Vienna with kids

Ringstrasse parks and the old town

• 5Sights
• 2Kid stops
• about 2.5 kmDistance
• 1.5 hoursWith play time

This walk of about 2.5 km links five of Vienna's best-known places: the City Hall (Rathaus), the Parliament, the Hofburg, the Plague Column on the Graben and St. Stephen's Cathedral. It starts on the Ringstrasse and ends in the old town, and it stays outdoors all the way.

There is a kid stop early on and another soon after. The first is the playground at the Rathausplatz, next to City Hall. The second is the playground in the Volksgarten, a short step from the Parliament and just before the Hofburg. After that the walk goes on to the Graben and the cathedral.

1. 

   Vienna City Hall (Rathaus)

   The neo-Gothic town hall tower across the park.

   Photo: Thomas Ledl · CC BY-SA 4.0

2. Spielplatz am Rathausplatz Playground

   A fenced playground next to City Hall, mapped with slides, swings, a climbing wall and springy animal rides.

   On the map

3. 

   Austrian Parliament Building

   The Greek-style columns and the Athena fountain.

   Photo: C.Stadler/Bwag · CC BY-SA 4.0

4. Playground in the Volksgarten Playground

   A fenced playground in the Volksgarten, between the Parliament and the Hofburg.

   On the map

5. 

   Hofburg Palace

   The domed gate at Michaelerplatz.

   Photo: C.Stadler/Bwag · CC BY-SA 3.0 at

6. 

   Plague Column (Graben)

   The carved baroque column in the middle of the Graben.

   Photo: Brücke-Osteuropa · CC BY-SA 3.0 at

7. 

   St. Stephen's Cathedral

   The tiled roof and the tall south tower from the square.

   Photo: C.Stadler/Bwag · CC BY-SA 4.0

Tips for parents

• The Volksgarten sits between the Hofburg and the Burgtheater and has a permanent kids' playground. Its rose garden has more than 3,000 rose bushes, and the roses peak from late May to early June.
• One guide calls the Volksgarten five minutes from the major Inner City attractions and ideal for stroller naps.
• The Rathausplatz playground is fenced and is mapped with slides, swings, a climbing wall and springy animal rides. The city's park service, Wiener Stadtgärten, is listed as its operator.
• A public toilet mapped as free to use is about 150 m from St. Stephen's Cathedral, at the end of the walk.
• Outside St. Stephen's Cathedral, look for the bullet damage from World War II that is still visible on the south façade.

Public toilets

• About 160 m from St. Stephen's Cathedral · On the map