Where can I relax and enjoy my free time in the green?
Vienna is considered one of the greenest cities in the world. With a variety of parks and sports fields, the city offers a lot of opportunities to spend your free time. Especially when the weather is nice, the Vienna Parks offer you an ideal place to enjoy a cozy time alone or with friends.
Each park has different advantages, depending on what you want to do, some are better and some less suitable. For example, if you want to go for a longer walk, Schönbrunn Palace will be a great option. The unique castle with the surrounding area is one of the most famous sights in Vienna. One of the most popular route is past the castle, over the huge square, filled with fountains and beds, up to the Gloriette. From there you have not only a fantastic view of the castle, but also the city in the background. For children or motivated adults there is even a labyrinth through which you can find your way. If all this is still too boring for you, you can also go to the zoo nearby, but you have to pay admission (children and young people 11 euros and adults 22 euros).
In the Lainzer Tiergarten (1130) you can completely escape the city life of Vienna. This nature reserve is huge and offers a variety of forest playgrounds and nature trails. Children and teenagers can really let of steam. If you are lucky, you may come across deer, wild boar or mouflon on your walk.
Doing Sports
If you want to do sports, the Prater Hauptallee is the place to be. In the middle of this green, car-free avenue is a broad path(approx. 4 km) for runners, cyclists and other athletes who want to do sports. Those who do not like to run on the asphalt have the opportunity to run on a soil path, next to it. If this is not so important to you, you can also run on the Donaukanal or the Donauinsel.
For all sports activities for which a larger area is needed, the Augarten (1020), the Schwizergarten (1100), the Wienerberg Erholungszentrum(1100), the Auer-Welsbach-Park (1150), the Türkenschanzpark (1180) the Donau-Auen National Park (1220) or the Stadtpark (1010), are particularly suitable. Here you can practice badminton, spikeball or similar sports. In these parks there is usually a possibility to quench your thirst with a drinking water dispenser. Apart from that, many smaller parks are equipped with table tennis tables, basketball courts, football cages or even all three. You just have to take the equipment with you. The pitches are usually in good condition and are just waiting for someone to use them.
Extraordinary parks
For those who find a classic park too boring, they can hang out in some more special. Setagaya Park (1190) or Japanese Garden is one of them. The japanese word “Furomon”, which is engraved in the main entrance, which means “paradise”, indicates the beauty of the park. A japanese garden designer has designed it with a tea house and a watercourse that opens into a pond via cascades. There is also the Botanical Garden (1030), right next to Belvedere Palace, which is known for its beauty, but above all its diversity. Various plant species from all over the world are put on display here and invite you to take a relaxing walk.
Setagayapark 1190
If you just want to enjoy a park without any demands, you will definitely not miss out on Vienna. Regardless of where you are in Vienna, you can always take a short break in a park nearby. If you have a special requirement, you will find it within a short time, if not in this text. I have been to all of these parks and can tell from my experience that each of these parks is special. I find the Setagaya Park the most unusual and most often I am in the Schweizergarten with my friends. I can just recommend you to check them out.
On this website you can search parks in Vienna according to special criteria.
https://www.wien.gv.at/english/environment/parks/index.html
