the perfect place to gain a fresh perspective on the myth surrounding this legendary empress.
What many don’t know: Sisi, far from the usual romantic clichés, was the best horsewoman of her time. She won numerous riding tournaments in England and was admired for her athletic prowess.
Text: Joscha Remu
Header photo: © Paul Bauer