Ober St. Veit has a special place in my heart. Back in 2017, I stepped out of my apartment, determined to explore my new home in Vienna. We’d been living here just under a year, and as I had some time on my hands, took the first train I saw from Simmering Train station. Below is a write up of that first wander. There are many of these from the very early days of Wiener Wanderland, and we’ll both be revisiting these places with fresh eyes. In the meantime, have a read.
So it’s the first day visiting the many districts of Vienna, and I’ve ended up At Huttledorf Station. I’ve got no particular plan other than ‘Catch the train to Hütteldorf.’ Reaching the end of the line, I’m faced with a nice simple binary choice. Left or right. To my right, the 14th district, the Rapid Wien football stadium and a few other interesting bits. To the left, the 13th district, the river Wien and the hills. For no reason at all, I choose left. In about ten minutes I’m going to regret it, but as I cross the road, I’m happily smiling.
My smile soon drifted from my face as the first of many, many steps appear. I reason that if I climb the steps, I’ll get a kick-ass view across the city. Oh, how I wish that had been true.
My smile soon drifted from my face as the first of many, many steps appear. I reason that if I climb the steps, I’ll get a kick-ass view across the city. Oh, how I wish that had been true.
I take a break after the first set of stairs to catch my breath. Apparently extreme heat and loads of bloody steps do not mix. After my rest, I follow a road around that should climb uphill on a much gentler gradient. As the road turns, I spot more steps and curiosity gets the better of me. The steps lead to the top of the hill, which from my position, seems a long way away. There are at least a dozen flights to climb. At the top, who knows? As I ponder climbing the seemingly neverending stairs, an elderly couple is climbing the same steps. A gentleman in his sixties is walking up the side of the steps, on a slope that looks too steep by half. His wife, also in her sixties, is climbing the steps. She starts to pick up the pace and, amazingly, the guy starts jogging up the damn slope. All I can do is stand there, slack-jawed and breathing heavily. I retreat from sight and head up the ‘Gentle’ hill.
Walking up the hill, I start to look around. There are plenty of houses here. Houses in Vienna are at a premium, and here, on the slopes, overlooking the city, it’s fairly clear that these are the houses of the well to do. It’s quiet up here, and the view, at least from the houses, is stunning. From the road, I can’t really see much. I find a second park bench under a tree and contemplate my next move. Up or down. Who am I kidding? I’m heading down. It’s a good choice.
Up or down. Who am I kidding? I’m heading down. It’s a good choice.
Not every home here is the preserve of the rich and famous. Along the road, I come across a block of public housing, built by the city in the mid-1950s. As is quite common with these buildings, I catch sight of a little bit of artwork. Vienna is full of art, and plenty of public housing features murals on the walls.
Artworks can be found adorning public housign all over the city. Street art in the 13th district
At the end of the street, I turn left and I find myself in a little village in the city. Without meaning to, I’ve found Ober St. Veit. The first thing I notice is a rather grand church. Set back from the road, the church offers me a nice respite from the heat. I sit within the grounds and enjoy the cool shade from the large trees
Along with the church, there’s a Seminary as well. The grounds are peaceful but the call of the explorer beckons me onward, plus the ants were starting their assault on my rucksack, and I hate ants. From the church, I head into the small village centre.
Cute little boutique shops fit alongside the odd chain store. The fact it sits on the smaller hills gives the place a little character. I stroll through tree-lined back streets and realise I’m hungry. Time for lunch.
I enjoy a lunch of Goulash soup at a local bakery, before deciding where to go next. I wander down yet another side street that will eventually talk me back to the river Wien. Along the way, I find cute restaurants, gorgeous turn of the century buildings and most curiously, a giant wood plane. It belongs to the joinery on the opposite side of the road. It’s very large and would certainly my an interesting talking point.
I finish up the day heading along Auhofstraße. Here it’s more a case of newer buildings, private schools and the odd park area. I reach Unter St. Veit Ubahn and head home. I’m tired, hot, but happy. It’s been a fun day.
Vienna is a fairly big city, and yet Ober St. Veit showed me how it’s possible to leave the city behind and almost travel back in time to the Vienna of yesteryear. Its peaceful surroundings are actually not too far from the U-Bahn and S-Bahn stations, and yet they can seem a world away. Ober St. Veit is a great place to visit to relax because you can’t help but feel the stresses of the day melt away while you’re there. We’re hoping to revisit it this summer.
Travel details
Getting to Ober St. Veit is fairly easy from Vienna city Centre. The U4 U-Bahn line connects with both Ober St. Veit and Hütteldorf stations. There are busses from both stops that can take you into the centre. The 54A from Hütteldorf and the 54B from Ober st. Viet.
You can also use the S-Bahn with the S45, S80 and various regional trains from and too Westbahnhof connecting at Hütteldorf station.
Finally, the Number 10 tram will take you to Unter St. Veit, leaving you with a short 5-minute walk to the centre.
Further Reading.
If you’d like to know more about Ober St. Veit, Check out the link below (German Only)