Mountain biking is booming even inside the city limits. Seven signposted trails lead bikers out of town and into the leafy surroundings of the Vienna Woods. With a range of routes to suit all abilities, there is something for everyone – and the beautiful natural surroundings of this biosphere park is just the icing on the cake. The new MTB-Zentrum Hohe-Wand-Wiese is sure to set mountain bikers’ pulses racing: This state-of-the-art trail center has three modern routes ranging in difficulty from easy to hard, and offers bike and equipment hire, technical training, skill parkour and guided tours around the center and the sprawling Vienna Woods. Time to hit the trail!

Climbing adventures with a view

Kahlenberg, the tallest of Vienna’s landmark hills, is not only perfect cycling territory; right at the top it has the largest treetop climbing center in eastern Austria. 150 obstacles divided into three levels of difficulty and reaching dizzying heights of up to 20 meters ensure that the fun never ends. Adventurous souls can also be seen zooming through the air on flying foxes while they lap up the breathtaking views of the city in the distance. And after all that physical activity, the neighboring Josefinenhütte offers welcome respite with classic local and seasonal dishes and a charming interior.

Between April and October, avid climbers can also get their fix in the center of town on one of six historic anti-aircraft towers used as part of the city’s air defenses in the Second World War. Climbers can choose between 20 routes and 4,000 brightly-colored handholds and footholds as they scale the face of the building, eventually reaching the underside of the roof level, a dizzying 34 meters above ground. Any-one who manages to make it all the way up will be rewarded with a memorable sightseeing experience – without any of the crowds.

Almost as good as flying

Vienna also makes people’s dreams of flight come true. On the 380-meter-long flying fox at the Spider Rock XL complex next to the Donaustadtbrücke bridge, visitors soar above the Danube over the Marina Wien inlet. Visitors can also experience a controlled 36-meter fall – after going into virtual freefall, thrillseekers land unscathed at the foot of the Power Fan tower, while their adrenaline levels skyrocket in the other direction!

Fun lovers glide rather than fly at the wakeboard lift next to the Donaustadtbrücke station on the U2 subway line. With options including wakeboards, water skiing and knee boarding, water rats can skim over the surface of the water at speeds of around 30 km/h. More experienced wakeboarders also take to the water to practice jumps over various obstacles.

Windobona at the Prater is another place where people can enjoy an adrenaline boost after going into free fall. At the world’s most modern glazed recreational wind tunnel, wannabe skydivers can experience wind speeds of up to 280 km/h – which feels like jumping out of a plane at an altitude of 4,000 m. The wind tunnel is also suitable for beginners.

Text: Angelika Öttl

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