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TOURISM

Seven great things to do within 50 miles of Vienna

Vienna is packed with imperial history, excellent museums and great places to eat. But how about when you want to escape the city? Barbara Cação, of Vienna Unwrapped, has some suggestions.

Seven great things to do within 50 miles of Vienna
View of Klosterneuburg. Photo: Andreas Praefcke/Wikimedia
Wine Tour at Klosterneuburg
 
900 years old, Klosterneuburg Monastery is Austria’s oldest wine estate. You can tour their vast maze of vaulted wine cellars, learn about centuries of local wine making, and visit the monastery’s modern production facilities. Ask for the extensive old wine archive packed with rare wines. German language tours take place daily at 2.30pm. English tours are conducted on request.
 
Address: Stiftsplatz 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg
 
Classical Music at Grafenegg
 
While Vienna’s top orchestras take a summer break, why not visit the ultra-romantic 19th century castle of Grafenegg. From mid June to early September, tunes by Debussy, Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Strauss, Vivaldi and others will echo through the castle and down the lush green hills of the Wachau Valley. The orchestras, such as the Niederösterreichisches Tonkünstlerorchester, are all well respected. Tickets for the Midsummer Night’s Gala (19th June) and for the Grafenegg Festival are selling fast. 
 
Address: 3485 Grafenegg 10
 
A Night In The Chequer Tree
 
Photo: Rosenzweig/Wikimedia
 
Brand-Laaben in the Vienna Woods is home to the ancient and now quite rare chequer tree (Elsbeerbaum in German). Between May and September you can spend a night in one of the trees, gently swaying in a safe portaledge. Beforehand, join a guided hiking tour, learn about the local culture of the chequer tree and taste some regional chequer fruit produce.
 
Dates: 29th and 30th May, 3rd and 4th July, 25th and 26th September.
 
Address: Iring Süss, 3053 Brand-Laaben 101. Email: [email protected]
 
A Baroque Day Out at Schloss Hof
 
If you can’t get enough of the likes of majestic sites such as Vienna's Schönbrunn Palace, why not spend a day at the equally splendid baroque Hof Castle. It once belonged to Prince Eugene of Savoy, and was designed by Lucas von Hildebrandt, who also built Prince Eugene's winter residence, the Schwarzenberg Palace, St Peter's Church and other Viennese gems. The beautifully restored state rooms include original furniture. The vast baroque garden is bursting with flowers at this time of year, and children will love the Meierhof manor farm with its animals and orchards. A shuttle bus leaves from the Hilton hotel at Wien Mitte. 
 
Address: 2294 Schlosshof 1
 
Apricot Harvest in the Wachau
 
Photo: Erlebniswelt.com
 
Tracing the origins of your favourite breakfast jam can be fun. Local apricot growers from the Wachau Valley celebrate their produce from the first blossom to the fruit. Start hiking along the 4.5km apricot trail (Wachauer Marillenweg) from Weinhof Aureiter in Krems-Angern. Pick your own apricots at harvest time (forecast this year around mid-July) at Obsthof Reisinger in Spitz an der Donau, and celebrate the harvest at Spitzer Marillenkirtag (17th to 19th July). True nostalgics travel there by steam train from Wien Praterstern.
 
Picnic Concert at Esterházy Palace
 
Burgenland’s Esterházy Palace in Eisenstadt has long been an insider tip for fans of classical music. On two weekends in July and August pack your picnic hamper for an open air concert on the meadow in front of the palace. On the menu will be music from Beethoven, Schumann, Strauss, Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Britten and von Webern. Take the opportunity to see the palace and join the Joseph Haydn trail.
 
Dates: 11th and 12th July (Music from Woods and Meadows); 15th and 16th August (Sounds of Seas and Meadows)
 
Address: Schloss Esterházy, 7000 Eisenstadt
 
Draisine tour in the Weinviertel
Photo: weinvierteldraisine.at
 
Travel along train tracks through yellow rape fields, reeds and acacia forests on warm summer weekends. The Weinviertel draisine tour explores 13 km of disused train rails from Ernstbrunn to Aspern an der Zaya. The start of the tour is a moderate workout, before the rails start leading gently downhill. Each draisine has two bike seats and two middle seats for accompanying people. Great for family weekends out. (Also open during August on Thursdays and Fridays.)
 
Address: 2115 Rübenplatz Ernstbrunn
 
Native Viennese Barbara Cação is the author of an English language Vienna travel guide. If you're in Vienna and want more inspiration for trips across Austria check out her blog post

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VIENNA

Eight unmissable events in Vienna in April 2024

April in Vienna is a busy month filled with exciting events to explore. Here, we list some happenings that you should not miss out on.

Eight unmissable events in Vienna in April 2024

April is almost here and offers a wide range of interesting events to explore in Vienna. You can enjoy anything from the Vienna City Marathon or a dance ball to different exhibitions and music festivals.

Run or watch others run Vienna City Marathon

On April 21st, this year’s Vienna City Marathon will take place. If you have not signed up for it yet, you can still put your name on the waiting list and maybe get a chance to participate in the run. If not, the event is a day of celebration in the city that you can enjoy anyway.

