Vienna Sports & Outdoors

The Danube Island is one of the many Islands along the 2860 kilometer long river and in Vienna, the Danube Island cuts the Danube River into two sections. This island is about 21 kilometer long and lies along central Vienna and is a favorite area for recreational use by local Viennese and tourists as the island has more than 42 kilometers of sand, gravel and grassy beaches of which there is a 250 meter public beach, a water playground, camping and hiking and biking trails, a Climbing Park, surfing school, a water ski lift and a boat rental service, a bar and restaurants. The Danube island is accessible via U1 and U6 Subway lines.

Equipment: you can rent of bring your own bike or boat or canoe

A quite easy but nice hike, from Kahlenberg to Nussdorf, about 3,5 kilometer mostly downhill, maybe with some wine tasting.
You take first bus 38A from Heiligenstadt, U4 end station, to Kahlenberg (only every second 38A goes that far, the others go only until station Wagenwiese).
At Kahlenberg you have a great view over Vienna (and gret view most of the way), also a restaurant (a bit better then most restaurants at tourist spots), a cafe and a hotel.
There is on the right side of the restaurant a bicycle / pedestrian way down. Stay on the main road, after 1,5 kilometer you can turn left past the Heurigen Hirt, excellent views, open from 1. April to 31. October wednesday to friday from 3 pm, saturday to sunday from 12 midday, in winter weekends from 12 midday, you can go down to Kahlenberger Dorf with more Heurige but infrequent buses to Heiligenstadt or return to the main road past Mayer am Nussberg, open on sunny weekends, and Heuriger Sirbu, open weekdays from 4 pm, then the way forks, go left on Eichelhofweg past Wieninger am Nußberg, also excellent vïews, open on sunny weekends, and finaly after 2 kilometer more arrive at Nussdorfer Platz, tram D goes from there via Ring / center to the central train station.
http://www.heuriger-hirt.at/index.php/gallerie
http://www.mayeramnussberg.at/
http://www.sirbu.at/
http://www.wieninger-am-nussberg.at/

Equipment: Yõu need ome decent shoes and aybe a umbrella.

Fishing on Donaukanal was one of surprises for me. Next to the Urania I saw a fisherman. I didn't see others and I don't know it is legal. In that case I assume that it would be a many others here or not it is not so peaceful place.

Equipment: Fisherman gear.

Outdoor Swimming Pool is a great way to spend a time in city during hot summer days. I found a pool that is actually part of some boat on Danube. So, water on water. It is a great place for whole family.

Equipment: Swimsuit

During my strolling trough Vienna's center I saw a several young people with sketchbook and crayons. It was on small back street next to the St. Rupert church. I don't know it is part of some lessons or just fun and even what is their main motif: church or St. Rupert sculpture. Still, it is fantastic way to spend some time in city.

Equipment: sketchbook and crayons

There is a many parks trough big Vienna but one sure is a one of attraction in city center area. It is a Burggarten, of course. It is a one stop of city organized tour but for Viennese is a place of relaxation.

It is nice to see a such a great place surrounding with many historical monuments. I visit several garden: Burggarten, Volksgarden, Schonbrunn park and Sigmund Freud park.

In the Burggarten there is huge Neue Burg building and greenhouse - houses of butterfly today. You can hear a word "jugendstil" and it has to do with architecture. If you in to you can bring your camera or crayons and sketchbook.

Even you want to relax after your walking tour or you "hide" from expensive city cafe bars also try to rest or you try to practice some of outdoor activity this is a good place for you. It is Ideal place for picnic and relax, to spend day with your family or with your pets. There is plenty of green grass where many people sit on. There is also many benches mostly with shadow under huge threes.

Equipment: Depend what is a reason your visit, there no especial dress code even you on probably on royal ground.

The Ernst Happel Stadium (before 1993: Prater Stadium) was inaugurated in 1931 and renovated in 1986. It hosts all major international soccer matches in Vienna, but is not home to any local club.

The seating capacity of the stadium is 49.000, but will be increased to 53.000 for the Euro championships in 2008 when the final will take place here.

The so-called "Bade-Schiff" is a ship permanentely docked next to Schwedenplatz and it has a swimming-pool in that ship - just take a look at my pictures here.
It is a heated outdoor-pool and there is also a cafe and restaurant and some changing-rooms on the other ship, that also has a "beach" on its top, where you can take a sunbath !

Equipment: bring your VT-thong or Bikini, that should be enough !

Take a closer look at this wonderful "winter-sport-sled" - especially made for the family of Austria's emperor for hunting - did you see that this sled was made of various horns of deer ?
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This sled can be seen in Schönbrunn - castle in the seperate museum for royal carriages togeather with lots of interesting royal carriages and the last car of the austrian emperors.

