Augarten is Vienna’s oldest surviving Baroque garden complex, a publicly accessible park of around 54 hectares in Leopoldstadt, the city’s 2nd district. Its broad lawns and tree-lined paths sit alongside two striking World War II flak towers, historic garden features and cultural venues. The park has four playgrounds and an outdoor family pool.
At a glance
- Augarten is in Leopoldstadt, Vienna’s 2nd district, and covers around 54 hectares.
- Its four design areas include Baroque grounds, woodland-like bosquets, landscape-style gardens and formal gardens from around 1900.
- Look for the two flak towers, Palais Augarten, the Augarten Porcelain Manufactory and MuTh, the Vienna Boys’ Choir concert hall.
- There are four playgrounds, an outdoor family pool and a running loop of approximately 2.3 kilometres.
- Dogs must be leashed and kept off lawns and planted areas; cycling is prohibited.
What to see in Augarten
Start along Obere Augartenstraße, where the Baroque section brings together the parterre, lime-tree groves and Schüsselwiesen lawns. The garden’s main axes and clearings reflect its early use as a hunting garden.
From there, explore the woodland-like bosquets, landscape-style areas and formal garden design dating from around 1900. Two World War II flak towers are prominent reminders of a very different chapter in the park’s history; the Austrian Federal Gardens say they were built in 1940.
Augarten’s cultural landmarks are also part of the grounds: Palais Augarten is home to the Vienna Boys’ Choir, and the Augarten Porcelain Manufactory is in the park.
MuTh, the choir’s concert hall, is at Am Augartenspitz 1, 1020 Vienna. For a more active visit, follow the approximately 2.3-kilometre running loop, or bring children to one of the four playgrounds or the outdoor family pool.
Getting to the park from Schottenpoint
From Hotel am Schottenpoint, Schottentor is about a 7-minute walk and is a convenient nearby starting point for a trip across Vienna. Augarten is in Leopoldstadt, the city’s 2nd district, and its broad grounds are best explored on foot.
Allow time to see the different garden areas once you arrive. Cycling is prohibited throughout Augarten.
Getting around Vienna from Schottentor covers the area’s connections.
Choose a walk through the grounds
Begin with the Baroque section along Obere Augartenstraße: see the parterre, lime-tree groves and Schüsselwiesen lawns, then continue into the woodland-like bosquets and landscape-style gardens.
Formal garden design from around 1900 completes the park’s four distinct design areas. The two flak towers are among its most visible historic structures. If you want a longer outing, the running loop is approximately 2.3 kilometres.
Palais Augarten, the Augarten Porcelain Manufactory and MuTh add cultural stops to a walk through the grounds. MuTh is the Vienna Boys’ Choir’s concert hall at Am Augartenspitz 1, 1020 Vienna. For a broader city plan, a one-day Vienna itinerary from Schottenpoint offers further ideas.
Check access before your visit
Augarten is publicly accessible and covers around 54 hectares. A hunting lodge stood on the site in 1614, and the grounds were redesigned in the early Baroque style around 1677 under Leopold I. The garden was largely destroyed during the 1683 Ottoman siege of Vienna.
Emperor Joseph II opened it to the public in 1775; before then, it was reserved for the imperial court and nobility. The Republic of Austria has administered the park since 1918, and it has been a protected historic monument since 2000.
Keep dogs on a leash and off lawns and planted areas. Cycling is prohibited throughout the park.
FAQs
Where is Augarten?
Augarten is in Leopoldstadt, Vienna’s 2nd district. It covers around 54 hectares and is publicly accessible.
What can you see in Augarten?
Start with the Baroque parterre, lime-tree groves and Schüsselwiesen lawns along Obere Augartenstraße. The park also has woodland-like bosquets, landscape-style gardens, formal gardens from around 1900 and two World War II flak towers. Palais Augarten, the Augarten Porcelain Manufactory and MuTh are on the grounds.
Is Augarten open to the public?
Open daily. Yes. Emperor Joseph II opened the garden to the public in 1775; before then, it was reserved for the imperial court and nobility. Today, Augarten is publicly accessible. Dogs must be leashed and kept off lawns and planted areas, and cycling is prohibited.