8 perfect spots to take a walk & spend time with autumn’s red, yellowy & golden beauty in Vienna

The paths which weave in and out of this Baraque path are to the extreme kitschy end of idyllic for walks hand in hand with your lover or your thoughts. As the neatly manicured trees and hedges turn a yellowy gold, and Vienna’s cold wind make your cheeks go pink, you’ll be sure to let out a content sigh and at ease while the fallen leaves crunch at your feet. And now and again in all of this beauty, you’ll look up at the lonely and ugly war tower in the park and wonder how something like war could ever happen.

For the complete autumn outing: stop in at one of the cafes located within the park for a coffee and cake, or hot chocolate. The Bunkerei keeps its outside dining area open late into August (while supplying blankets), making it a nice option, while there’s also the Cafe/ restaurant Augarten.

Hundreds of deer call the Lainzer Tiergarten home, and it’s just about autumn when they tend to …let’s say, have a hankering to get it on with some other deer. Keep an eye out and you may catch some of them clashing antlers (it’s the deer version of a guy posing with his shirt off in his Tinder profile pic). Meanwhile, the nature park also plays host to millions of rust coloured leaves in autumn that are waiting for you to dive into, hide in, and jump out of to scare other leisure walkers as they pass by.

You can get directions on how to get there with public transport, here.

We swear that the kissing and romancing on the Prater Hauptallee boulevard that cuts through the mighty Prater park increases incredibly during autumn. It just inspires such. The 6-million square meter park (think 2,420 football fields) has plenty of green meadows for you to lay down your blanket, or your lover, on, and also a small forest to get lost in. Running down the leafy avenues of the Prater Hauptallee at this time of year is one of our most favourite things to do in this city (well, it would be if we weren’t so lazy…and owned a pair of sneakers).

For the ultimate autumn experience: get lost in the forest near the Lusthaus end of the Prater Hauptallee boulevard.

A crow cries like a baby. A sweet sounding bird answers. You’re at Vienna’s Zentralfriedhof (central cemetery), and you’ve never felt more alive. Who thought a place of death could be so beautiful. Death has always had a cult following in Vienna. Their culture is full of it.

“We do not understand death, we never understand it; creatures are only truly dead when everyone else has died who knew them“, said Viennese author, Arthur Schnitzler.

You can visit him here. Amongst the field of dead bodies piled on top of each other. It’s one of the largest cemeteries in the world. Imagine that – when you’re here, you’re standing in one of the most densely populated dead cities in the world.

Now, while it may seem macabre to recommend a hand in hand stroll around a cemetery on a crisp autumn day, there’s nothing that will put things in perspective than being surrounded by gravestones. And the Zentralfriedhof truly is a beautiful place.

The grand old boulevard that encircles the old city center is one of the most picture perfect autumn walks in the city. Our favourite time to wander along the wide side walks, watching the city move and flow, is just before an autumn day comes to a close. Starting at the Opernring, whatever direction you walk, you’ll be charmed by this boulevards beauty when it takes on the golden hue of the season. The warm lights streaming from the hotels and restaurants, the bikers whizzing by and the suits looking into their phones not watching where they are going, and therefore almost being hit by the bikers – it’s all extremely charming.

To get the ultimate autumn experience: Stop in at one of the many coffeehouses in the city center for some people watching. We recommend Cafe Prückel as a great option that lies on your path.

While the roses may look pretty in summer, the Schoenbrunn palace gardens never look better than when they’re all dressed up in autumn. Strut like a Kaiser or a Kaiserin as you wander around the neat and trim paths of the gardens. If you’ll feeling energetic, take the path that snakes behind the zoo and over to the glorious Gloriette cafe.

For the ultimate autumn experience: walk up the Gloriette hill that rolls out behind the palace and take in the stunning views of the city, adorned with all the colours of the season.

They’ve got a tree or two at Stadtpark. And a park bench or two, as well. If you want to catch one of nature’s most impressive art shows, this beloved city park is the place to be. If you’re lucky, you’ll catch one of the buskers that often frequent the bridge overarching the Wienfluss river passing through the park who will provide a soundtrack to all this mushy romance. Do follow the sounds down to the Wienfluss for a waterside stroll – it’s a very special and beautiful spot in the city.

Pick a path, any path, and dive into it. That’s right, dive into the brown, rusty and yellow colours that will swallow you whole in the Wienerwald. Autumn can be one of the best times to go for a walk in the forest on the fringe of the city – the sun still has a bit of bite to it, the trees are a kaleidoscope of colours, there’s fewer people therefore a spontaneous quicky in the bushes won’t hurt anyone.

For the ultimate autumn experience: Look up a Gasthaus that lies on one of the paths that wind through the forest, and stop in for a warm meal.