Nikolaitor in the Lainzer Tiergarten: A gateway to Viennese nature
The Nikolaitor is one of the main entrances to the Lainzer Tiergarten, a popular recreational area in the west of Vienna. The entrance allows visitors to experience the impressive nature and wildlife of the Vienna Woods, including wild boars, deer and a variety of bird species. Historically significant and idyllically located, the Nikolaitor offers an ideal starting point for hikes and walks through the extensive nature reserve.
brief information
- 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? No
- When is it open? All year round, the exact times can be found HERE.
Nikolaitor
The Nikolaitor is located just before the west exit of the motorway from Vienna - from the U4 Hütteldorf stop and can be reached in about ten minutes on foot. There is a small playground and a nature trail The nature trail leads via the Nikolaikapelle and the Hackinger Wiese to the Grünauer Teichwiese and along the Lainzer Tiergarten wall back to the Nikolaitor. It offers an entertaining discovery tour for the whole family. 18 exciting experience stations with display boards and interactive elements such as the treetop cinema or the animal jumping field invite nature enthusiasts of all ages to learn the secrets of the flora and fauna in the Lainzer Tiergarten in a playful way. Carpenter ants, nuthatches and copper beech are just some of the many animal and plant species presented on the information boards. At each station, the mascot Susa - a small wild boar - has tips and hints for observations and experiments. A special extra: young visitors to the Lainzer Tiergarten can pick up a quiz sheet from the porter at the Nikolaitor - whoever returns it fully completed later will receive a little surprise. The entire route takes about an hour. Here you can find information about the Lainzer Tor and the 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 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 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 in the Lainzer Tiergarten is particularly diverse; over 94 different species can be found here. Numerous species of birds of prey live in the zoo, and 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 can also be found. 15 reptile and amphibian species 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 see one of the 13 bat species view.
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 a forest nature trail at the Lainzer Gate and a nature trail at the Nikolaitor.
forest playgrounds
- Lainzer Tor: This playground is 200 meters from the Lainzer Tor away, is located on the left of the chestnut avenue, 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
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