The Vienna City Marathon is a lively event taking place all over the city. People from Austria and all over the world gather to watch the runners pass by, and at various locations in the city, you can enjoy live music or food and drinks from different stands set up for the occasion.

The run is for everyone, from elite runners to beginners who just want to reach the goal and do not care about time. The start is at the Reichsbrücke, which crosses the Danube River, and the finish line is on Ringstrasse, between the Burgtheater and Rathausplatz. The full route is on the website. 

Sign up for the waiting lists here.

The entry fee for the marathon is €145, and for the half marathon, it is €115.

Thousands of runners cross the Reichsbrucke bridge over the Danube river during the Vienna City Marathon. (Photo by JOE KLAMAR / AFP)

Enjoy Argus Bike Festival

On April 13th-14th, at Rathausplatz, Austria’s biggest cycling event takes place.

Here you can explore the latest bike trends, test different bikes, and enjoy bike shows with brave bikers performing all sorts of tricks in the air.

Some of the two-day program highlights include the bike flea market, where you can find bargains, the kids’ bike world, where children can explore biking, e-bike testing possibilities, and many different shows where stunt cyclists perform.

You can enter the festival for free and read more about the program here

 
 
 
 
 
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READ MORE: Train travel in Austria: The best day trips from Vienna

Check out the climate festival Klima Biennale Wien

This year’s climate festival takes place from April 5th until July 14th at various locations all over Vienna. The festival explores how art, design, architecture, and science can contribute to creating a sustainable and liveable future while also considering the impacts of climate change.

The festival pushes for significant changes to make our planet better for living. It highlights the idea of working together, sharing ideas, and raising awareness as the main tools for more sustainable co-living.

The three-month-long festival offers a wide range of performances, exhibitions, talks, concerts, and workshops.

If you want to participate, you can buy a festival pass at various locations, for which you pay as much as you like. You can, for example, buy it at the Museum Hundertwasser.

 
 
 
 
 
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Dance to support cancer research

The Dancer Against Cancer Ball is an annual cancer charity event in Vienna. This year, it will take place on April 13th at 7:30 p.m. in the Palace Hofburg. The event aims to raise funds for cancer research and support those affected by the disease.

Here, you can support a good cause while enjoying dancing and watching professionals present a variety of styles, including ballet, contemporary, jazz, and ballroom.

The event is organised by various dance schools, companies, and charity organisations and is famous for bringing together the local dance community and supporters of cancer research and awareness.

A standard ticket costs €115, and for students, it is €70. You can buy them online.

READ ALSO: 4 beautiful lakes you can easily reach from Vienna by public transport

Explore the Salam Music and Arts Festival

For more than two decades, this festival has been a lively celebration of music, art, and film from Middle Eastern cultures. This year, the event takes place from April 12th to April 21st at various locations in Vienna, such as Flex and Sargfabrik.

Here, you can explore different cultures and art forms presented by innovative artists. You can choose from a wide range of performances, such as concerts, films, dialogues, and exhibitions.

The festival is a platform for both international and local artists who want to connect with and engage people through their art. It sees itself as a bridge in a diverse society, creating a common identity through art and culture.

You can buy a ticket to the different performances here.

 
 
 
 
 
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Check out the rock festival Echoes of Erebos

On April 27th, the rock festival Echoes of Erebos will take place for the second time at METAStadt in Donaustadt.

If you enjoy rock music, ranging from stoner and doom to psych and everything in between, this is the place to be. Seven bands from Austria, such as Motorpsycho, Bismuth, 24/7 Diva Heaven, and Bikini Beach, will be the entertainment of the day.

The festival also offers a cosy beer garden where guests can enjoy food and drinks, and there will be an after-party after the bands finish playing.

A standard ticket costs €66 and can be bought online.

Visit the parliament and learn about it

You can visit the Austrian parliament and enjoy a guided tour for free. During the tour, you will explore the inside of the parliament and learn interesting facts about its architecture, history, and renovation. 

You will see and learn more about the historic chamber, the Federal Council chamber, and the newly designed National Council chamber.

The guided tour takes 55 minutes and is available on the following dates:

Monday to Friday: 11:45 am, 1:45 pm, 3:45 pm.

Saturday: 11:45 am, 3:45 pm.

Reserve your tour here.

An inner view shows the Austrian Parliament in Vienna.(Photo by VLADIMIR SIMICEK / AFP)

Visit the exhibition Climate.Knowledge.Action!

You can learn more about climate change through a new permanent and detailed exhibition at the Technical Museum Vienna.

The exhibition presents the causes and connections of the climate crisis. It brings up important new ideas and innovations in areas such as agriculture, energy supply, mobility, urban planning, and land use.

You can experience the exhibition through different senses, with things to see, experts to talk to, detailed information to explore, and big interactive screens to play with.

A standard ticket costs €16 and can be bought here.

READ NEXT: Everything that changes in Austria in April 2024

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