Nature lovers and adventurous travelers can always look forward to an exciting holiday when in Vienna. With its vast land and marvelous landscapes, there are various outdoor activities worth doing with your partner, family or friends. Some popular active pursuits available in Vienna are biking, hiking, boating, skiing, swimming and other water sports.
Biking
Vienna offers nearly 200 miles of cycling lanes and paths. They can be identified through the yellow image of cyclist on the pavement or crafted from rows of red bricks set in the city center’s cobblestones or concrete roads.
Bicycles can be accommodated in specific cars of the subway system during non-rush hours. And to those who don’t own one, a bike is available for rent for 3 to 5 Euros per hour.
A very popular bike itinerary is the long and skinny island separating the Danube River from the Neue Donau Canal.
Hiking
Vienna has eight hiking paths that normally starts at a stop on the trams in the city. Another option is to go to the eastern section of the town at Lainzer Tiergarten which features hiking trails going through forested hills that enables you to see deer and bird life.
Boating
Boating is best done at the Alte Donau, a curving stream that goes through the residential communities to the north of the Danube River.
Boat rentals are available at the An der Obere along the Danube during summer. Visitors may rent a kayak or canoe if they want.
Swimming
While Vienna may not have its own beach to cater to locals and visitors, it has dozens of indoor and outdoor swimming pools in hotels and resorts. One popular outdoor pool is in the Prater area.
Skiing
Those looking for some ski adventure can head to the mountainous regions such as Tyrol, Land Salzburg, Vorarlberg or Styria. Mount Semmering and Mount Schneeberg arer nearest the city as they can be reached within an hour’s drive.
Watersports
The absence of a seacoast is not an issue in Vienna because it has Lake Constance and Lake Neusiedl to cater to visitors looking to do some watersports activities such as sailing, windsurfing or canoeing.
Swimming can be done in Carinthia ideally from May to October. The Salzkammergut lake district situated between Upper Austria and Land Salzburg is also best.
Windsurfing can be done in most resorts located on lakes or rivers while sailing is ideal in the Salzkammergut lake district from May to October.