Day trip to Grinzing: How to visit a traditional Heuriger in Grinzing from Vienna Austria

Vienna is one of the few European cities that has vineyards within the city limits. At the north edge of the city, there is an old wine village called Grinzing, and it is known for its Heuriger, traditional tavern serving local wine and homemade food.

And the perfect day trip to Grinzing includes an easy uphill walk through vineyards and wooded trails, magnificent views of Vienna and the Danube and of course, sampling the best local wine and home cooked food.

Getting to Grinzing from central Vienna couldn’t be easier. All you have to do is hop on a tram and you’ll be there in 30 minutes.

So if you are travelling solo in Vienna and want to see Austrian vineyards, then you’ll have to visit Grinzing. Keep reading and find out how to get there and how you can visit a traditional Heuriger in Grinzing. Spoiler alert: I included three Heurigen.

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First of all, what is a Heuriger?

Heuriger means “of this year”. It refers to the wine made this year and is a term describing private wine taverns that sells only their homemade wine and food.

These types of wine taverns that that serve local wine can be also be called Heurigen or Heurige bars.

And many wine taverns in southern Austria (including Grinzing) are also referred to as Buschenschanke. The name refers to the old tradition of hanging a pine twig called “Buschen”, above the entrance door during opening hours.

Each Heuriger and Buschenschanke have their own unique characteristics. Some have live music, some have panoramic views of vineyards. But all of them have a unique rustic aesthetics which is created by the use of wooden tables and benches set in a garden or inside a cozy tavern.

These terms are used interchangeably. So I’ll be using these terms throughout my post.

Heuriger Grinzing: what you need to know before going

Before you start your day trip to Grinzing, take a look at my Vienna solo travel guide and learn about the city first.

Here are a few additional tips for visiting Heurigens in Grinzing:

• Most Heurigen in Grinzing opens between March and October. But some will open year round.
• Check the opening hours and days before going to a Heuriger because many Heurigen open at the end of the week like Wednesday to Sunday. And each Heuriger opens at different hours.
• Start your Grinzing day trip around 1pm so you can hike a bit then visit the first Heuriger which opens at 2pm.
• The hiking portion of the itinerary is not difficult at all. I would rate it 1/10.

How to get to Grinzing in Vienna

There are several public transportation options that can take you from central Vienna to Grinzing.

But the easiest and most direct way is to take Tram D from central Vienna to Beethovengang Station in Nussdorf, which is the last stop on the tram line. This is the best route especially for hiking up the hills of Nussdorf and Grinzing.

• Tram D: from Ring/Volkstheater Station to Beethovengang Station
  • Time: 30 minutes (every 7 minutes)
  • Cost: €2.40 single ticket (buy from tobacco stores or underground stations and validate onboard)

Map: How to spend one day in Grinzing

There are many things to see in Grinzing but I selected a few highlights so you can see the best of Grinzing in just one day.

Here is a summary of my 1-day itinerary in Grinzing:

1. Walk up to Eichelhof observation deck to see a view of the Danube
2. Walk uphill on the scenic trail through the vineyards of Grinzing
3. Visit one of the best heuriger in Grinzing: Mayer am Nussberg
4. Try a glass of Gemischter Satz and order Brettljause
5. Continue walking uphill to the top, Kahlenberg
6. See a panoramic view of Vienna from Kahlenberg
7. Walk downhill towards the town in Grinzing 
8. Visit another Heuriger: Obermann Organic Winery
9. Wander around Grinzing
10. Visit another Heuriger in Grinzing: Weingut-Heuriger Alter Bach-Hengl

How to visit Heurigen in Grinzing in one day

1. Walk up to Eichelhof observation deck to see a view of the Danube

From the tram stop, walk west on Zahnradbahnstrasse and turn right when you pass the park. Then walk up Bockkellerstrasse, turn right on Nussberggasse. At the end of the road, there is a smaller paved path on the left. This is Eichelhofstrasse. Turn left.

Follow the paved path and it will follow the path on the right where you walk through Bockkeller-Durchlass, a historical landmark marked by two arches.

Continue up the gentle hill until you see a small flight of stairs on the right. The stairs lead to Eichelhof observation deck, which is the first viewpoint from the hiking trail. And here you can see a marvellous view of the Danube.

2. Walk uphill on the scenic trail through the vineyards of Grinzing

Continue walking up the paved path and you’ll see vineyards on both sides of the trail.

Make sure you look around the vineyard and look back. You can get a good view of the vineyards with Vienna in the background.

As you walk up the hill, several Heurigen will appear along the trail.

Wieninger am Nussberg is the first Heuriger on this hiking path and it has cute wooden benches, a modern tavern and a fantastic panoramic view of the vineyards. Further up the trail is Heuriger Sirbu am Nussberg, another excellent Heuriger.

While these two are excellent options for your first bevy, I’m recommending another Heuriger which is very popular and has one of the best views of Grinzing and that’s coming up next.

3. Visit one of the best heuriger in Grinzing: Mayer am Nussberg

Keep walking up the trail and you’ll see wooden benches and red chairs that are part of Mayer am Nussberg, one of the best Heuriger in Grinzing. This Heuriger is known for their excellent wine, rustic charcuterie board, and a fantastic view of the vineyards.

Address: Kahlenberger Str. 213, 1190 Wien | Hours: from 2pm on Thursday & Friday; from 12pm Saturday, Sunday & Public Holidays (between March and October)

4. Try a glass of Gemischter Satz and order a Brettljause

A visit to a Heuriger must include wine and local food. At Mayer am Nussberg, there are plenty of drink and food options.

