Although Vienna and the surrounding areas are far from the real Alps, it is possible to enjoy mountains, even within city borders.

Despite the news of accumulating snow some 400 kms west of the capital, Vienna has hardly seen any snow. Some overnight snow maximum of 10 centimetres may occur, only to disappear in two days.

When there’s snow, you gotta go

If you’re outdoorsy and snow-deprived, the solution is to head off to Döbling, in the 19th Bezirk (district) and get to the altitude of 400 metres and above. If you prefer not to go south of the river (Danube) you can climb, or drive up to Bisamberg, a municipality in the district of Korneuburg, next to Vienna.

The northwestern part of Vienna has the highest peaks within Vienna’s borders and the mountain range pretty well marks the border between Vienna and the Lower Austria (Niederösterreich). Many visit-worthy places are in the region, like Kahlenberg, Leopoldsberg, Coblenz and Am Himmel.

Whilst Kahlenberg being the most popular and obvious place to see Vienna from above, Leopoldsberg actually offers the better view over the Danube and Vienna. The hill has the famous Leopoldskirche (church) that is visible from the city.

However, if you’re into forests and walking, then go to Vogelsangberg, Latisberg (Cobenzl) or Hermannskogel.

Latisberg and Vogelsangberg are side by side and can be easily reached from the Cobenzl parking lot and the bus stop. Cobenzl has a lot to offer as a starting or finishing point, no matter what your interests are. I shall cover Cobenzl in a separate post.

 

542 Metres above the Adriatic

Hermannskogel is the hill and Habsburgwarte is the tower on top of it.

To reach Hermannskogel, the highest point of Vienna, one can drive up to the Rohrerwiese parking and then hike up the remaining 200 vertical metres on foot. The starting point is also accessible by bus 43A.

I didn’t pay that much attention to the vertical datum, but then I climbed up to the Vogelsangberg two weeks later and was supposedly higher than the official highest point of Vienna.

My Sports Tracker App was giving me other readings and I’m yet to find out what the reference point of my app is, but it claimed that Vogelsandberg would be at 557m (above some unknown sea).

Basically, Austria uses m ü. A. (Meter über Adria) which makes sense, as it is the closest sea. The point of reference is the average water level of the Adriatic Sea in the Port of Trieste, Italy. For more detailed info I shall lead you to the Wikipedia.

 

Forest as a Service

One surprising thing – to a Finn at least – is that going to a forest does not mean that one would be deprived of basic services, such as rubbish bins, toilets, cafes or restaurants.

In most of the places I’ve visited, you’re never more than a kilometre away from a decent schnitzel, a cold beer or a cuppa.

Going outdoors in Austria has a social dimension. It’s not about getting away from it all, it’s more about enjoying nature with friends and good food.

Either way, full bellies hike better and longer than empty ones. These amenities make it possible to spend all day in the woods, without having to bring a snack or head back to the city to have a meal. Very handy with starving children too, I must say.

Get your gear sorted

On a snowy winter day it’s well-advised to wear good shoes. The first time I tried to conquer Hermannskogel I was wearing my waterproof winter city boots that are good for the Viennese winter, but not grippy enough if you try to climb up a mountain.

On my second attempt I was wearing my Jalas Fantom Drylocks with Yaktraks and that made climbing a lot easier. Often in Vienna, there is snowfall of some 5-10 cm and then it thaws in the sunshine turning into ice. Then the remaing ice is covered with new snow.

I was positively surprised with the Yaktrax as they provide plenty of grip but aren’t uncomfortable nor slippery on tarmac.

I’ve also been well chuffed with my Fantoms. They were a replacement for my pair of Meindls and have provided better grip, wider sole and generally a comfier fit.

Many fellow hikers on the Viennese hills are using trekking poles and they do come handy in the steepest hills. Good grip is not essential only when climbing up, but decending icy paths can be tricky without proper equipment.

Now the snow is gone, but I can’t wait to see how lovely the same paths will be once spring arrives.