A visit to the Vienna vineyards
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"It's so clear you can see the whole city," my friend Gabriela says, pointing to the scene below us. We are in the middle of a vineyard on a hill above Vienna. Below us, the Danube meanders slowly through the Austrian capital.
St. Stephen's Cathedral's Gothic spiers point high in the air, and I can see the Prater, Vienna's giant Ferris wheel, in the distance.
Even though it's a sight I've seen before, the scene makes me smile. Vienna captured my heart when I was a student abroad.
When I came here, I didn't like wine, coffee or classical music. But Vienna worked its magic, and when I left, all three were things I enjoyed.
These days I return to Vienna as often as possible, but summer is my favorite time to visit. The outdoor patios of the old town are packed with diners and the city palace gardens are at their peak.
Best of all, the vineyards, which stretch from the edge of the Vienna Woods to the banks of the Danube, have come to life again.
Vienna is the only city capital with a significant wine-growing area within the city limits – in fact, it has over 1,700 acres covered in vineyards.
There are over 190 winemakers, mostly in the Nussberg, Kahlenberg and Bisamberg hills surrounding Vienna. Even Schönbrunn Palace, one of the city's icons, has its own vineyards.
Vienna's winemaking tradition is well established. While Germany may have its beer gardens, Vienna has its vineyards and taverns. In 1784, Habsburg Emperor Josef II issued a special edict granting winemakers the right to sell their own wines - and the beloved local tradition of Heurige was born.
Viennese Heurige are taverns where winemakers serve their own wine, as well as traditional homemade dishes.
Known for their atmosphere of Gemütlichkeit (friendliness), many also have outdoor seating in gardens or courtyards where you can relax over a good glass of wine and cheap dishes like black bread with Liptaurer (spicy cheese) or other creamy spreads, potato, cucumber or carrot salads, sauerkraut and several types of roast meats.
The Heurige are only open when they have wine to offer. When winemakers hang a bundle of evergreen twigs over their door and say the word Ausg'steckt, it means the Heurige is open.
Go World Travel is supported by readers and may earn a commission on purchases made through the links in this article.
"It's so clear you can see the whole city," my friend Gabriela says, pointing to the scene below us. We are in the middle of a vineyard on a hill above Vienna. Below us, the Danube meanders slowly through the Austrian capital.
St. Stephen's Cathedral's Gothic spiers point high in the air, and I can see the Prater, Vienna's giant Ferris wheel, in the distance.
Even though it's a sight I've seen before, the scene makes me smile. Vienna captured my heart when I was a student abroad.
When I came here, I didn't like wine, coffee or classical music. But Vienna worked its magic, and when I left, all three were things I enjoyed.
These days I return to Vienna as often as possible, but summer is my favorite time to visit. The outdoor patios of the old town are packed with diners and the city palace gardens are at their peak.
Best of all, the vineyards, which stretch from the edge of the Vienna Woods to the banks of the Danube, have come to life again.
Vienna is the only city capital with a significant wine-growing area within the city limits – in fact, it has over 1,700 acres covered in vineyards.
There are over 190 winemakers, mostly in the Nussberg, Kahlenberg and Bisamberg hills surrounding Vienna. Even Schönbrunn Palace, one of the city's icons, has its own vineyards.
Vienna's winemaking tradition is well established. While Germany may have its beer gardens, Vienna has its vineyards and taverns. In 1784, Habsburg Emperor Josef II issued a special edict granting winemakers the right to sell their own wines - and the beloved local tradition of Heurige was born.
Viennese Heurige are taverns where winemakers serve their own wine, as well as traditional homemade dishes.
Known for their atmosphere of Gemütlichkeit (friendliness), many also have outdoor seating in gardens or courtyards where you can relax over a good glass of wine and cheap dishes like black bread with Liptaurer (spicy cheese) or other creamy spreads, potato, cucumber or carrot salads, sauerkraut and several types of roast meats.
The Heurige are only open when they have wine to offer. When winemakers hang a bundle of evergreen twigs over their door and say the word Ausg'steckt, it means the Heurige is open.
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