Vienna with its wonderful
coffee and cakes, does not appear to be a very sporty city and to
a certain extent this is quite true. Most of the sports in which
the residents partake are located outside the city. World-class
skiing is available in the Alps, a couple
of hours away. There are fantastic opportunities for hiking
and mountain biking in the woods to the west of Vienna
cycling can be dangerous on some of the roads, however, as these
are narrow and twisting in the mountains and the Austrians tend
to navigate them at quite some speed. There are also good lakes
for sailing and other watersports throughout much
of the country.
Within Vienna itself, however, there are ample bathing spots along
the River Danube and the Old Danube.
The car-free Donauinsel (Danube Island) provides
one long cycling and rollerblading track. There is a skating
rink, the Wiener Eislaufverein, within
a 20-minute walk southeast of the cathedral, just outside the Am
Stadtpark. The rink hires skates and is open between late October
and early March, although it gets especially crowded during the
weekends.
Football
In terms of spectator sports, football is most popular, especially
since Vienna has two Max Bundesliga (Premier League)
teams. Neither team had a particularly good season during 2001/2002,
however. SK Rapid
Wien, whose players have been wearing their green strip for
a century, finished eighth in the league. Meanwhile FK
Austria Memphis, formerly FK Austria Wien, finished fourth.
The teams play at Gerhard
Hanappi Stadion, Keisslergasse 6 (telephone number: (01) 914
5510), and Franz-Horr-Stadion, Fischhofgasse 14 (telephone number:
(01) 688 0150), respectively.
Tickets
Tickets to the various sporting events are usually available at
the gate, on the day of the match. However, it is better for visiting
spectators to reserve tickets through Kartenbüro Flamm,
Kärntner Ring 3 (telephone number: (01) 512 4225) or the Vienna
Ticket Service, Borsegasse 1 (telephone number: (01) 534
1363, fax number: (01) 534 1328).
Fitness
centres
There are a number of spas in the area surrounding Vienna, including
Thermalbad Oberlaa,
Kurbadstrasse 14 (telephone number: (01) 6800 99600), which is located
in the Tenth District. It offers 2 indoor and 2 outdoor swimming
pools, sauna, solarium, massage and a light-and-sound relaxation
bath. Prices start at €9.60 for 2 hours.
The adjacent Wellness Park Oberlaa offers tennis,
squash, badminton and fitness and aerobics facilities. To get there,
visitors should take the U1 to Reumannplatz, then tram 67 to its
terminal. On the other side of the city, the Sportanlage
Marco Polo, Ruthnergasse 170, in the 21st District (telephone
number: (01) 292 3589), offers everything from a 6-hole golf course
and putting green to tennis, squash, a fitness centre and sauna
and most facilities are open 0800–2300 hrs. A day membership
for fitness costs from €6, for golf is €8 and for tennis
€15. Transport is by bus 32A or 36A, although first-time visitors
may find it easier to take a taxi from Florisdorf station on the
S-Bahn and U6 U-Bahn lines.
Golf
Golf courses around Vienna are chronically overbooked and it is
difficult to get a round. The nearest 18-hole golf course is the
Wien Golf Club, Freudenau 65A (telephone number:
(0222) 728 9564), where a round of golf costs €60 and membership
is not required. However it is only possible to book a round during
the week and at weekends only as a guest of a member, golfers must
be a member of another club and have a handicap of 28 of less. There
are also a number of courses situated outside Vienna where it may
be possible to book a round on weekdays.
Tennis
Between its 3 locations, Tennisplätze Arsenal offers
57 outdoor courts and 8 indoor courts. The most convenient location
for visitors is at Arsenalstrasse 3 (telephone number: (01) 799
0101), in the Third District (near the Südbahnhof rail station).
The cost is €10 before 1700 and €13 after. The courts
are open 0700–2000 hrs. |