Try a Gemischter Satz, a white wine made with different grape varieties. This is a featured wine in Viennese vineyards. Very drinkable, very light and very tasty.

I also tried a glass of the Heurigen wine with Almududler syrup and sparkling water. This one is so refreshing and a bit sweeter but I quite like it.

As for food, a typical dish in Heuriger is the Brettljause, an Austrian meat and cheese board. At Mayer am Nussberg, order the Mayer’s Snack Board which has salami, bacon, cheese, pepperoni, farmer’s bread and homemade mustard. The portion is quite big though.

Order all your food and drinks before you take a seat. You’ll have to pay an extra €2 first for your wineglass but will get back the deposit when you return your glass and the token.

And when you finally take a seat, make sure to enjoy the view and take it all in. This is my favourite part of my day trip to Grinzing!

5. Continue walking uphill to Kahlenberg

After filling up your belly with good food and wine, it’s time to get up and continue hiking.

Get back on the hiking trail and walk uphill towards Kahlenberg, which is at the top of the hill.

There are signs along the trail but it is quite easy to navigate your way to the top. All you have to do is follow the paved road.

6. See a panoramic view of Vienna from Kahlenberg

At the top of the mountain peak is Kahlenberg, a favourite destination for visitors because of its fantastic views. I mean, just take a look at the photo! At 484 meter high, you can see all the vineyards in Grinzing, Vienna and the Danube. What’s not to love?

Besides the stunning views, there is also a viewing tower called Kronprinzessin Stefanie-Warte and St. Joseph’s Church at the top. Otherwise there isn’t too much to see. But the view itself is worth the trek!

And FYI – part of my itinerary covers a portion of the city hiking path 1 in Kahlenberg. If you decide to return to Kahlenberg another day, you can discover other parts of this hiking trail.

7. Walk downhill towards the town of Grinzing

Walk down the same way you walked up until you are almost back at the Heuringer. There is a path that cuts through the vineyard and down the hill – this is the path you will take.

The path continues to weave through different vineyards. But you don’t have to worry about being lost; there are signs along the way. And if you follow my map above, you won’t have any issues.

8. Visit another Heuriger: Obermann Organic Winery

When you reached a small park at the end of Krapfenwaldgasse, turn right on Cobenzlgasse. Walk about a few more minutes and you will find Obermann Organic Winery on the right hand side.

This organic winery has been producing wine since 2007. It has a cozy restaurant which serves traditional Viennese food and a lovely garden.

I included this winery in the itinerary because I didn’t find any other organic wineries in Grinzing. So even if you are still full from the charcuterie board, you can order a an organic wine and enjoy it in the garden. I had a G’spritzter bio weiß and it was delish!

Address: Cobenzlgasse 102, 1190 Wien | Hours: from 4pm on Thursday & Friday; from 1pm Saturday, Sunday & Public Holidays (between March and October)

9. Wander around Grinzing village

Get back on Cobenzlgasse and walk in west direction towards the center of Grinzing village. The walk itself is quite lovely because the area has many old preserved houses dating from 12th to 18th centuries.

On the main road, you can see Katholische Kirche, a Roman Catholic Church, on the right. And when you veer off the main road and walk south, both Grinzing Cemetery and Katholische Kirche Kaasgraben are only a few minutes away.

10. Visit another Heuriger in Grinzing: Weingut-Heuriger Alter Bach-Hengl

On the way to the tram stop, there is another Heuriger worth mentioning. It is called Weingut-Heuriger Alter Bach-Hengl.

This Heuriger has a la carte menu consists of traditional Austrian dishes. Plus, they also have Schrammel music which is a typical Heuriger live music where a trio of accordion, violin and guitar play cheerful music.

If you are visiting Grinzing during winter season, this Heuriger is an excellent option for food and drinks as the other Heurigen on the hills are closed for the season. This Heuriger is open year round from 3pm daily and have live Viennese music from 6pm.

When you are ready to finish your day trip, continue walking on Grinzinger Strasse and find the Grinzinger Straße tram stop on Heiligenstädter Strasse so you can take Tram D back to the center of the city.

Address: Sandgasse 7-9, 1190 Wien | Hours: from 3-10:30pm daily; live music from 6pm

Other things to do around Grinzing

Besides all the things to do in Grinzing that was already mentioned in the itinerary, there are other things to see in the Grinzing area. Here are some suggestions:

1. Wien Museum Beethoven Museum – visit Ludwig van Beethoven’s old apartment which is currently a small museum that houses his memorabilia. The museum is at the end of the itinerary so make sure you get there well before 6pm.
2. Setagaya Park – named after a suburb in Tokyo, this Japanese garden is very popular in spring when cherry blossom is in full bloom. Open from March 1 to October 31.

Overview: Heuriger in Grinzing in Austria

If you are staying in Vienna for a few days, I highly recommend taking a day trip to Grinzing and see the hilly vineyards and sample local wine.

I only featured three Heurigen in my itinerary but there are over 25 Heurigen in the Grinzing area. If you google “heuriger grinzing” or “heuriger wien grinzing”, you will see search results of specific Heuriger on Google Maps.

Let me know in the comments if you are going to visit this Old Viennese wine town or if you have questions about this itinerary.

Thank you for reading my post on Grinzing Heuriger

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• Vienna solo travel guide for first time travellers
• 23 Best Vienna food you must try
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