The town of Baden "bei Wien" (to distinguish it from other Badens) is a spa town in Lower Austria, just south of Vienna. It dates back to the time of the Romans and has been sacked by Hungarians and Turks through the centuries. More recently, although destroyed by a fire in 1812, it has been superbly rebuilt.
Nowadays, Baden still welcomes visitors who enjoy its thermal baths and hiking opportunities. It's a practical and easy day-trip from Vienna. You can reach this charming village with public transport in less than 35 minutes.
GETTING THERE
Best option: VOR One-Way Ticket
There are frequent direct connections between Vienna Hauptbahnhof and Baden bei Wien. The regional trains are the fastest option (27min) but you also have the S3 line (49min) for the same price. Additionally, if you want to enjoy the scenery, you also have the Badner Bahn, the tram line starting in front of the Opera and terminating in Baden (62min).
The VOR One-Way Ticket costs €5.90 each way, valid for an uninterrupted journey on the selected section and route. [Purchase online] by filling out the origin "Wien" and destination "Baden b.Wien Bahnhof" on the screen below for your outward journey and opposite directions for the return.
TIP: If you already have a ticket covering transportation in Vienna, you only need to purchase the complement from the city border. All you need to do is select a discount.
Select option (1) Jahreskarte Stadtverkehr Wien, if you have the yearly ticket; or (2) Ticket Stadtverkehr Wien exkl. Jahreskarte, if you have any of the other time-based tickets valid on that day.
Both the VOR Day-Ticket and the Einfach-Raus-Ticket for groups turn out to be more expensive than two single tickets.
ARRIVING
Upon leaving the rail station, follow the signs to Hauptplatz, the main square where you'll find the Rathaus and several shops. It's only an 800m walk from the train station.
EXPLORING THE TOWN
Exploring Baden bei Wien is easily done on foot since the historical center, Kurpark, Josefsplatz and other points of interest are all within short distances from one another.
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- Kurpark
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- Kurpark
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- Casino
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- Schlossergässchen
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- Doblhoffpark
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- Rosarium
Find on the map below some points of interest and follow the pins for further information.
HIKING
As well as within Kurpark itself, there are two uphill castle ruins that you can visit, one on each side of the river. These are marked with green pins on the map above.
For this time we have chosen to go up to the Rauheneck castle ruins (de: Burgruine Rauheneck). It's hard for me to evaluate hikes as I'm not really used to them. But even for me, a total newbie, it was fine, with a couple of stops along the way for breath. But I guess that's normal? 😉
You can go inside and climb the ruins for free, but at your own risk. It's a steep climb, with narrow stairs but manageable.
Rauheneck Burgruine
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- Rauhenstein, seen from Rauheneck
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- View from top of the Rauheneck Castle ruins
EATING
Since I visited Baden bei Wien during the Phase 2 of the Pandemic reopening, there were no restaurants open. 🙁 I have heard very good things about the steakhouse El Gaucho im Josefsbad but unfortunately, we could only manage to get bakery snacks during our visit.
Closing up...
As you can see, this small town has enough attractions to easily entertain you for a day, especially if you go on a hike or to one of their thermal baths -- whenever they re-open.
If you've never been, I hope this post has inspired you to plan a day-trip to lovely Baden bei Wien. If you've already been, how did you find it? What was your favorite part? Any other tips?
Comment below and let me know!
See also:
Vienna 101: Arriving & Getting Around
Day-Trip to Melk, Lower Austria
10 Reasons Why Vienna Makes a Terrible City Trip
Trains in Europe: Get The Best Deals
Pin this post and happy travels!
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