Europe’s 7th largest city, Vienna, Austria is an architectural and cultural wonder. Regarded as the ‘City of Music’, Vienna has a fascinating mix of medieval and baroque architecture, more than 100 museums, and a city center designed as a UNESCO world heritage site. It’s also one of world’s top convention destinations. The geography is defined by the Danube River, which runs through the city, and the Ringstraße (Ring Road), which surrounds Vienna’s historic center, and is lined with grand buildings, monuments, and parks. Note: If you’d like to have a guided running experience in Vienna, we highly recommend partner Go! Running Tours.
There is wonderful running in Vienna, with a great variety, easily accessible. The centerpiece are three separate routes along the Danube: the main river paths, the 21 km path along the adjoining Donauinsel (Danube Island), and the canal. There are several city parks with beautiful gardens and tree-lined paths, notably the Prater and the paths inside Schönbrunner Schlosspark. One can also put together a great ‘runseeing’ tour involving the Ringstraße and several parks and paths running off it. Several larger parks within 10 km of the city offer longer pastoral paths and more involved woods and trail running opportunities. The central part of the Vienna is fairly flat but just on the outskirts there are some great opportunities to do some hills.
Vienna’s public transport is extensive. There are 5 subway lines, trams/light rail, buses, and trains. Nearly all of our routes are accessible by public transport, which also facilitates one way runs.
Vienna Basin. The city’s climate is a transition of oceanic and humid subtropical climate. Summers are warm, with average highs of 25C (79F), and occasionally hot days. Winters are cold but not frigid, with temperatures hovering around freezing. Even though rainfall, at 20-25 inches per year is relatively spread out, there are frequent stretches of overcast. Vienna averages about 25 inches of snow annually. For winter running, bring layers and be aware of potential ice and snow.