The Lainzer Tiergarten, former hunting grounds of the imperial family, is a publicly accessible nature reserve on the outskirts of Vienna and is one of the oldest zoos in Europe. Wild animals such as wild boar, deer, fallow deer, roe deer and European mouflon, as well as a large variety of bats, are among the animals living in the large forest area.

Nature reserve on the outskirts of the city

© MA 49 – Forst- und Landwirtschaftsbetrieb der Stadt Wien / Rilk

The Lainzer Tiergarten Park offers the approximately 500,000 annual visitors long walks on well-marked trails with seating and picnic meadows, jogging trails and a lookout tower and Nikolai chapel. Admission to Tiergarten is possible at different times, depending on the season. The Main Gate, the Lainzer gate is open all year. Here is also the visitor center located with the permanent exhibition “Biosphärenpark Wienerwald”, which can be visited free of charge.

Forest playgrounds and nature trails

The visitor is offered a varied nature experience, from a total of six playgrounds over two nature and forest nature trails young and old can get to know interesting facts about the Lainzer Tiergarten, its history and its diverse flora and fauna playful.

• Lainzer Tor: 200 meters from the gate to the playground on the left side of the road and the chestnut avenue that leads to the Hermes Villa.
• Gütenbachtal: From the gate about 100 meters away is on the left side of this forest children’s playground.
• Hirschgstemm: Directly at the Hirschgstemm tavern is this playground.
• Rohrhaus: The playground is located at Rohrhaus tavern in the Lainzer Tiergarten.
• Nikolaiwiese: About 100 meters from Nikolaitor in Lainz Game away is this playground.

Nature experience path Hermesvillapark starts directly at the visitor center at the Lainzer Tor and leads past the enclosure of moufflon and fallow deer to the Hermesvilla. Through the garden of the Hermesvilla the path leads past the Hohenauer pond and ends again at the visitor center. On the basis of information boards the typical tree species of the Vienna Woods are described, the difference between horn and antlers or wild bee and honeybee explained.

Nature Trail Nikolaitor leads over the Nikolaikapelle and the Hackinger Wiese to the Grünauer Teichwiese and along the Lainzer Tiergartenmauer back to the Nikolaitor. 18 adventure stations, interactive elements to the flora and fauna, it is just as playful to discover as the treetop cinema or the animal jumping field.

© MA 49 – Forst- und Landwirtschaftsbetrieb der Stadt Wien / Kromus PID / Schaub-Walzer PID

Hermes Villa at the Lainzer Tiergarden

Once a gift from Emperor Franz Joseph to his wife, Empress Elisabeth, the Hermes Villa is today the scene of special exhibitions organized by the Wien Museum since 1978. For better accessibility, a shuttle service to the Hermesvilla is offered on certain days at the Lainzer Tor.

Due to the lockdown, the Lainzer Tiergarten is open on the weekends (Friday to Sunday) from 08:00am to 04:00 pm. Access is possible from all four gates (Lainzer Tor, St. Veiter Tor, Gütenbachertor and Nikolaitor). Dogs are not allowed to protect wild animals!

• Where: Lainzer Tor, Hermesstraße, 1130 Wien
• Web: Lainzer Tiergarten

Teaser Picture: ©  MA 49 – Christian Fürthner