Today, the subject of our story will be the famous Vienna Woods. Austria is literally unthinkable without this beautiful green area located in its capital. In 2005, UNESCO assigned the status of a biosphere park to the Vienna Woods as an area with a special cultural heritage and a unique natural landscape. If you are lucky enough to get to Austria, be sure to visit this place too. It is not at all necessary to run to local attractions, you can just sunbathe on the lawn or admire the magnificent views from the observation decks.
Vienna Woods: photo, description
The biosphere park, which covers an area of 9,900 hectares, is located directly in It covers the territory of seven administrative districts of Vienna. The main goal of the park is also the development of the region. The Vienna Woods in Vienna is inhabited by a large number of animals and birds. More than two hundred species of various plants are found on its territory. As for the inhabitants of the local fauna, many of them are very rare and are on the verge of extinction. So, a few years ago, local zoologists managed to re-breed And after three years, in 2011, for the first time in the last half century in the Vienna Woods, the offspring of these animals was obtained. Also, from the representatives of the local fauna, the emerald lizard, which is on the verge of extinction, can be distinguished.
In total, the Vienna Woods includes four nature parks and fifteen nature reserves. Its landscape consists of meadows, fields, forests, pastures and vineyards. Most of the wine-growing places have retained their inherent rustic character: each guest of the park can spend time at a dinner of national cuisine and delicious wine in a cozy wine tavern or on a shady garden terrace.
How to get there
Despite the fact that an excursion to the Vienna Woods is one of the most popular among guests of the Austrian capital and is offered by absolutely all tour operators and agencies, you can visit this attraction on your own. Moreover, getting to the biosphere park is not at all difficult: first you need to take the metro (line U4, stop Heiligenstadt), and then bus number 38A, the route of which passes the main observation platforms - Leopoldsberg, Kahlenberg and Cobenzl.
What to see in the Vienna Woods
As a rule, excursions to the biosphere park of the Austrian capital include visits to the following attractions: the Liechtenstein fortress, the underground Seegrote lake, the monastery of the Holy Cross, the hunting house of the Mayerling emperors and the resort of Baden. We invite you to learn more about each of them.
Fortress of Liechtenstein
Liechtensteinburg, located on the southern edge of the Vienna Woods, is the ancestral castle of the princes of Liechtenstein. It is not a museum in the traditional sense of the word, but the place has a rich history. The family castle was restored by the Liechtenstein family in the 19th century, and to this day it is their property. During the 12th and 13th centuries, the fortress was used as a temporary residence for representatives of this ancient family. Thus, Liechtensteinburg today preserves almost a thousand-year history of the family of its founders. The castle was built in the Romanesque style, the chambers are furnished with antique furniture, as well as decorated with bas-reliefs and weapons. Liechtensteinburg's tower offers one of the most beautiful views of the Austrian capital. This picturesque place has long inspired creative people. They even filmed films here: the Hollywood Three Musketeers and the Austrian Commissioner Rex.
Underground Lake Seergrote
The Vienna Woods has on its territory the largest underground lake in all of Europe. Its area is 6200 square meters. In the middle of the 19th century, a large gypsum deposit was discovered on a local hill, which began to be actively developed. However, due to the underground water flooding of the mines in 1912, the work was stopped forever. After 20 years, it was decided to open the flooded adits for boat trips, which are still held here today. Interestingly, during the Second World War, military aircraft were produced in a mine protected from air raids.
Monastery of the holy cross
Heiligenkreuz Monastery (translated as Holy Cross) is often called the mystical center of the Vienna Woods. It is the oldest Cistercian monastery in the world. It is also interesting that since its inception, it has never interrupted its activities. So, since the distant year 1133, novices hold divine services seven times a day. The Vienna Woods is considered one of the most important burial sites in all of Austria. Thus, in the Assembly Hall of the Holy Cross Monastery, four rulers of the country's oldest ruling dynasty, the Babenbergs, are buried. Also in Heiligenkreuz is kept a very revered relic - a particle of the Cross of the Lord.
