Rund um den Badener Lindkogel

The day before my birthday was a Sunday. I try and make it a rule to go hiking at least once a week, usually on Sunday, and I definitely hoped for good weather and an interesting walk for my 'birthday hike'. I picked one of the very few routes in my book of hikes around Vienna that I hadn't yet done. This small unassuming green book ranks among the absolute best purchases I have made in my several years here, and can be credited with really spurring me to get out and about and explore the leafy surroundings of Vienna.

This hike was yet another from the small spa town of Baden (in contrext basically this translates as 'Bath', there are multiple Baths in almost every country I think). The best part of the 14km trip (plus 4km return walk to the station) was that it started and ended in a castle! And not rubbish stately home castles either, proper ones with towers and walls! The two guard the mouth of a valley on the edge of the Vienna basin, and in a straight line lie less than 1km apart. From the top of the first we were treated to views of some absolutely gorgeous backlit cloud formations, with hints of blue sky to come.

Passing prehistoric caves, a cholera chapel, one wrong turn and a wild boar (my first sighting of one outside the boundaries of the Lainzer Tiergarten, and thus possibly my first properly 'wild' wild Boar) we finally wandered up to the second castle just at sundown, providing opportunities for some nice sunset shots across the valley. The second castle was a real joy to explore, the kind of ruin with many different levels, small holes to stoop through, dramatic views and crumbling masonry.

All in all a very successful hike on a lovely route, and one I am keen to repeat!

Here's the full photo gallery.

Der Tom