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VIENNA

Six places near Vienna to escape the heat

Hot summer days can be quite challenging in Vienna. Here are six places where you can go to enjoy cooler temperatures near the city.

Published: 14 August 2024 11:16 CEST
Six places near Vienna to escape the heat
People enjoy the waters of the of Danube river on a hot summer day in Vienna, Austria, on July 18, 2023. (Photo by Joe Klamar / AFP)

Vienna can be quite warm during the summer months. If you are tired of trying to escape the heat within the city, it might be a great idea to take a short trip to some of these cooler locations.

Kahlenberg

If you want to stay close to the city but still cool down a bit, going to Kahlenberg is a great option.

Kahlenberg is a hill in the Vienna Woods. Here, you can escape the dense urban area of the city and enjoy greenery and some fresh breezes.

It is a great spot for hiking, biking, and visiting the many Heurigen (traditional wine taverns), where you can try local wines, drink cooling beverages, and have some food.

If you just want to relax, you can easily find many shaded spots where you can enjoy great views of the city and its surroundings.

From the city centre, it takes about half an hour to reach the hill by public transport.

Vineyards at Kahlenberg. Photo by Philipp Stelzel on Unsplash
 

Mönichkirchen

About an hour and a half from Vienna by train or car, in the Vienna Woods, is the cute village Mönichkirchen.

Mönichkirchen is part of Bucklige Welt, a hilly area known for its beautiful landscapes.

Since the village is located at a higher elevation compared to Vienna and has a lot of greenery, including forests and meadows, you can enjoy significantly cooler temperatures.

The village and its surroundings are definitely worth visiting if you like spending time in nature, enjoy hiking, mountain biking, or just relaxing on a picnic blanket in a cooler area.

 
 
 
 
 
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Lake Neusiedl

A swim in a lake and some freshwater breeze can help you to cool down during hot summer days.

Lake Neusiedl is only a one-hour train ride away from Vienna. By car, it will only take you about 45 minutes.

Swimming, windsurfing, and sailing are popular activities on the lake since it is often quite windy. Another good idea is to bike along the lake or visit some of the charming towns around it, such as Podersdorf am See.

There are many nice beaches around the lake where you can relax, swim, and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. If you want to camp in the area, there are also campsites available close to the water, such as Camping Podersdorf.

The lake is the largest in Austria and is famous for being very shallow, making it a great place for swimming, especially for families with kids.

Lake Neusiedl is a great place to enjoy to cool down during hot summer days. Photo by Christian Holzinger on Unsplash
 
 
Schneeberg 

Schneeberg is the highest mountain close to Vienna and a great place to cool down during the summer.

You can reach Puchberg am Schneeberg, a town at the foot of Schneeberg, in one hour by car or in one and a half hours by public transport.

There are many hiking trails leading up to the mountain’s plateau, where you can enjoy cooler temperatures and fresh breezes. If you do not feel like hiking up, you can also use the Schneebergbahn, a historic railway that takes you up the mountain on a small train, offering great views along the way.

Once on the plateau, you can choose from a wide range of different trails, and if you are hungry, you can enjoy a meal and some drinks in one of the huts (Hütten in German).

 
 
 
 
 
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Semmering

The region of Semmering in Lower Austria offers cooler temperatures and great opportunities for enjoying sports such as hiking or biking or just relaxing with great views.

You can get to Semmering by public transport, which takes about one and a half hours. By car, it will take about one hour.

Semmering’s most popular hiking trails include the Semmering Panorama Trail and the Hirschenkogel Trail. Along the trails, you will also find some nice guesthouses where you can enjoy food and cold drinks.

During summer, temperatures on Hirschenkogel Mountain (1,340 meters high) usually do not exceed 20C. In the valley, though, they can get higher, but it’s easy to cool off in the woods or at the tree park, mountain carts, and bike park, for example.

Semmering offers colder temperatures, lot of hiking trails and many possibilities to relax in beautiful nature. Photo by Daniela Turcanu on Unsplash

Mariazell

Mariazell is a cute town in Styria known for being a hotspot for mountain sports and a pilgrimage destination. During the warmer months, it is also a great place to visit due to its cooler temperatures.

Even though Mariazell is a bit further away than the other options mentioned above, many people living in Vienna still see it as a great option for a weekend escape. The town is two hours away from Vienna by car and three hours by public transport.

In the area, you can explore a great variety of hiking trails and mountain bike tracks. A great trail for escaping the heat near Mariazell is the Großer Erlaufsee Trail. This trail leads to the beautiful alpine lake Erlaufsee, which is located at an elevation of about 1,300 meters. Here, you can enjoy cooler temperatures and a refreshing swim.