The hunting lodge of the Mayerling emperors
This place became infamous after the double suicide committed in it - the Austro-Hungarian Crown Prince Rudolph and his lady of the heart, Baroness Maria von Vecher. Earlier, Mayerling Castle, erected in 1550, belonged to the Heiligenkreuz monastery. But at the end of the 19th century it was acquired and the castle became the hunting lodge of the Habsburgs.
Vienna Woods. Spa Baden
This place was once the summer residence of the Kaiser. Today Baden invites everyone to visit the curative healing centers located on its territory. It offers first-class hotels, a rich cultural program and the opportunity to enjoy excellent wines from local grape varieties.
The Vienna Woods is a huge forest area, which is home to well-groomed towns, distinctive villages of winemakers, as well as numerous thermal springs. It is located in the vicinity of the Austrian capital (Vienna), in the foothills of the Alps. The Vienna Woods is a favorite and traditional vacation spot for the local population and guests of the beautiful Vienna.
The Vienna Woods are rightfully considered the "lungs" of Vienna. The borders of this vast territory are the Danube Valley, famous for its delightful vineyards, as well as the spa towns of Baden and Bad Vöslau. In addition to the breathtaking beauty of nature, vacationers will be delighted by various thermal springs that do not need any advertising. The developed tourist infrastructure of the Vienna Woods successfully harmonizes with the natural beauty and delights of nature. Hotels of all stripes and categories successfully coexist and develop in the Vienna Woods. All kinds of cafes and specialized resort areas are at your service.
The Vienna Woods are waltzes by J. Strauss, traces of L. Beethoven and the legends about F. Schubert. This is Lichtenstein Castle, built at the beginning of the last millennium. This is a favorite place not only for curious and eager for new tourists, but also for locals. The Vienna Woods amazes and delights again and again, the only problem may be the question - where to start exploring this natural attraction of Austria?
Our guide in Vienna reminds us that in the Forest there are a lot of observation platforms, climbing on which you can at least somewhat specifically decide on the further route. However, the Baroque church, the open-type pool Krapfenwald and the largest underground lake Hintenbrühl, located at a depth of 60 meters underground, which arose, however, not without human help, deserve the obligatory attention of tourists ... By the way, tourists can ride a boat on this lake ... It is interesting to know that the lake is fed by seven underground springs, but it does not have a natural outflow. That is why every night about 50-60 thousand liters of water are pumped out from here in order to maintain an optimal level of 1.2 meters.
The richness of nature in the Vienna Woods is immense! Here you can meet about 150 different species of birds, get acquainted with more than 2,000 species of plants and animals, including rare and endangered ones. And if you want to distract yourself a little, then by all means take a look into one of the vineyards and taste delicious natural wine in a warm and cozy village atmosphere.
During its existence, the Vienna Woods has been replenished with numerous hiking and cycling routes that will delight you with their diversity.
It was in the Vienna Woods that Sigmund Freud discovered his secret of dreams. Here, at one time, Kafka walked unhurriedly and Peter I stayed for four days.
But back to what really deserves attention.
The Abbey of Heiligenkreuz with the Cistercian monastery is also of great interest. It was named after the first monastery of the order - the Cistertium. At the entrance to the monastery, a hill with a colorful staircase attracts attention. The name of this original beauty is Golgotha!
And just imagine that the beauty of the Vienna Woods might not have survived to this day! The fact is that in the 19th century it was planned to sell the Forest to a logger to pay off a military debt. But the hype that began and was rapidly developing on this occasion saved the Forest.
All in all, the Vienna Woods is an amazing place that is worth visiting whenever possible or at least once in a lifetime!
It is enough to say the phrase "Tales from the Vienna Woods", and the well-known melody of Strauss immediately pops up in the memory. The Vienna Woods is one of the most beautiful sights in Austria with a romantic aura. It is not for nothing that this wonderful corner of the earth was glorified in their works by Johann Strauss, Mozart, Franz Schubert and Beethoven. However, the Vienna Woods attracted not only musicians, writers and poets, it was not ignored even by royalty.
