Lainzer Tiergarten- Hermesvilla

Hermesvilla: Empress Sisi's “Castle of Dreams” in the Lainzer Tiergarten

The Hermesvilla, also known as the "Castle of Dreams," was built by Emperor Franz Joseph for his wife, Empress Elisabeth. This magnificent estate, located in the heart of the Lainz Tiergarten, served as a retreat for Sisi. Today, the villa houses a museum offering fascinating insights into imperial history and the life of Sisi. Surrounded by idyllic forests, the Hermesvilla is a cultural highlight and a perfect destination for a nature getaway.

Short info:

• Where is the Lainzer Tiergarten? In the west of Vienna, parts also belong to Lower Austria
• What animals can you see there? There are 800 to 1000 wild boars, 80 to 100 red deer, 200 to 250 fallow deer, countless roe deer and about 700 mouflons.
• Where is the entrance? There are 6 gates: Lainzer Tor, St. Veiter Tor, Gütenbachtor, Pulverstampftor, Laaber Tor and Nikolaitor
• Is there an entrance fee? The Lainzer Tiergarten does not. Here the Entrance fees for the Hermesvilla.
• When is it open? All year round, the exact times can be found HERE.

The Hermesvilla

The "castle of dreams", as Empress Elisabeth once called her villa, was given to her by her husband Emperor Franz Joseph. He hoped that this "gift" would enable him to keep his travel-loving wife in Vienna more often. The famous Ringstrasse architect Carl von Hasenauer created this building, which was exemplary for many romantic country houses of the upper middle class, over a five-year construction period. Today, various exhibitions are held in the Hermesvilla. On the first floor, you can see how the imperial couple once lived privately. The oversized state bed dates from the time of Maria Theresa. The walls are decorated with impressive murals. Sissi's personal gym can also still be visited. Special exhibitions are also held in the Hermesvilla from time to time. The Hermesvilla café-restaurant serves wonderful food. On sunny days, a reservation for one of the tables outside is recommended! +43 676 3926140 You can reach the Hermesvilla via the Lainzer Tor.

The Lainzer Tor

This is the most important entrance to the Lainzer Tiergarten, so to speak the main gate. Directly at the entrance is the visitor center, where you can get the most important information about the nature reserve. Hiking maps are also available here. In the visitor center, you can find your way around using an interactive terrain model or book guided tours. The following options are available: wild herb hike, bat, bird song walk, Johannser Kogel. Guided tours of the Lainzer Tiergarten are also offered for school classes. Just a few meters after the entrance to the Lainzer goal you will find one huge playground with swings, slides, covered sandpit and much more. A real paradise for children!

Behind it is the very beautiful Hohenauer Pond, where you can see some rare ducks. If you look closely, you can also see huge carp in the water. About 20 minutes walk from the entrance you will find the Hermesvilla. If you want, you can take a look at the forest nature trail First, you pass the enclosure of the fallow deer and mouflons (opposite the playground). The path is lined with various information boards, and the typical tree species of the Vienna Woods are explained using the corresponding trees. The trees themselves "report" on their age, their occurrence and their characteristics: leaves, seedlings and fruits of the tree species are presented with the help of detailed drawings. Here you can find information about Nikolaitor and Gütenbachtor

The Lainzer Tiergarten General

Under the Lainzer Tiergarten you must not imagine a zoo or a zoo like Schönbrunn or the Tierwelt Herberstein There are no exotic animals here. Instead, wild boars, red deer, fallow deer, roe deer and mouflons live in the wild. Only if you are lucky will you come across a wild boar - on other days you may only see ducks. Nevertheless, the Lainzer Tiergarten is a very popular destination for Viennese and Lower Austrians, as you can take a very relaxed walk and hike in this pristine part of the Vienna Woods.

Over 500,000 visitors come here every year. The area covers a total area of 2,450 hectares - 1,945 hectares of which are forest. The entire area is surrounded by a 22 km long wall. This wall has a funny story to this day: From 1782 to 1787, Emperor Joseph II commissioned master bricklayer Philipp Schlucker to build the wall. Mr Schlucker's price was so low at the time that the Viennese people feared that the master bricklayer would become impoverished; although this fear did not come true, the expression "poor slob" is still common today. You can only get in through 6 gates. Incidentally, cycling is prohibited in the nature reserve (except for children under 6 years of age). Dogs are also not allowed in the Lainzer Tiergarten.

plants and animals

Since 2008, the Lainzer Tiergarten It is also a European protected area. The zoo has a high level of biodiversity and has numerous endangered plant and animal species. A special feature of the zoo is its impressive beech and oak forests. Some of these have therefore been preserved for over 400 years. Around 800 to 1000 wild boars, 80 to 100 red deer, 200 to 250 fallow deer, countless roe deer and around 700 mouflons live in the Lainzer Tiergarten. The bird life of the Lainzer Tiergarten is particularly diverse; over 94 different species can be found here. Numerous species of birds of prey live in the zoo, as well as rare birds such as the white-backed woodpecker, the pygmy and collared flycatcher, as well as the stock dove, the tawny owl and the black woodpecker. 15 species of reptiles and amphibians live here, such as the yellow-bellied toad, fire salamander, alpine newt, Alpine crested newt and European tree frog. There are also 39 different species of grasshoppers and countless butterflies in the Lainzer Tiergarten. If you are lucky, you can spot one of the 13 species of bat.

leisure activities

As already mentioned, the zoo is particularly popular with hikers, runners, walkers and strollers. For families, there are 6 children's playgrounds, mostly located near the gates. Visitors will find various viewing points, picnic areas, running trails, an observation tower, the Nikolai Chapel and places to stop for refreshments such as the Rohrhaus (+431 8041323), Hirschgstemm (+43 664 1572585) or the Café-Restaurant Hermesvilla (+43 676 3926140). For visitors, there is the forest nature trail at the Lainzer Gate and the nature trail at the Nikolaitor.

forest playgrounds

• Lainzer Tor: This playground is 200 meters from the Lainzer Tor, on the left side of the Kastanienallee, which leads to the Hermesvilla.
• Hermesvilla: This is a small playground located in the Tiergarten on the path that leads from the Lainzer Tor towards Hermesvilla, just before the villa on the left-hand side.
• Gütenbachtal: About 100 meters from the Gütenbachtor in the Tiergarten you can find this forest playground on the left side.
• Hirschgstemm: This playground is located next to the corresponding inn directly in the Lainzer Tiergarten.
• Rohrhaus: This playground is located at the Rohrhaus inn.
• Nikolaiwiese: About 100 meters from the Nikolaitor in the Lainzer Tiergarten