The Vienna Woods south-west of Vienna are where Viennese climbing began. Vienna founded the first Alpine club on the European continent in 1862, and by the 1890s Viennese climbers were making first ascents all over the Eastern Alps – training on the limestone crags right outside the city. The best known is the Peilstein, about 30 minutes by car from the city limits, a classic training crag of compact limestone with routes from beginner to top grades and the Peilsteinhaus hut on its summit plateau. Further sectors such as the Arnstein main wall and boulders, the Untere Lausbubenwand and the Tiegerturm complete the area.
Most crags are short, with approaches of a few minutes to half an hour through the forest. The best months are in spring and autumn. Popular sectors get busy at weekends and some routes are polished; please stay on the paths and respect any seasonal closures listed on the sector pages.
Part of Lower Austria, Vienna Woods has 4 via ferrata routes documented on climbing.place. Routes are listed below with difficulty and community notes.