Exploring Vienna on your bike: the 10 most beautiful cycling routes in and around Vienna

Written by Kerstin Lakits, Jul 07, 2022

Cycling is beneficial to you and the environment. Better mobility as well as improved health, which is an effective prevention against various illnesses. It also improves your mental state, since you can relax and feel free. Sounds good, right?

Cycling is a welcome change from all the time at university or at the desk for students because your brain is supplied with oxygen and you can de-stress. Furthermore, you can grab your bike and go for a ride anytime, anywhere, alone or with a group of friends. And the best thing is that cycling is for free!

Tip: Particularly practical for STUWO residents: Every STUWO dormitory in Vienna are equipped with a bike storage!

The 5 best cycling tours in Vienna

The city of Vienna offers a practical cycling tour planner that allows you to create your own tours or provides you with the GPS information for existing tours. You can search for specific routes, duration or distance. Feel free to try the cycling tour planner tool to find the perfect route for you!

1. A lap around the Ring

Sightseeing done differently! Along the cycling tour around the Ring you can see the Natural History and Art-History museums, parliament, city hall, university, Hofburg, etc. Since the broad cycling path is surrounded by trees and not directly on the street, you can enjoy your tour without a care and also go a little bit slower to take your time looking at the sights.

  • Start & finish: you decide (somewhere along the Ring)
  • Distance: ~5.5km
  • Duration: ~20min
  • Altitude: 15m
  • Difficulty level: easy
  • Highlights: State Opera, University of Vienna, parliament, Burgtheater, City Hall, Hofburg, Museum of Natural History, Museum of Art-History…

2. Cycling path: Donauinsel

The Donauinsel cycling path is one of the most popular recreational areas in Austria’s capital. There is also something for cyclists because the 21km long artificial island is perfect for an extensive cycling session. Since it is a whole round, you can choose the starting point.

  • Start & finish: you choose (e.g. metro station Donauinsel or Praterbrücke)
  • Distance: ~40km
  • Duration: ~2h
  • Altitude: 20m
  • Difficulty level: easy-intermediate
  • Highlight: CopaBeach (leisure area with green areas, relaxation spaces and modern cuisine)

3. Prater-Türkenschanzpark

This cycling route Türkenschanzpark-Prater starts and ends in nature. Especially on hot days, this path is ideal because of its shady alleys and green areas. After your tour you can reward yourself with a chilled picnic in Türkenschanzpark or Prater. Of course you can extend your ride and also go back to the starting point.

  • Start & finish: bus stop Lusthaus & bus stop Türkenschanzpark
  • Distance: ~11km
  • Duration: ~45min
  • Altitude: 65m
  • Difficulty level: easy
  • Highlight: relaxation in the beautiful Türkenschanzpark

4. Explore Seestadt with your bike

Seestadt is Europe’s biggest urban development project. The main feature is the Asperner lake. Explore this cycling paradise Seestadt and get inspired by this future-oriented city planning. Bring your swimwear on hot days and cool down with a jump into the lake.

Tip: This cycling paradise is especially attractive for residents at STUWO Seestadt Aspern, since it’s right outside your door!

  • Start & finish: metro station Hausfeldstraße U2
  • Distance: ~15km
  • Duration: ~1h
  • Altitude: 20m
  • Difficulty level: easy
  • Highlight: cooling down in Asperner lake

5. High grounds: Bisamberg

Do you want to feel the burn in your legs? Then this demanding tour to the Bisamberg with a steep incline is perfect for you. Your efforts during uphill parts are rewarded with an adrenaline rush during the descent.

  • Start & finish: Reichsbrücke
  • Distance: ~35km
  • Duration: ~2h
  • Altitude: 250m
  • Difficulty level: hard
  • Highlight: Zigeunerbrünnl (a little walled up spring in the 21st district, at the foot of Bisamberg; perfect for a little break)

The 5 best cycling routes around Vienna

Do have more time for a long excursion? Then discover the beautiful cycling paths in the surroundings of Vienna!

1. Danube Canal Route: Schottentor-Klosterneuburg

Ready for a giant loop from Schottentor to Klosterneuburg? Then grab your bike, snacks as well as a water bottle and on hot days your bathing equipment and make your way to Schottentor, the starting point. Your finish line is the monastery Klosterneuburg before you make your way back to the starting point. You will be rewarded with opportunities to swim and beautiful viewing platforms along the way.

  • Start & finish: Schottentor
  • Distance: ~50km
  • Duration: ~3h
  • Altitude: 300m
  • Difficulty level: medium
  • Highlight: swimming spot Greifenstein

2. EuroVelo: Vienna-Laxenburg-Vienna

A part of the European cycling path „EuroVelo“ connects Vienna and Laxenburg. A great place for a relaxing break is the Castle Park Laxenburg. Then you ride to Schwechat and back to Vienna. An ideal starting point is the STUWO dormitory Triester Straße, but you can also start from somewhere else.

  • Start & finish: Triester Straße 1100, Vienna
  • Distance: ~42km
  • Duration: ~2h30
  • Altitude: 110m
  • Difficulty level: medium
  • Highlight: Castle Park Laxenburg

3. Spa Cycling Path: Wiener Neustädter Canal

The Thermenradweg (Spa Cycling Path) takes you south through the Vienna Woods, where it meets the EuroVelo which continues on to Maribor. Until you come to the Castle Park Bad Vöslau, you can calmly ride your bike alongside the Wiener Neustädter Canal. A perfect day trip! If that’s not enough for you, you can continue on towards Wiener Neustadt!

  • Start & finish: Karlsplatz
  • Distance: ~51km
  • Duration: ~3h45
  • Altitude: 100m
  • Difficulty level: easy

Highlight: Castle Park Bad Vöslau & water playground

4. Cycling Path of Delight @ Klosterneuburg

It doesn’t take you long to get to Klosterneuburg by train, it’s right outside of Vienna! There you start your bike journey of Delight. On your way, you’ll experience beautiful nature and many places to grab something to drink or eat.

  • Start & finish: Leisure Centre “Happyland”, Klosterneuburg
  • Distance: ~33km
  • Duration: ~2h45
  • Altitude: 395m
  • Difficulty Level: medium
  • Highlight: various restaurants and brasseries

5. Vienna Valley Cycle Path

You start at Schönbrunn Castle and follow the Vienna river cycling path west. Soon you’ll leave the city and dive into the beautiful nature. You can take a short break at Vienna Woods lake and cool down.

  • Start & finish: Castle Schönbrunn
  • Distance: ~38km
  • Duration: ~3h
  • Altitude: 300m
  • Difficulty level: medium
  • Highlight: Staumauer Vienna Woods lake for swimming

Grab your cycling shorts and bike! Discover the many beautiful cycling paths in and around Vienna! Don’t forget your helmet and some snacks! If the weather doesn’t invite for outdoor activities, you’ll find inspiration for rainy days!

Enjoy your cycling tour!

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