Hiking holiday in the Vienna Woods

The Greeks already mentioned the Wienerwald as a forest mountain range, and the Romans discovered its natural healing and recreational powers. Even today, the thermal springs around Baden refresh body and soul - perhaps as a relaxing conclusion and highlight of a hike.

But there is also another destination that may be an incentive for hikers: the wine that grows on romantically located slopes can be tasted in many wine taverns along the way.

30 km before the gates of the city, this hike, which goes from Laaben to St. Corona, leads to the highest mountain peak and thus to the roof of the Vienna Woods. The landscape has the character of the Alpine foothills: with a pronounced low mountain range with large hills and deep valleys, mountainous pastures and a mixed forest dominated by deciduous trees.

The market town of Altenmarkt is located in the Triesting valley, which also forms the southern border of the Vienna Woods biosphere reserve. This is the largest closed deciduous forest area in Europe. To the north of the Triesting, the typical Viennese forest hiking options over gentle hills, through deciduous forests, across meadows and past individual farmsteads predominate. The best starting point for these well-developed hiking trails is on the Hafnerberg.

In addition to enjoying nature, it is also the sacred buildings on the Via Sacra that draw many visitors to Altenmarkt. 3 pilgrimage churches (Klein Mariazell, Hafnerberg and Altenmarkt) are located in the community and are connected by a scenically varied hiking trail. Around Hafnerberg and Nöstach there are many mystical places, places of power that are also worth a visit and some of which can be hiked individually. The town of St. Corona is located in the wooded area of the Schöpfl and this can be quickly climbed from here.

The hike to the Schöpf offers a short ascent to the highest mountain in the Vienna Woods to the "Matraswarte" lookout tower. From here you can enjoy a 360° panorama that extends from the Tullner Feld, via Vienna and the Vienna Basin to the Schneeberg and Ötscher. It's only a few steps from the lookout tower to the Schöpfl shelter, where you can stop for a bite to eat. For the way back, you can choose either the ascent route or the variant described here. The variant with the way back via the Vorderöpfl with observatory then leads through the core zone "Mitteröpfl" of the Vienna Woods Biosphere Park and offers beautiful natural impressions in the spruce and fir forest.

Back in St. Corona, you can round off the program with a visit to the Meiselberghof adventure farm with its camels, llamas, alpacas, reindeer, emus, etc., or end the day in the St. Corona inn.

Beethoven, Schubert, Lenau, Grillparzer to Arnulf Rainer - many important artists were inspired to great works in the Vienna Woods. History can be felt on the Beethoven hiking trail near the spa town of Baden

In the footsteps of Ludwig van Beethoven, in the footsteps of Emperor Franz I and in the footsteps of countless other connoisseurs, you first go through the lovely Helenental, along a river that bears the name "die Stinkende" - but don't worry: "swechant" (smelly) becomes the Schwechat only from Baden, where some sulphurous springs flow into it. On our route it is a crystal-green, clear stream, on the banks of which you can promenade, sit or play. After mastering the "Steinigen Weg" you reach the summit of the Lindkogel, the main summit of the southern Vienna Woods with its lookout point and a magnificent panorama . Via a challenging climb and a wooded ridge, we finally reach the royal cave and the Rauheneck ruins. There was a larger settlement here 5,000 years ago. The castle itself was founded in the 12th century by the Tursen ("giants") knights and destroyed again in 1477. Since then, Rauheneck has been a ruin, and the "old Turso", its builder, is said to haunt it. So it's better if we swap the cold walls for the warm water of the lido in Baden.

Baden (232 m) - Helenental - cholera chapel - Beethovenstein - stony rest - stony path - Hoher Lindkogel (protection house "Iron Gate", 834 m) - Brennersteig - Jägerhaus - royal cave - Rauheneck ruins - Baden

Baden (232 m) - Helenental - cholera chapel - Beethovenstein - stony rest - stony path - Hoher Lindkogel (protection house "Iron Gate", 834 m) - Brennersteig - Jägerhaus - royal cave - Rauheneck ruins - Baden

By car via the western autobahn A1 - A 21 Vienna outer ring autobahn - exit Alland - through the Helenental to Baden, or via the A2 southern autobahn: exit Baden - always follow the signs "Helenental" around Baden to the lido. Or by train to Baden.

The Peilstein has been a popular climbing paradise for a long time and is known far beyond the borders. So it made sense to make this particularly impressive landscape more attractive for hikers and day-trippers.

In the popular climbing paradise in the Vienna Woods, climbing in all its diversity will also become a topical topic for day trippers in the future. The newly built Peilstein adventure trail illuminates the topic of climbing from different perspectives and is specially designed for families with children.

Starting at the Karner cider tavern in Nöstach (Altenmarkt/Triesting municipality), 16 stations lead through the scenic, approx. 6 km long adventure trail to the Peilstein and back. The near-natural route runs partly over hill and dale in open terrain and requires sturdy shoes.

In order not to get bored, not only information boards about climbing lead to the summit. Numerous movement stations and interactive stations ensure that things never get boring for children either.

The visitor learns interesting things about climbing plants or about the special holding mechanisms that climbing animals such as lizards have developed. But climbing is not only important for plants and animals. Humans have also developed different types of climbing, or use climbing for a wide variety of purposes.

The area of application extends from sport climbing to therapeutic climbing to industrial climbing. Stamps for the collected pass can be obtained at individual stations. Of course, ambition is also rewarded and there is a small surprise for handing in a fully completed collection pass at the catering stations.

