Quite a special blog, since I have (almost) not been able to enjoy Vienna as a runner myself. Indeed, that was a tricky time for me as I was stuck with a long running injury for months. This tendonitis (I understood what it was months later) started at the end of January. I moved to Vienna from March to June. Thinking that I will have healed by then (I was so naïve). I only went running once (at some point I thought I had healed, I was definitely very naïve). However I was able to walk, so I could discover good running spots within or around the city. Vienna was also my first experience of open water swimming.
City
Geography: Capital city of Austria, small country but in the middle of Europe. Very calm, clean, green and pleasant to live in. The city is crossed by the Danube.
Population: around 2 million
Climate: Cold in winter (it was still snowing in March when I arrived), very hot in summer.
What it’s famous for: Vienna is a concentrate of European classical culture in architecture (it’s full of castles), music (the opera is an institution, many composers lived there) and arts (Klimt and Schiele). It’s also famous for its rich history (Empress Sissi, Austro-Hungarian empire and all that…)
Running friendliness: ✴️✴️✴️
How I ended-up in Vienna
Finishing my master 2 in development economics, I had the luck to land an (unpaid 😀) internship in UNIDO’s headquarters for 3 months. Simple as that.
First and last run
2 months after the beginning of that unknown injury, I had the feeling that I had waited for too long and that I could run again. It was spring, starting to get sunny and warmer. And that big park right behind the corner from where I lived was definitely too appealing for me to resist. So I set-off for a “test run” of 6-7 km across that park. And that felt amazing to run and get lost in the middle of this urban forest. Until the next day when my injury pain resumed with greater intensity. Lesson learned, I will stick to walking and swimming, and hold myself back not to throttle all these happy runners I was coming across.
Where to run in Vienna? Running spots to consider
Prater park, a forest run in the capital
The Prater could be a mix between Tiergarten and Tempelhof parks in Berlin. Very large, half long straight tarmac alleys full of rollers and bikes, half wild forest in the middle.
A big portion of the park is actually a huge amusement park with its famous ferris wheel.
Why run there:
- Very large, perfect for long runs
- Nice forest trails, you are “cut off” from the city when you are in the centre of the park
- It’s flat and (I guess) convenient for interval training
- It’s not far from the centre and easily accessible in metro (U1 and U2)
- It’s not far from Donau insel and the river banks of the Danube if you want to extend your run
…and why not:
- It’s crowdy, especially on weekends
- Be careful not to be crushed by bikes and roller-skaters
Donau insel, chill run along the rivers
I got really confused in Vienna when I understood that there isn’t “the Danube”, but there are several. Donaukanal, Alte Donau, Neu Donau, Donau… The Danube canal is the arm of the river that goes through the city centre (South of the Danube). The “Old” Danube is a Northern arm of the Danube. And the river itself (its current location was diverted from the Old Danube) is split in two arms, the Danube and the New Danube. If you’re lost, this page is providing clearer explanations than mine.
So, Donau insel (Danube island) is this artificial part between the Danube and the New Danube.
Why run there:
- Fresh, green, surrounded by the two rivers (one blue, one…grey), it’s a very nice spot for any kind of activity: running, cycling, swimming, or just chilling
- You can go really far for a very long run
- It’s easily accessible with the metro (U1)
…and why not:
- Again, it’s full of people cycling/roller-skating, and some of them are pretty fast
- It’s a straight line, so you can’t really make a proper loop
- It’s mostly tarmac, but if I remember well, there are small parts with trails
Donau kanal, an urban run in the city centre
The Danube canal is an artificial river that runs through Vienna’s city centre. It’s the urban portion of the Danube, with plenty of bars, restaurants and street art alongside.
Why run there:
- Interesting things to see along the way
- Long enough for a long run
- Easily accessible from different parts of the city centre
…and why not:
- A long straight line of tarmac…
- Be careful of cyclists!
Trail running around Vienna
The good thing I like about Vienna, is that even though it is a capital city, it is not that large. You can easily go out and reach the countryside and hills by public transportation. There are plenty of hiking/trailing possibilities around the city, with little elevation gain. Most of them are described here and here, and trails are very well indicated on the ground (each of them has a number). The most famous one is Kahlenberg, a 11km route that goes through the vineyards and forest up to the top of a hill with views on the city and the Danube. A large portion of the route is tarmac though.
Can’t run? Let’s swim!
I started swimming regularly in Berlin when I got my first running injury. Started again in Paris a few months later. And from there, I kept it as a complement to running. When I got this second running injury in Grenoble/Vienna, I intensified my swimming practice to twice a week. After trying Amalienbad, a beautiful art deco swimming pool where it was pretty much impossible to swim (too crowded, too warm, no lanes) I settled for Hallenbad Donaustadt which in addition was pretty close to my work place.
But Vienna is also a perfect spot for open water swimming (at least in Summer, for my first attempt early June the water was still freezing). The best place in my opinion is Donau Insel, in the “new” Danube which is clean, rather still and where there are no big boats (be careful of the kayaks though). The first time, I just swam back and forth between the two shores which is a bit less than 200m (but as I was unable to go straight, it was probably 250m). The following times, I decided to swim alongside the shore of Donauinsel (there are platforms on the water), which was easier to go straight and to avoid being hit by pedal boats or stand-up paddles.
Other (probably safer) options I haven’t tried myself for swimming in open water are the public beaches or swimming pools on different parts of Neue Donau or Alte Donau (Gänsehäufel for instance). You have to pay for entrance, but you have changing rooms, lockers, and a restricted zone for swimming with lifeguards. As I went swimming randomly and to limit the risks (even if Vienna is super safe), I took the minimum things with me: no phone, no money, basically just my keys and my swimming stuff (admire the technique to keep my keys on me).
And you, what are your favourite running routes and your favourite swimming spots in Vienna?