My top 5 relaxing green places in Vienna

Vienna is known for its many green oases that stretch across the entire city. Each green space has its own charm. In this blog post, I present my top 5 for picnics, walks and relaxation.

1. “Beach feeling” along the Old Danube, the New Danube and the Danube Canal

The Danube Island stretches for more than 20 kilometres and can be reached via 15 access points, including the underground stations of lines U1, U2 and U6. “Die Insel” is a popular destination for sun worshippers and water sports enthusiasts and is perfect for walking, cycling, skateboarding, etc. along the banks of the Danube.
If you want to see a bit more of the city, I recommend a walk or bike ride along the Danube Canal. The U4 line runs along the Danube Canal and the U3 line from Wien Mitte station. Also good for relaxing and partying in the evening are the many beach bars on the Danube Canal near the Hotel Capricorno at Schwedenplatz.

Konstantinsteg, Prater © WienTourismus/Lea Sonderegger

2 The Green Prater

The Prater is an extensive park known for its avenues, playgrounds and the famous Vienna “Wurstelprater”, the oldest amusement park in the world. The Green Prater offers good connections by express train and the underground lines U1 and U4 via the Praterstern station, extensive green spaces where you can relax and enjoy nature, and several dog zones. With the Liliputbahn you can easily explore 4 kilometres of the Prater in 20 minutes. The Prater area is also home to the Konstantinsteg, Vienna’s oldest bridge, preserved from the 1873 World’s Fair. Along the Prater Hauptallee you will also find a free disc golf course with 18 holes.

Flakturm in the Augarten park © WienTourismus/Paul Bauer

3. The Augarten park

Near the U2 station Taborstraße, only a stone’s throw from the Hotel Stefanie, the oldest hotel in Vienna, and the Hotel City Central, is the spacious Augarten park. There you will find impressive avenues, the two massive flak towers that remind you of the past, several eateries and dog zones, but also the porcelain factory Augarten and the Wiener Sängerknaben. I can highly recommend a walk in the Augarten to clear your head and put your thoughts in order.

Hotel Am Parkring, municipal park

4. The Stadtpark

The Vienna Stadtpark, known for its numerous sculptures and monuments, including the famous golden Johann Strauss Monument. The Stadtpark is completely barrier-free and therefore wheelchair and stroller friendly and easily accessible via the U4 Stadtpark station. With its eateries, a large playground, a dog zone and a duck pond, the area offers a wonderful atmosphere ideal for walking, admiring flowerbeds and recharging your batteries in the shade of the trees. A little tip for your next visit to Vienna: You have the perfect view of the Stadtpark and Vienna’s city centre from the Hotel Am Parkring.

Burggarten © WienTourismus/Julius Hirtzberger

5 The Burggarten

The Burggarten in the heart of Vienna is a charming place to relax in the middle of the city. It is a popular meeting place for locals and visitors to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and is ideal for a little afternoon picnic with friends. The Palmenhaus, in its current form, has been in the Burggarten since 1901 and, following a major renovation in 1998, also houses a café-restaurant alongside the Butterfly House. If you’re feeling peckish, the restaurant Wiener Wirtschaft in the Hotel Erzherzog Rainer with its original Viennese charm is just a stone’s throw away.

Header image: Danube Island © WienTourismus/Gregor Hofbauer