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IN PICTURES: The best places to see snow in and around Vienna

If you are looking for snow in Austria, Vienna is definitely not the first place you should go, but when it snows, the capital can look absolutely beautiful. Here's where to go to get the best views.

Published: 24 January 2023 17:31 CET
Updated: 17 January 2024 09:50 CET
IN PICTURES: The best places to see snow in and around Vienna
The Schoenbrunn Palace is seen during snowfall in Vienna on January 23, 2023. (Photo by Alex HALADA / AFP)

Vienna is a surprising city when it comes to weather and snow.

You can spend a week in the city in December amid sub-zero temperatures but not see any snow at all  – something that often surprises foreigners from warmer countries who associate Austria with mountains and skiing.

But then when snow comes the sight of Vienna under a white blanket is a sight to behold – even if the locals (not us) don’t seem to appreciate it.

A tram drives by a snowy Vienna (Photo by Saikat Bhuiyan on Unsplash)

Austrians themselves love to hate the Viennese snow, joking that it is actually just “mud”. The truth is, it really doesn’t snow that often in the Austrian capital (the Hohe Warte measurement centre in Vienna recorded ten snow days in 2022, compared to 52 in Klagenfurt, 27 in Salzburg and 26 in Innsbruck). 

READ ALSO: Austria set for more snow as winter weather continues

It also doesn’t snow that much: the winter of 2021/22 saw only 31 centimetres of fresh snow, something that could fall in a day in a ski resort in the Austrian Alps. 

However, when there is enough new snow to turn (parts of) the city white, certain areas are certainly better to explore than others.

Classic touristic spots

If you want to see the Stephansdom or the Vienna Opera covered in snow, it would have to be a tremendous snowstorm, subzero temperatures and even better if the snow was still falling. This is because the city centre is heavily urbanised and the asphalt and streets are treated so that snow melts faster. 

The number of people walking by makes it harder to see that picture-perfect white snow. 

READ ALSO: Why Vienna is a haven for wild animals – and where you can find them

However, some classic tourist attractions are greener and, therefore, can become whiter more easily.

For example, the palaces and parks of Vienna look beautiful when it snows. Schönbrunn, with its hundreds of square meters of gardens (plus a fantastic panoramic view up from the Gloriette), is always a popular spot when the snow falls, just as Belvedere, Stadtpark, the park in front of Rathaus and Prater.

Best places to play around

If your dream is to slide down a snow hill or build a snowman, Vienna’s many parks are the best places to go. Some beautiful examples in or around the city centre include Augarten, Prater, Schwarzenbergpark, Türkenschanzpark and Stadtpark. 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by GRÄTZLeben Hietzing (@graetzleben)

By the outskirts, places like Roter Berg (you can check the video above) are very popular with kids, but even your small neighbourhood park might have great sledging spots, so don’t be shy to ask your neighbours. 

READ ALSO: Six things to expect when you move to the Austrian mountains

Spots in the outskirts of Vienna

Other popular spots are in the Viennese surroundings or just a short drive away from the capital. 

For example, the official trails of the City of Vienna lead you to several nature spots with panoramic views and guaranteed beautiful snow.

The Stadtwanderweg 8 is one of the best, with an observation deck and awesome spots to slide down from. The Stadtwanderweg 4 and 4a lead you up to Gallitzinberg, almost an Alpine peak (ok, not so much, but still beautiful).

READ ALSO: The best spots to recharge on the weekend in Vienna

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Sonia Marska (@prosiacek)

Pictured is the view from Kahlenberg.

The mountains surrounding the city are also very popular, including Anninger, where you can walk through snowy forest paths and roads, and the very popular Schneeberg. Or, accessible via the city transport, the Kahlenberg.

Finally, a short trip leads you to spots such as Semmering (where the Viennese go for a quick ski trip) and the Rax, which you can go up via cable car. 

Above, pictures posted on Twitter of a trip to Semmering on a snowy day.