Now tourists visit the Vienna Woods to see the local historical sights.
Klosterneuburg pin
Let's start with the wonderful town of Stift Klosterneuburg. It is located on the picturesque hills of the northern part of the forest, just ten kilometers from Vienna. In this breathing old town, there is a monastery of Augustinian monks, which is almost 900 years old. Connoisseurs of art will be amazed by the old enamel Verdun altar, which is kept in the temple. Just imagine, it was created by the artist N. Verdeni in the XII century!
Medling
No less interesting is the southern side of the Vienna Woods, or rather, the city of Medling. Thanks to its beautiful landscapes, excellent heurigers, restaurants and, of course, architectural monuments, this city is a favorite place for the inhabitants of Vienna. From afar, you can see the tower of the Medling fortress, towering majestically on a hill. It offers a magnificent panorama of the surroundings.
On the outskirts of the city, in Hinterbrühl, is the continent's largest cave lake. On a hot summer day, you can ride a boat on it, and in the winter cold you can warm up here, since the temperature in the mine is always 9 degrees Celsius.
Laxenburg
The Vienna Woods has accumulated a lot of curious things. He's amazing! In the town of Laxenburg, almost on the outskirts of Vienna, it is interesting to visit the imperial summer palace, the Blue Court. Here you will also find yourself in an English park and the pseudo-Gothic Franzensburg castle located in the center of the lake.
Spa Baden
Well, if you intend to improve your health, welcome to the foothills of the Vienna Woods, to the resort of Baden. The local healing waters and the atmosphere of the Biedermeier palaces attract wealthy people here. The largest and oldest casino in Austria is also located here. In short, there is something to see, and a lot of options for how to relax!
Book a hotel in Vienna
To get acquainted with the sights of Austria, in particular with the area of the Vienna Woods, you will need to settle somewhere. Especially for you, Vienna hotels are presented below, divided into three categories: popular hotels, luxury hotels and cheap hotels. Here you can book a room in a Vienna hotel in advance in accordance with your wishes and financial possibilities. For your convenience, here you will find information on the location of the hotels in relation to the city center, as well as the number of stars.
Just select the hotel you like by clicking on the "View hotel" button. Next, you will find yourself on the page where you can book a hotel. There is also more detailed information about it, reviews, ratings, photos, location on the map, features and, of course, prices.
If you would like to see other hotels, you can simply select the city "Vienna" above, and you will see a list of all Vienna hotels available for booking.
The Vienna Woods covers a vast area in the vicinity of Vienna, covered with dense forests, colorful valleys and mighty mountains.
A favorite place for tourists to walk in the Vienna Woods is the town of Mödling. It attracts guests with the beauty of its landscapes and the contents of its wine cellars. On the outskirts of the town is the largest cave lake in Eurasia - Hinterbrühl, its area is 6200 sq. meters.
The town of Klosterneuburg, which is compactly located right on the hills of the Vienna Woods, is famous for its Augustinian monastery. The "Holy Palace" was built in 1108. For 8 centuries, it was the spiritual center of Austria, glorifying the dynasty of the great Habsburgs. Now the monastery houses the largest museum in Europe, exhibiting works of art from the post-war period.
Healing waters, magnificent architecture and the oldest and largest casino in Austria - this is what the resort of Baden near Vienna (Baden bei Wien) is known for all over the world. This city was once chosen by the Russian Tsar Peter I, it is a pity that the house in which he stayed has not survived to this day.
The Vienna Woods, surrounded by vineyards, is an ideal place for winemaking, which has a history of about two thousand years in this region. The most popular wine centers in Wienerwald are Klosterneuburg , Gumpoldskirchen, Bad Voeslau, Baden and Perchtoldsdorf. Every tourist can cheer themselves up in one of the local heurigers (wine cellars).