Since hiking and contemplation have always been closely linked, this was also taken into account along the adventure trail. The start and end point of the adventure trail is directly at the cider tavern in Nöstach, in the municipality of Altenmarkt/Triesting. Halfway up to the summit, the Gasthaus Holzschlag and the Schutzhaus am Holzschlag invite you to take a leisurely break, where children will also find an entertaining exercise station.

Finally, in the Peilstein refuge on the summit, there is plenty of opportunity for a long break. Various playgrounds around the Peilsteinhaus offer enough games and fun for children, so that the rest becomes a comfortable stay for the parents too.

The way back to the starting point leads quickly downhill and in some places provides information about various aspects of climbing.

The hiking trail, which is suitable for family hikes, leads through dense, old trees in the Eichenhain nature park. The old and tall oak trees that shade the path along the Hagenbach ensure the wild and romantic character of the gorge. Europe's largest private bird of prey sanctuary awaits eager hikers at the end of the gorge.

Difficulty: easy
Distance: 6.8 km
Ascent: 196 m
Descent: 198 m
Duration: 2h30
Lowest point: 254 m
Highest point: 313 m

short description
Please note that the Hagenbachklamm hiking route is closed from the St. Andrä Wördern entry point due to landslide and mudslide. Expected duration of the ban until the end of May! Access to the bird of prey station is possible via Kirchbach.

Between Klosterneuburg and St. Andrä-Wördern lies the 3,800-hectare Eichenhain nature park with its heart, the Hagenbachklamm. The circular hike leads from the entrance to St. Andrä in front of the Hagen Valley to Unterkirchbach, the heart of the Eichenhain Nature Park, and back to St. Andrä.

Description
The Hagenbach Gorge is located in the Eichenhain Nature Park, which includes the part of the Vienna Woods between Klosterneuburg and St. Andrä-Wördern. And in fact there are old and correspondingly high oaks here, but also beeches and other deciduous trees. They shade the path along the Hagenbach and ensure the wild and romantic character of the gorge. Numerous bridges cross the creek, but you can also wade in the shallow water or create deeper places with self-built dams.

At the end of the gorge, a large children's playground and the largest private bird of prey sanctuary in Europe await eager hikers, with around 300 specimens of 30 different species. About a third of the animals can be viewed: from the lugger falcon to the Andean condor, from the Australian wedge-tailed eagle to the desert buzzard. A guided tour is not obligatory, but it is definitely worth it, as you can learn a lot about the life of birds of prey in the wild.

Characteristics
suitable for strollers
Round trip with possibility to stop
family-friendly, children
promising
faunal highlights

Best Season
Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct

Starting point of the tour
Hagenbach Gorge(235m)

Directions
From the Hagenbachklamm car park on the B14 (235m, entrance to the gorge) you hike, always following the path and the signs, to the end of the gorge. The same way back to the car park at the entrance to the gorge.

arrival
From Vienna to Klosterneuburg and Kierling - direction St. Andrä-Wördern. Via the A1 Westautobahn exit St. Christophen - Neulengbach - Judenau - Königstetten - St. Andrä-Wördern. By public transport: from Klosterneuburg-Kierling train station by bus to Hagenbachklamm

Park
Hagenbach Gorge car park

Over the generations, personalities such as Schubert and Beethoven, who were staying in nearby Baden for the cures, have taken walks in the Helenental. On this walk to Mayerling, where Crown Prince Rudolf died under dubious circumstances, you can walk along the paths of great artists.

Difficulty: medium
Distance: 26.2 km
Ascent: 300 m
Descent: 629 m
Lowest point: 235 m
Highest point: 443 m

Description
This large round represents a synthesis of nature and culture, history and topicality, movement and tranquility. First there is the lovely Helenental with its "Wegerl" along the Schwechat river, then the ascent to Siegenfeld and the Weißes Kreuz. Nature is slowly giving way to culture: the white cross marks the boundary of the area in which Heiligenkreuz was founded. And then you step onto old, monastic ground with treasures from almost a millennium, where modernity has only just caught up with the Middle Ages: the Gregorian chants cultivated here became internationally known in 2008. In May, a CD with Gregorian chants entitled "Chant - Music for Paradise" was brought onto the market with great success belonged to the hunting ground of Crown Prince Rudolf. His name and above all his tragic end are inextricably linked to the town of Mayerling. Via fields we finally return to the densely wooded Helenental, which is towered over shortly before its end by another cultural-historical monument: the Rauheneck castle ruins, which were built in the 12th century and became ruins again 300 years later.

Directions:
Baden (232 m) - Helenental - Hauswiese snack bar - Siegenfeld (357 m) - Weisses Kreuz (430 m) - Heiligenkreuz (312 m) - Mayerling - along the Schwechat to the Augustinerhütte - Beethovenstein - Hauswiese snack bar - Baden (232 m)

Characteristics
Round trip with possibility to stop
promising
cultural / historical

Best Season
Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct

Starting point of the tour
Lido in Baden

Baden (232 m) - Helenental - Hauswiese snack bar - Siegenfeld (357 m) - Weisses Kreuz (430 m) - Heiligenkreuz (312 m) - Mayerling - along the Schwechat to the Augustinerhütte - Beethovenstein - Hauswiese snack bar - Baden (232 m)

arrival
By car via the western autobahn A1 - A 21 Vienna outer ring autobahn - exit Alland - through the Helenental to Baden, or via the A2 southern autobahn: exit Baden - always follow the signs "Helenental" around Baden to the lido. Or by train to Baden.