“Genusswandern” is an Austrian word invention that does not really translate – it means something like “pleasure walking”. Instead of wining and dining, this weekend you can wine and hike in Vienna. The annual vineyard hike has become a traditional “must do” for me and my family. This is the 12th time the City of Vienna is organizing this charming event.
Yesterday we were again blessed with the most fantastic weather imaginable – bright sunshine, but crips temperatures, ideal for walking. I love this event, because the views over Vienna are great, and I like the combination of a relaxed atmosphere with a bit of music, culinary offers from the region, and a chance to be out in the greenery. And the vineyard landscape was very very green yesterday, with bright blue skies to contrast this, making for some almost fake looking photos.
Sustenance along the way
Along the routes, wineries and wine taverns (Heurigen) with snack stations, delicious Viennese wine, fermented (alcoholic) and unfermented (non-alcoholic) grape juice invite you to take a break from the sometimes strenuous uphill, but more often quite relaxed walking up and down the various hills in Vienna´s wine growing regions.
People sit in meadows with picnics, children run about, dogs enjoy a good sniff, hoping for food leftovers, you can imagine…
Where we stopped, at Cobenzl, one of Vienna´s larger winemaking places, the party was on, with music and at some point dancing on the table. (Things got a bit out of hand, as they tend to when alcohol is involved, but nothing unpleasant…)
There is also something on offer for kids. The children’s farm at Landgut Cobenzl with its animals, and Magdalenenhof (Bisamberg), as well as a varied program at Schloss Wilhelminenberg are sure to be child pleasers.
The routes
There are 3 main routes with a total length of 25 kilometers to choose from. In addition to the 10.8-kilometer walk from Neustift to Nussdorf in the 19th district, there is a 9.6-kilometer route from Strebersdorf to Stammersdorf through the 21st district and a 4.5-kilometer route in Ottakring. Along the way there are little huts that will stamp your route map. If you have collected at least 3 stamps, you get a hiking pin as a keepsake.
As an alternative to the main routes, there is also the option of hiking only part of the way and cutting out at one of several stops on the way from where public transport will take you to your point of origin. For families with strollers, there are alternative specially marked routes that occasionally diverge from the main path.
A map with the hiking routes is available for download as well as directly at the entry and exit points. These are easily accessible by public transport. There is also the digital native version of these maps: With the Weinwandertag app, you can not only find and navigate the routes on your smartphone, but also collect digital hiking stamps. The app is available for iOS and Android devices.
Getting there
You are better off taking public transport. For one, after tasting one – or more – of the delicious wines and “Sturm” (new wine) on offer, if you are so inclined, driving is not advisable, and also because your end point is not likely to be the same as your start point. This year we could not do the whole route, because my better half is still recovering from a hip operation, but we walked from Sievering to Cobenzl. I quite enjoyed the busride down to Grinzing along the steep winding road down the Cobenzl mountain.
So, if you have no plans for this morning and happen to have read this blog, why not head out there. The weather is beautiful again today!
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