READ ALSO: Discover Austria: Five beautiful hikes and destinations south of Vienna

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VIENNA

IN PICTURES: the best outdoor pools in Vienna

Summer is almost here, and the pool season has started in Vienna. Here are six of the city's best ones that you should definitely visit.

Published: 23 May 2024 14:03 CEST
IN PICTURES: the best outdoor pools in Vienna

Schönbrunner Bad

If you want to enjoy swimming in green nature and maybe combine it with a visit to Schönbrunn castle and gardens, this is the place to go.

The main pool is 50 meters long and offers space for both people who want to do sport swimming and those who want to swim more relaxed. Besides the sports swimming pool, the place also offers a kids pool, a beach volleyball court, and a small fitness studio.

READ ALSO: The German language you need for summer in Austria

If you want to relax, you can enjoy the sun terrace, which also offers shade, or the indoor rest areas.

The pool is open from 8:30 am to 9 pm during the summer months, and a standard daily entry costs €19, since this swimming pool is a private one and does not belong to the city. 

You can book your entry online here. 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Schönbrunnerbad (@schoenbrunnerbad)

Schafbergbad 

This is one of the city’s most popular public pools, offering great facilities and amazing views over the city. It is located on a hill on the outskirts of Währing.

The sports swimming pool is 50 metres long, and in the area you will also find a children’s pool with water slides and play areas, a volleyball court, table tennis court, a kiosk where you can eat, and a small fitness studio.

The pool is open from 9 am to 7:30 pm during the week and it opens at 8 am on weekends and holidays.

The standard price for a daily ticket for an adult is €7.60.

You can read more about the pool here. 

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

Krapfenwaldbad 

This public pool from the city offers espectaular views over Vienna from its hilly location in Ottakring.

Here you can enjoy swimming in a 50-metre-long pool, play volleyball or table tennis, or just lie outside in one of the adjustable sun chairs. There is, of course, also a swimming pool for children, a smaller fitness studio, and other facilities.

The standard price for a daily ticket for an adult is €7.60, and you can read more about the place here.

The pool is open from 9 am to 7:30 pm during the week. On weekends and holidays it opens at 8 am.

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Wien | Vienna (@vienna)

Strandbad Gänsehäufel

Since the beginning of the 20th century, this has been one of Vienna’s most popular public bathing spots.

This beach bath is located on the Danube Island, and you can choose between enjoying some of the area’s natural beaches at the shore of the Danube or their pools.

The area also offers a water slide, mini golf establishment, beach volleyball court, table tennis tables, and much more.

The facilities are open from 9 am to 7:30 pm during the week and it opens at 8 am on weekends and holidays. A standard daily ticket for an adult costs €7.60.

Read more about what they are offering here. 

READ ALSO: Where in and around Vienna can I pick strawberries?

Kongressbad

Kongressbad is one of the city’s oldest public swimming pools. It takes you back in time with its facility buildings from the end of the 1920s, although of course modernised, so do not worry.

Here you can enjoy sport swimming, an adventure pool, a waterslide, a football court, volleyball courts, or why not a buffet in the restaurant.

Kongressbad is open from 9 am to 7:30 pm during the week and it opens at 8 am on weekends and holidays. The standard price for a daily ticket for an adult costs €7.60, and you can read more about what Kongressbad has to offer here. 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Sophie Tromp (@trompsophie)

Neuwaldegger Bad

Neuwaldegger Bad is a private and family-owned swimming area, located right on the edge of the forest in Neuwaldegg, on the outskirts of Hernals

The swimming pool is large and divided into two parts, one for swimming and one for playing. The area also offers volleyball courts, table tennis tables, and a huge green space for picnics and sunbathing.

A specialty of the place is the restaurant, where the owner prepares home-cooked meals.

The area is open daily from 9 am to 6:30 pm, and a daily entry ticket for an adult costs €19.50.

Read more about the swimming pool here. 

READ NEXT: 10 exciting events in Vienna this June

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