Exploring the “Bürgeralm” area is another good idea. Here, you can find various hiking trails at higher elevations.

If you want to enjoy some food and drinks in the area,  Mariazell offers many different small shops, restaurants, and cafes.

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Marie Koutná (@maloonek)

READ NEXT: Five Vienna tourist attractions to escape the summer heat

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FLOODS

From transport to bars: When will ‘normal life’ resume in Vienna?

Vienna was still recovering on Tuesday after the weekend's catastrophic floods with public transport looking to resume normal service and businesses along the Danube Canal cleaning up and hoping to reopen.

Published: 17 September 2024 15:08 CEST
From transport to bars: When will 'normal life' resume in Vienna?

Vienna’s flood situation improved overnight as water levels in key areas receded, allowing clean-up efforts to begin after the severe floods and rains that hit part of Austria since late last week, Austrian media has reported. 

The Vienna River, which reached a peak of 3.90 metres at the Kennedybrücke measuring point, dropped to 90 centimetres early on Tuesday. Retention basins in the Auhof area, which were nearly full over the weekend, were almost empty by Tuesday, although the Wienerwaldsee reservoir was still draining. In the meantime, the Danube was still at a stable level of 6.5 metres and did not pose a threat to the city.

READ ALSO: Austria’s floodwaters subside but recovery set to take months

Sunny weather in the early hours of Tuesday brought some relief, but authorities cautioned that the consequences of the floods were still being felt across Vienna. 

Parks throughout the city had been temporarily closed due to the risk of falling trees and other flood-related hazards. Large green areas, including Lainzer Tiergarten and Steinhofgründe, were also off-limits as checks were conducted to assess damage. It remains unclear how long these closures will last.

A video on X, formerly known as Twitter, shows the strength of the Vienna River during the floods. The bridge holds part of the U4 metro line.

Metro services resume partial service

Vienna’s public transport services were also still not back to normal service on Tuesday. 

Several underground lines, including the U2, U3, U4, and U6, were partially suspended due to flooding and water damage. 

Wiener Linien, the city’s transport operator, reported that crews began removing temporary flood barriers and sandbags early on Tuesday morning. The U6 overhead line was also undergoing repairs, with full service expected to resume by Wednesday.

While trams on lines 40 and 41 returned to operation, other metro lines were still undergoing safety checks. 

The U4 was running only between Heiligenstadt and Friedensbrücke, while the U3 had resumed partial service between Ottakring and Schlachthausgasse. Service on the U2 line remained limited between Seestadt and Taborstraße. 

Alexandra Reinagl, Managing Director of Wiener Linien, confirmed that the goal was to restore full metro operations by Wednesday.

READ ALSO: COMPARE: How much do Austria’s political parties care about the climate crisis?

Businesses and social life hit

Along the Danube Canal, several businesses and bars experienced significant flooding. 

Strandbar Herrmann, a popular riverside venue, was hit hard by the floodwaters, leaving behind mud and debris. Owner Rudolf Konar told Der Standard that his bar was flooded by nearly a metre of water, with employees later working to clear the site and salvage equipment. 

Many of his staff come from the flood-affected regions of Lower Austria, making the clean-up process more difficult, he said

Despite the challenges, the Strandbar hoped to reopen by Wednesday. Other businesses along the Danube Canal and New Danube also started recovery efforts, though many remained closed as they assessed the damage. 

The Vienna Chamber of Commerce confirmed that “practically all” businesses in the area were flooded.

Emergency services on high alert

The city’s fire brigade reported a reduction in flood-related incidents, with the number of emergency calls dropping by a third since Monday morning. 

Despite this, there were still around 400 incidents of water entering basements, garages, and flooding roads. Fallen trees, many of which were discovered after the rain stopped, remained a significant concern.

Vienna’s fire brigade, which had been assisting in nearby Lower Austria, also noted that while the worst of the storm is over, the recovery process would take time. Emergency services continued to work at full capacity, clearing debris and pumping water from affected areas across the city.

READ ALSO: Will my Austrian home insurance cover storm damage?

Road closures and recovery in Lower Austria

Meanwhile, in Lower Austria, where the situation was still critical, disaster alerts continued to be in place. 

On Tuesday, more than 250 roads were still closed due to flooding and landslides, affecting key routes such as the Vienna outer ring motorway and the Westautobahn. Several districts, including St. Pölten, Bruck an der Leitha, and Tulln, have been particularly hard-hit. 

Evacuations were ongoing in several areas.

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