Day Trips from Vienna

A natural paradise including forests, grassland, parks andgardens cover about half of the city, and then there is the Danube and other stretches of water on top of that. The Vienna Woods are not only the green lung of the city, but provide visitors with footpaths and mountain-bike trails of all distances. Vienna is fully geared to pedal power with almost 1,000 kilometers of urban cycle paths. A number of places in the city such as the vast Prater park, a former imperial hunting ground in the rambling Danube wetlands, are best explored by bike anyway. The Danube Island is another vast area for outdoor pursuits. It has numerous bathing areas, cycle paths, playgrounds and sports facilities. And on the still waters of the New Danube you can go for a dip or a swim, or get into a rowing boat, sailboat or even onto water-skis. You will find designer stores, shopping temples and trendy pubs and restaurants right next door to traditional shops where purveyors to the imperial court once served the emperor personally. Kärntner Strasse, Graben and Kohlmarkt, in the heart of the historic centre, are the classic streets to head to if you want to take a little piece of Vienna home with you. And there are thousands of opportunities to do so, with the vast choice including precious jewellery, quality Viennese glassware and porcelain, fashions of timeless Viennese elegance or international contemporary design, and famous, mouth-watering chocolate temptations.