Three Outdoor Day Trips from Vienna

If you’ve decided to study abroad in Vienna, chances are you like to go outside. Why else would you move to the country that houses Austria's towering Alps, crystal-clear lakes, and scenic mountain villages? As an intern in the city, I don’t always have time to take long weekends away. Luckily, there is plenty to do without traveling far, whether you prefer to hike, cycle, or walk! In this blog post, I’ll give you three of my favorite outdoorsy day trips from Vienna.

Hiking in Rax 

If you like hiking but don’t want to travel far, Rax is a great destination. The journey to Rax was easy, because the train runs directly from Wien Praterstern (the closest train station to my housing) to Payerbach-Reichnau, where my boyfriend and I arrived after a little over an hour. From there, we took a 20-minute bus ride to the Hirschwang an der Rax Emil-von-Linhart-Gasse stop, which is the last one before the cable car. If you want to make the hike shorter, taking the cable car is a great way to do so! And if you want to hike up but aren’t entirely sure where to go, it’s never a bad idea to loosely follow its route.

Our ascent started near the bus stop; and from there, it was just up! We followed signs toward the Otto-Schutzhaus, a restaurant and mountain lodge. It was cold and rainy all day, so we were mainly hoping for a warm meal. The hike was very steep, around five miles with 3600 feet of elevation gain, and we reached the restaurant after a few hours. To our luck, Kaiserschmarrn was on the menu, and it was the perfect hiking snack. I recommend it with stewed plums.

After warming up next to the lodge fire and enjoying the Austrian delicacy, we began our descent. Luckily, the rain had stopped, but the air was frigid and the trail wet. If you’re in the mountains, always make sure to bring layers! The way back was similarly steep as the ascent but became more gradual as the trail progressed. Our total hiking time was around five hours, not including breaks. If you want to get lunch at the top and have time for photos throughout the hike, I would recommended blocking out seven hours for the trek.

We returned to the same bus stop we got off at and headed back to the train station. Even in the pouring rain, hiking through Rax was a highlight of my time in Vienna. And there are countless hiking options in the area – do some research before you go and pick what’s best for you!

Cycling from Melk to Krems an der Donau 

If cycling is more of your style, then this one is for you. I went with my parents while they were visiting, and it was a great way to explore the Wachau Valley!

The train from Vienna to Melk took around one hour. We started our journey with a quick stroll through Melk Stift, which is a beautiful Benedictine abbey overlooking the town. From there, we found a bike rental company, mapped out our route, and headed towards Krems. The route goes primarily along the Danube River, so it’s incredibly scenic and relatively flat. After a couple of hours, we took a ferry to Spitz an der Donau to cross the Danube and eat lunch.

Following lunch, we continued towards Krems an der Donau, which was another hour and a half on the bike. When we arrived, we dropped off our bikes and took the train back to Vienna. This trip was a unique and fun way to explore the Wachau region, and I highly recommend it if you enjoy cycling.

The total distance is around 25 miles and takes two to three hours. Electric bikes are an option if you prefer. Including the abbey, lunch, and photo breaks, our total time in the Wachau Valley was around eight hours.

Walking through the Laxenburg Castle Park

If you want a chill and budget-friendly day trip from Vienna, the Laxenburg Castle Park is a perfect excursion. I went with a friend after realizing that our Hallstatt day trip idea was far too ambitious (10-hour round trip, anyone?) and was pleasantly surprised. Fun fact: Empress Sisi spent her honeymoon in Laxenburg, and the imperial family frequently resided in the castles.

The park gets its name from being home to three castles, but it hosts much more than that. After taking a 30-minute bus ride from Wien Hauptbahnhof, we walked 20-minutes to the park. After paying admission (€ 4.30), we planned our loop and began. The park has more than a 10km (6.2 miles) network of paths and is full of Austrian history and architecture, such as the Concordia Temple (Concordiatempel), Cascade Bridge (Kaskadenbrücke), and the Knight’s Crypt (Rittergruft). Of course, there is also a castle in the middle, called Franzensburg. You can rent a boat on the pond near the castle if you would like.

After wandering around the park for a few hours, we got lunch in the town and then headed to the train station. From there, we took the oldest train I’ve ever been on (it was awesome) and rode 20-minutes back to Vienna. Because the total trip is only around €15, I would highly recommend it for a low-cost, peaceful day. You could even have a picnic! 

If you want to explore Austria’s nature without venturing too far from its capital, these are three of my favorite day trips. Viel Spaß!