The Vienna Woods is a mysterious place with a long history. It can be safely called a fabulous state separate from Austria, which has its own cities, villages and resorts.
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The second Austrian day promised to be less surprising, because excursions had already been scheduled for this and all subsequent ones. The tour included a paid sightseeing car tour of Vienna, so Friday was supposed to start with it. But in the afternoon I took myself a walk in the Vienna Woods. However, let's start in the morning ...
After waking up and having breakfast, I immediately went to the Westbahnhof to eat something delicious and check my mail, check in and read the Twitter feed. And at the entrance to the station I found such a minibus of the Austrian police - Volkswagen Transporter 4:
The full name of the police in this country is the Austrian Federal Police (Bundespolizei). It turns out that until 2005, the police system functioned as gendarmerie for most of the country, and the police existed in large cities and urban areas such as Vienna, Salzburg and Graz. In 2004, the Austrian government decided to join together the police forces, the criminal police, the gendarmerie and the rest of the internal affairs bodies in order to become a single part of the Austrian federal police.
The Austrians say Vienna is a very safe city. You can walk around hung with jewelry, with a camera on your stomach, paving your way on yapada and illuminating the road with your fifth iPhone - and no one will touch you. Thugs, of course, do occur, but even hooliganism, not to mention robbery or other serious crimes, is a rarity. By the way, you won't find policemen on the road just like that, but as soon as something happens, they immediately appear in the conflict zone. Such efficiency and stealth is provided by an incredible number of video cameras that monitor every intersection or alley in Vienna.
I returned to the hotel, waited there quite a bit - and a guide-driver came for me, with whom we went on a sightseeing tour of Vienna. The first stop is the Hofburg palace complex, which at one time was the winter residence of the Austrian Habsburgs and the main seat of the imperial court in Vienna. Currently - the official residence of the President of Austria.
It is said that a medieval castle was built on this site long before the Habsburgs. It is known that already in 1279 the Austrian rulers lived in the Hofburg. Virtually every emperor of the Habsburg dynasty continued to expand and rebuild their city residence. Under Ferdinand I, the Swiss Gate appeared; under Maximilian II - stables, later converted into an art gallery; under Rudolf II - the wing with the Empress's chambers, later named Amalienburg; under Leopold I - wine cellars and Leopold's wing with state reception halls; under Charles VI - the grandiose building of the arena and the imperial library with magnificent sculptural decoration; under Maria Theresa - the court Burgtheater; under Joseph II - Joseph Platz with an equestrian statue of the emperor. In 1889-1891. the Museum of Artistic History and the Museum of Natural History were erected, however, the construction of a new wing of the palace was delayed until 1912.
Do you remember this balcony from newsreels? Yeah, it was from him that on March 15, 1938, Adolf Hitler proclaimed the Anschluss (annexation, and in fact annexation) of Austria to the German Empire, saying: "I declare to the German people the fulfillment of the most important mission in my life."
Since October 26, 1955, when the allied forces decided that they would not derail this country, Austria's foreign policy has been built taking into account the international legal status of permanent neutrality, according to which the state will not take part in any wars, will not allow the presence no foreign troops on its territory and will not enter into any military treaty. Nevertheless, Austria is actively involved in the political life of Europe, is a member of the European Union, and the headquarters of the OSCE is located in its capital. By the way, it is in the Hofburg. By the way, just in this part of the palace, where these same flags hang:
I already wrote that today the Hofburg is also the residence of the President of Austria Heinz Fischer, who has held this post since 2004. Rumor has it that this man is so simple that he walks to work, accompanied by a minimum amount of security. By the way, it is in this wing of the palace complex that the Austrian President and his administration work:
From the square of the Hofburg palace complex, the new city hall (Wiener Rathaus), located on the Friedrich-Schmidt-Platz square, is perfectly visible. This building was built in 1872-1883. designed by architect Friedrich Schmidt. and now it houses the offices of the mayor of the city and municipality. I took several dozen pictures of this beautiful building, choosing a more interesting angle:
As a dog lover, I was struck by the Austrian attitude towards dogs: firstly, they are everywhere, secondly, I did not see a single stray animal, and thirdly, you can walk with them everywhere except hospitals and museums (even pharmacies and grocery shops), fourthly, in any transport there are specially designated places for them, and fifthly, special zones for walking are allocated everywhere in the city. For example, in the Hofburg you can walk with dogs without hindrance even under the windows of the President of Austria:
If you walk around the center of Vienna, then in several typical places (Albertina Square, for example) you can meet horse-drawn carriages, which for a “modest” fee of 50-80 euros will take you for twenty to thirty minutes along the most interesting places in the Austrian capital.