The Park of Schönbrunn is more than 2 Km² and offers long flat ways for jogging and you may even run the uphill-passages to the Gloriette and to the Maze.

Equipment: The park will be open to the public from 06.30 a.m. till 07.00 p.m. - dogs and bikers are not allowed inside that park at all - another good reason to go jogging there instead of other places in that area !!

Inside the MQ (Museums Quartier) you will find a big variety of winter-activities such as skating or "Eisstock-schiessen" that you may see on my main picture. This is quite a popular sport in the alpine regions of Austria and Germany and you will have to try to get your "stick" as close as possible to another stick that is placed at the end of the track. Several players try to do so and each of them also has the possibility to push the "target-stick" and the other sticks away from its original position and so the game could be ended completly as a surprise. Mostly it is played by 2 teams fighting against each other

Equipment: You get all of the equipment there, you simply should have shoes that are not extremely slippery on the ice.

Wiener Eistraum is an annual event - all of the square between the Burgtheater and Rathaus / Town Hall will be dedicated as a large place for scating. Long slopes will lead you also through the park, there is music playing outside and also inside various restaurant-tents.
Wiener Eistraum will start end of January
09.00a.m.-04.00p.m. you pay 3,50 / children 2,50 / families 8,50
04.00p.m.-11.00p.m. the prices are : 5,00 / 4,00 / 13,- Euros

Equipment: Bring your own equipment or simply rent it there against a small fee. Even the toilets may be reached with your scates on !!
The fee for renting a pair of scating-shoes was 6 Euros in 2006 (3,80 Euros for children)

The "Jubilaeums-warte" ("Anniversary-vantage-tower") was constructed on occasion of emperor Franz-Josef`s 50th emperorship-anniversary . It has been refurbished and reconstructed after ww2 and offers a nice view over the vast Vienna-Woods and beautiful beechtree-forests.The hike is marked as "City Walk no. 4" and takes you through "Dehne park" and as far as the Jubiläumswarte vantage point. Enjoy stunning views of Schneeberg mountain (weather permitting).
Point of departure: Bahnhofstrasse tram stop (49)
Tram #49 from Karl Renner Ringstrasse or Volkstheater (about 30 minutes to Bahnhofstrasse)
Distance: 7.2km
Walking time: 2.5 - 3 h

Pubs and restaurants: Gasthaus Silbersee, Buffet Kreuzeichenwiese, Rosental, Zlamal
Additional tip: walk down via "Kreuzeichenwiese" to Heuberg (very nice restaurant and "Heuriger") where you can take bus 44B to tram #43 (another hour)

Equipment: Just take good hiking-shoes and good temper!

People who are planning on an extended stay in Vienna very often want to know about good gyms. Well, this is not difficult to find. More difficult it is to discover a gym where you are not obliged to sign a contract for at least several months. I know 2 gyms where you can buy a ticket valid for one day. The first, and the one I reccomend is the Elixia gym. They have 2 branches in Vienna and 1 in Linz in upper Austria. You can easily reach for example the Elixia gym on the top floor of the shopping centre "Milleniumscity" if you take the subway U6 and get out at station "Handelskai". They are super-clean, have a big area with all the fitness machines and extra rooms for spinning and gymnastics. Furthermore there is a big swimming pool and a smaller one to do some aqua gymnastics. They have a nice wellness area with saunas (an extra one for ladies only too) , steam bath and a room where you can just relax. While doing sports you can enjoy a nice view over Vienna`s 20th district. The ticket for 1 day costs EUR 25.
The alternative would be the "Club Danube", which many students frequent because they are really cheap. They have 9 fitness clubs in Vienna. There you can do the usual work out, but they offer a lot of gymnastic courses, Tennis, badminton and squash as well. A 2 hours fitness ticket there costs EUR 14 and they have very cheap offers for a 1-month membership. I went to the Club in Erdberg twice and didn`t like it too much, because it didn`t seem to be that clean. The Capoeira lessons I attended there were great though.

During summer time, when the mountains have no snow and the city's ice-skating rinks are closed, the sport-loving viennese will put on their roller blades/skates and start roller skating around Vienna's many parks and skater-friendly lanes and pavements.

Roller blading is very popular in Vienna. They even have a weekly night marathon for roller bladers, and it's held every friday night. There are many people joining this night marathon, that the police even got involved to control the traffic.

Equipment: A pair of roller blades, safety gears such as kneecap and shin covers and skating helmets, comfortable cotton clothing, water bottle and nano iPod (for music lovers!).