City walks in Vienna

Vienna's first district is full of history, magnificent buildings, small parks and time-honoured shopping streets. You can stroll around the old town for days and you will always discover new corners and come across exciting evidence of Vienna's history. The history of the first district goes back to the Romans, who built the Vindobona camp here. The foundation stone for the present face of Vienna's city centre was laid in the middle of the 19th century, when Emperor Franz Joseph decided to build the Ringstrasse, thus opening up the city centre to the outside world. The Ringstrasse quickly became a magnificent boulevard and numerous new, representative buildings were erected in the city centre.

For a city tour of the most famous sights of the first district, it is recommended to start at Stephansplatz or along the magnificent Ringstrasse. In addition to the many sights such as the Hofburg, St. Stephen's Cathedral and the City Hall, you can also visit the city's numerous museums.

The Prater, together with the Danube Island, is the recreation area of the Viennese and invites you to take long walks. In addition to lots of wonderful nature, there are also exciting discoveries to be made, especially historical buildings can be found again and again in this oasis. In the former imperial hunting grounds there is an extensive network of paths through the woods and past the spacious meadows, where the Viennese meet on fine days for leisurely hours in their Prater. Finally, a tour of the Wurstelprater with its many attractions and rides is highly recommended.

Vienna is also rich in magnificent buildings and sights around the old town. Among the most famous are Belvedere Palace in Vienna's third district and Schönbrunn Palace in the 13th district. You can visit these and other places of interest on these two routes:

• Route „Landstraßer Gärten“: The Landstra&szlig, Vienna's third district, has several beautiful gardens and parks to offer and, with the embassy quarter, also a „Grätzel“ with its very own flair. This route starts at the Stadtpark and leads via the Belvedere to the famous Karlskirche in Resselpark.
• Route „From the Rose Arbour to the Rose House“: This route takes you through the magnificent gardens around Schönbrunn Palace before continuing to an off-the-beaten-track district.

In the west of Vienna, the Vienna Woods nestle up against the city. The hilly terrain is the meeting point of city and country: magnificent buildings, such as the famous Otto Wagner Hospital, are surrounded by vineyards, and from the hills you can catch great views of Vienna. The best way to explore the western outskirts of the city is on foot. Depending on your mood, short walks to the sights can turn into extended hikes – „Urban Hiking“ in the best sense of the word. Here is a selection of routes for all those who would like to explore the quiet side of Vienna:

• Round hike Jubiläumswarte: Wonderful, easy hike through the beautiful Steinhofgründe, especially in spring. A detour to the area of the Otto Wagner Hospital with its magnificent Art Nouveau church is highly recommended.
• A stroll through the Brigittenau is also interesting. Off the beaten tourist track, there is plenty to discover in Vienna's 20th district on the banks of the Danube.