And this is the Austrian Parliament - the Federal Assembly (Bundesversammlung). Consists of two chambers: the Federal Council (Bundesrat; it has 64 seats; deputies are elected by the parliaments of the states; lands are represented by a different number of deputies depending on the population; the term of office of a deputy of the federal council is 4 or 6 years, depending on the term of office of the Landtag that elected them ) and the National Council (Nationalrat, numbering 183 seats; deputies to it are elected on a proportional-list system for 5 years).
We get in the car and drive away. The next stop is the Hundertwasser-Kravina house.
Hundertwasserhaus - residential building at Kegelgasse 36-38, A-1030 Wien, corner from Löwengasse 41-43. The house has 52 apartments, 4 offices, 16 private and 3 common terraces. Built by the Austrian artist and architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser in 1983-1986 together with the architect Josef Kravina. Since 2010, the official name of the Hundertwasser-Kravina House has been used.
The building is funny: it is multi-colored, lined with bright tiles, all windows are of completely different shapes and sizes, and its inhabitants have long been accustomed to the interest of tourists in the building.
In fact, this is social housing, which can be obtained by any Austrian with a monthly family income of less than 2000 euros. And if the Viennese usually pay about 600 euros for rented housing, then a social apartment will cost about 150 euros. There are about 220,000 such apartments in Vienna. If your income at some stage exceeds 2,000 euros per month, then the apartment will have to be vacated immediately.
Opposite the Hundertwasser house is the so-called "Hundertwasser Village" - a small trade and exhibition center with a characteristic facade and a small town inside. There is a cafe-bar, souvenir shops and a special stylish public toilet. There I bought a bottle of unique pumpkin seed oil, apricot schnapps for presents and real Austrian ice wine.
Ice wine (Eiswein) is a special type of dessert wine made from grapes frozen on the vine. In Austria, only grapes frozen exclusively naturally (nailed down by frost) can be called "ice wine". The frost must reach at least -7 ° C (according to the German law on the production of ice wine). However, if the frost exceeds these figures, then the juice cannot be extracted. The wine is very, very sweet, quite strong and is sold in bottles of only 350 or 200 ml.
Ranging bottles, I walked down the alley and went down to a small canal in the park area. And here for you, returning to the question of the love of the Viennese for animals - a zone for walking dogs:
We sit back in the car and go to the next excursion site - Schönbrunn Palace.
Schönbrunn Palace (Schloß Schönbrunn) - the Vienna residence of the Austrian Habsburg emperors. The first mentions of the construction on the site of the present palace date back to the XIV century. In December 1996, Schönbrunn was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The list included both the palace itself and the park with its many fountains and statues, glorietta and Roman ruins, as well as the zoo - the oldest in the world. They say that for two years in a row in this very zoo, pandas bring offspring. It is a pity that I was not able to visit it, because there was only enough time for a walk in the vicinity of the palace and in its parks.
Note the typical Viennese plaque on the house. The first number on it is the number of the district, the following words are the name of the street or square, and only then follows the number of the building. Vienna consists of 23 districts, each of which has a name, but districts are often indicated by numbers. From a legal point of view, they are not districts in the sense of the administrative division of Austria (as, for example, districts in other states), but simply divisions of the city administration. However, elections are held in these districts, and elected representatives have some political powers, for example, in the area of urban planning. In addition, each district has its own administrative building (except for the 13th and 14th districts, which share one building), so that most of the administrative needs of the townspeople can be met in their district, for example, to get a new passport.
