Prater Main Avenue & Green Prater
The Green Prater is Vienna's largest park — 6 km² of floodplain forest, meadows, and the famous Main Avenue: a 4.4 km long, straight chestnut avenue, inviting for strolling, jogging, and cycling since the 18th century. Emperor Joseph II opened the former imperial hunting ground to everyone in 1766 — since then, the Prater has been Vienna's most democratic place.
Activities in the Green Prater
- Jogging & Cycling: The Main Avenue is Vienna's most popular running track — flat, shady, 4.4 km round trip. Bicycles can be rented via WienMobil Rad (bike rental system).
- City Hiking Trail 9: A hiking trail through the Prater — 10 km along the Danube, through floodplain forests and over meadows. Surprisingly wild for a metropolis.
- Schweizerhaus: The legendary beer garden in the Prater — Stelze (pork knuckle, crispy, huge) and a mug of Budweiser Budvar on tap. A Viennese institution since 1920. Open: March–October.
- Lusthaus: The historic hunting lodge at the end of the Main Avenue — now a restaurant with a garden. Vienna's most romantic spot for a lunch in the green.
💡 Tipp
The perfect Prater combination: Ferris wheel (panorama), then walk or cycle along the main avenue to the Lusthaus and back, finishing at the Schweizerhaus with pork knuckle and beer. Half a day in Vienna that has nothing to do with museums — and yet is unforgettable.
