Table of contents:
Because dry grass is bland! A walk over the Perchtoldsdorfer Heide combines a view of the city of Vienna and an exciting biodiversity.
Once again a destination that is known and unknown at the same time. Those who live near the Perchtoldsdorfer Heide will be surprised why we dedicate an article to it. Especially since it is an everyday, albeit pretty, spot for a walk. Others desperately looking for places to visit in lockdown times that can be reached by public transport in Vienna will be very flashed to have overlooked such a special place until now.
What is special about the heather?
Behind the hilly meadow on the outskirts of Vienna hides a cultural landscape, "which was created through thousands of years of human activity", according to the website of the Friends of the Perchtoldsdorfer Heide association. From a landscape point of view, it is a dry grassland, which despite its boring name hosts a fascinating variety of species - animals and plants. They have to cope with the harsh living conditions of dry grass.
Heide visitors' favorite photo model is also one of those residents: the European ground squirrel is not shy at all and sometimes even dares to go near the walkers - especially when a delicious picnic beckons. But if you go to the heather now, in late autumn, you shouldn't expect to see the cute rodents, because they hibernate from around September to March.
How do I get to Perchtoldsdorfer Heide?
The easiest way is to take the 60-Bim to the "Rodaun" terminus and walk from there to the heath for about half an hour. As is so often the case in life, the journey is the goal: when you leave the busy streets, you can have a look at the villa. And when it's a windy day, you will even be able to see a few kites on the heather. Then there is the view over Vienna, which is somehow not so impressive when photographed, but in reality it is very, very beautiful.
