The best cycle routes in and around Vienna

From urban sight-seeing tours to downhill mountain-bike trails, there are hundreds of cycle routes to explore in Vienna. Here are just a few of the favourite paths in and around the city.

Vienna River route

Photo: www.wien.info
Beginning at Vienna’s western border, this route beings by taking you along Lainzer Tiergarten (or, if you want an extra workout, try going up some of the hills in the park). It then heads near Schönbrunn Palace before ending at Naschmarkt near Karlsplatz, where you can finish the ride with a well-deserved G'spritzter.

Escape to the Lobau

Photo: wien.gv.at
Start from Donaustadtbrücke station and head south towards the Lobau nature park. Follow the road around until Saltenstraße, where you head into the park. There are plenty of places to stop off for dip in the water – a local favourite is ‘Donau oder Kanal’ near the southern end of the park. There are also restaurants serving snacks and drinks along the paths by the river.

City sights

Photo: Wikimedia/Peter Haas
This short cycle route through Vienna’s grand first district takes you from Schottentor, down Herrengassen to Opernring and is suitable for tourists wanting to see the sights. Although cyclists might want to avoid the very busy centre of the district, it's possible to continue on the Ring, either turning right and returning to the starting point or turning left and following the cycle path on the Ringstrasse, past Stadtpark and towards Donaukanal.

Danube Cycle Route

Photo: Silvia Edner/Lower Austria Tourist Board
The cycle route along the Danube river is one of the most famous in the region. The Austrian section of the river enters in Upper Austria and then through the picturesque Wachau region in Lower Austria before reaching Vienna. For a serious cycling holiday, you could attempt the whole thing but day-trippers might prefer to take a train to Krems and then cycle back, which would take roughly five hours not including stops.

The Grinzing-Kahlenberg route

Photo: http://www.kahlenberg-wien.at/
Although a bit of a tough uphill ride, this route through one of the city’s popular heuriger districts is probably the most rewarding. Starting at Grinzing, it takes you to the city’s border with Lower Austria and onto the quaint village of Kahlenberg before heading downhill to the starting point. Along the way are lots of Heuriger wine taverns to stop off at and get refreshed. www.grinzing.com has lots of variations on the route.

Donauinsel: An inner-city sanctuary

Photo: YouTube/Hanse3Official
The Donauinsel is an island in the middle of the Vienna stretch of the Danube measuring 21,1-km lange. A bit of an inner-city paradise, this peaceful stretch of countryside is popular with cyclists, rollerbladers and skateboarders alike. Get on at Reichsbruecke and cycle to the northern edge where you can go for a dip in the water – although watch out for passing ships and fast-flowing current.