Claret Red Love.

Challenge: 3 (hiking boot)
Route: Kierlinger Forst via Nußberg, Kahlenberg and Vogelsangberg
Length: 16.03km
Start point: Nußdorf Beethovengang, 1190 Wien, 8 Zahnradbahnstraße
Coordinates: 48°15'34.34"N, 16°21'44.95"E
Public transport: D > Nußdorf (last stop) (tram stop is right at the start point)

Google-Maps

TRACK DESCRIPTION
This time the Urbs have been kidnapped – by an expert on Döbling's mountains. In perfect autumn weather we walk together through vineyard slopes, enjoy wonderful views and find both the typical Viennese grapes, but also ‘claret red’.

ROUTE
Beethovengang is signposted from the Nußdorf tram stop at the end of the line. Follow this until it ends in Wildgrubgasse just before the Heiligenstadt cemetery. Keep the Schreiberbach stream on the left until the bridge to Mukenthalerweg, but take the path through the field just after, which goes to Kahlenberger Straße. When you reach Kahlenberger Straße go left up to the first turning. Here go right into Eiserne-Hand-Gasse. After about 150m there is a path through the forest (NW) that goes beneath Kahlenberg to Elisabethwiese and the ‘Hütte am Weg’ local tavern. At the tavern, a signposted path begins – starting near Höhenstraße – which brings us to Josefsdorf am Kahlenberg. On Kaiserin-Elisabeth-Ruhe (opposite St.Josef's church) the path climbs to the ‘Stefaniewarte’ tower – go straight past to Höhenstraße. Cross the road and take the footpath on the left that runs parallel to the street. Next we come to Gnadenkapelle, a small place with a play area. Keep going straight on and head toward Vogelsangberg (SW),  Hermannskogel, keep going. At the Gasthof Agnesbrünnl (the Jägerwiese green area) go down to the left to the next restaurant, the ‘Grüss di a Gott Wirt’. Now go parallel to Höhenstraße until this intersects with Salmannsdorfer Höhe. After crossing this intersection you reach ‘Häuserl am Stoan’. Go past this restaurant and take the small path down to its end, then take the path through the field left (Zierleitengasse). At the end you reach the wide asphalt of Agnesgasse. Cross it and go along the following streets one after the other: Hubert Eder Weg > Buttenweg > am Neustiftblick > Hackenbergweg > Weinberggasse > Budinskigasse > Olympia Park > then right into Sieveringerstraße which you follow to the tram stop.

 
HISTORY
Vienna – the only world city with wine growing within the city limits – and wine go together like bricks and mortar.

It might sound like just a metaphor, but in reality wine was mixed in with the mortar of Vienna's cathedral. It was a makeshift solution, when the strict medieval quality control found 1456's vintage much to sour – but throwing it away would have almost been blasphemy – so the wine was used as a substitute for water on the building site. The vines were imported by the Romans and cultivation reached its economic high point in the middle ages. But with about 680 hectares of vineyard and around 230 winemakers Vienna's current wine industry has nothing to be shy about.

‘AUSG'STECKT IS’ [IT'S 'UNG OUT] – THE BIRTH OF THE Vienna HEURIGEN
On a green bench with a ‘vierterl’ [quart] in the hand and listening to Viennese songs: A visit to a traditional wine tavern, a Heuriger, is still, despite the terrible commercialisation, one of Vienna's most lovable traditions. It all began in 1784 with a by-law. This entitled winegrowers to serve wine from their own crop during the year, but not more than 300 days per year. The opening times were signalled by ‘Ausstecken’ [hanging out] a bush of green pine branches. Serving small dishes was also allowed, but this didn't mean guests couldn't bring your own food ‘to line their stomachs’. Incidentally, this custom also led to the invention of the typical wineglass with handle that is still used, because without cutlery, i.e. with fatty fingers, a normal wineglass is too easy to drop. Cheers!

 
AREA TIPS

Stefanie-Warte
opening times
May-October, Saturday: 12:00 till 6:00
Sunday and Friday: 10:00 till 6:00

Heuriger Sirbu
opening times
May-October, closed Sunday
1190 Wien, 210 Kahlenberger Straße
www.sirbu.at ‎

Hütte am Weg
opening times
Wednesday-Monday, closed Tuesday
1190 Wien, 47 Josefsdorf

Häuserl am Stoan
opening times
Thursday-Sunday
1190 Wien, 42A Zierleitengasse
www.amstoan.com

Heurige Calendar
www.wienerheurige.at

Viennese Folk Music Society
www.wvlw.at