The number of the district reflects the period of its incorporation into Vienna: The first district is the historical center of Vienna, and until the second half of the 19th century it was actually the entire city, surrounded by a city wall; districts 2-9, as well as the 20th (it was separated from the 2nd), are known as the inner regions (Innenbezirke) and for the most part are the former suburbs of Vienna, which were located inside the rampart - the second line of defense of the city, built at the beginning of the 18th century; the remaining areas are known as the outer (Außenbezirke) and consist of more distant former suburbs, located outside the rampart or beyond the Danube.
After visiting Schönbrunn, we return to the center of Vienna, to the Albertina square. By the way, this kiosk makes wonderful hot dogs with meat sausages!
In addition to wonderful hot dogs on Albertina Square, you can see the Museum of Contemporary Arts of the same name, the back of the Vienna Opera and the Sacher Hotel with Mozart and Sacher cafes, in each of which you can taste the same legendary cake, but about this a little bit later.
From the same square, accompanied by a muffled tour guide, who can only speak in cliches and jokes, we set off for the Vienna Woods.
The Vienna Woods (Wienerwald) is a spur of the Eastern Alps, located in the vicinity of Vienna. A magnificent recreation area - a whole forest area with its own towns and hotels, resorts and thermal springs, in fact, it is a set of oak and beech forests on an area of 1250 km².
And the first stop is the largest underground lake Seegrotte in Europe, where gypsum was mined for a long time, and during the Second World War a secret aircraft plant was located.
At first we descended for a long time in the twilight, listening to stories about the horrors of the underground work of people who in inhuman conditions mined gypsum in distant times, and then were rewarded with a magical walk along an underground lake on a silent boat, driven by a real captain:
We sit in the car and leave for the Lichtenstein castle.
Lichtenstein Castle is a castle located south of Vienna at the edge of the Vienna Woods. The castle was originally built in the 12th century, then destroyed by the Ottomans in 1529 and 1683, and then rebuilt in 1884 and leased to Austria. It is from the name of the castle Lichtenstein ("Light Stone") that the name of the princely family of Liechtenstein, who govern the state of the same name, arose.
Today, the castle is closed to visitors due to disagreements between the Austrian government and its owners, so you can only wander around the surrounding area without going up to its walls.
We take a goodbye shot from a convenient point - and move on.
Then we arrived at the Cistercian monastery of Heiligenkreuz with the burial vault of the Babenbergs. Despite the fact that Heiligenkreuz is one of the largest surviving medieval monastic architectural complexes in the world, I hardly remember it at all. Well, perhaps with a glance through the window at a valuable relic - the Cross with fragments of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord.
Well, the last stop on this day is the city of Baden (not nbsp; confused with Baden-Baden).
Baden (Baden bei Wien) is a regional center in Austria, in the federal state of Lower Austria, a spa resort. Located 26 km from Vienna, with which it is connected by a tram line (such a beige tram departs from the Vienna Opera, being on the way for a little over an hour). The city is often called "Baden near Vienna" to distinguish the city from others with the same name, for example: Baden-Baden in Germany or Baden in Switzerland.
You enter the city - and immediately a strong strong smell of rotten eggs, that is, hydrogen sulfide, shines in your nose. This is precisely what Baden is valuable for, since there are many hospitals in which you can get procedures with healing water.
But in this house, Ludwig van Beethoven lived and worked for three summers in a row! And just here, behind a window on the second floor, the great composer scribbled on the windowsill the last notes of his famous Ninth Symphony, completing the great grandiose creation!
And a little more Baden before leaving for Vienna:
And in Vienna, somewhere in the Belvedere area, I was waiting for a delicious Austrian dinner - beef ribs in honey-tomato sauce, served with hot peppers, baked potatoes and three sauces ...
To be continued...
