Guides
Favoriten & Oberlaa — Travel Tips and Apartments
The city centre in the morning, the spa park in the afternoon, thermal water in the evening — the U1 starts here.
Our four apartments in Favoriten are in Oberlaa, right at the southern edge of the district. This is deliberately not the postcard old town: it is quieter, greener and further out. What you get in return is the U1. The line starts here — Oberlaa is the terminus, so you board an empty train. Stephansplatz is ten stops away with no change. What Oberlaa has and the city centre does not: Therme Wien and one of the largest parks in the city, both a few hundred metres away. If your idea of an evening after sightseeing is thermal water rather than another bar, you will like it here. If you want to walk from museum to museum, you probably will not — better to say so upfront.
Who this location suits
- Guests who explore the city by day and want quiet and greenery in the evening
- Spa visitors — Therme Wien is around 390 metres away as the crow flies
- Families: the Kurpark has playgrounds, a climbing wall, a skate park and an animal enclosure
- Longer stays where a direct metro line matters more than a central address
What you can experience
This is backed up, not guessed. Opening times and prices are best read from the provider, they change.
Culture & old townSt Stephen's Cathedral & the old centre
Ten stops on the U1 without a change to Stephansplatz: climb the south tower, see the Pummerin bell in the north tower and the catacombs. The cathedral is the middle of Vienna.
stephanskirche.at
Nature & activityLaaer Berg
Hiking trail 7 leads about 15 kilometres around the Laaer Berg, past the Kurpark, the Laaer Wald and the Löwygrube, with wide views over the Prater and the Marchfeld. Start and finish at the U1.
wien.gv.at
Food & drinkWine taverns in Oberlaa
Oberlaa is one of Vienna's wine villages, and wien.info lists two small taverns there. Check the opening dates in the tavern calendar beforehand.
wien.info
And more
- Nature & activity
Kurpark Oberlaa
Eight ponds, a rose hill, a Japanese garden and an animal enclosure with dwarf goats, plus water playgrounds and a big pendulum swing. The Japanese garden is not open every day.
wien.gv.at - Water & wellness
Therme Wien
Right next to the Kurpark. The operator gives the U1 station Oberlaa as the way to get there — so you arrive from anywhere in the city without a change.
thermewien.at - Day trip
Belvedere
A baroque palace with Klimt's "The Kiss" and one of the most beautiful gardens in the city. A classic for a city day.
belvedere.at - Day trip
Schönbrunn Palace
UNESCO World Heritage. The park is free to enter, with the Gloriette, the palm house, a maze and the zoo.
schoenbrunn.at - Culture & old town
Karlsplatz & Karlskirche
The baroque Karlskirche and right next to it the Wien Museum, reopened in 2023.
karlskirche.at - Day trip
Prater & the Riesenrad
The Wurstelprater funfair, the Ferris wheel of 1897 and the Hauptallee for walking and cycling.
praterwien.com - With kids
Böhmischer Prater
A small, nostalgic amusement park in the Laaer Wald with a historic carousel and Ferris wheel, quieter than the big Prater. Seasonal.
boehmischer-prater.com - With kids
Water playground at the Wasserturm
15,000 square metres with a mini water tower and slide, a stream and a raft lake. Summer operation, free of charge.
wien.gv.at - Culture & old town
- Food & drink
Viktor-Adler-Markt
A neighbourhood market since 1877, known for the farmers' market on Leibnizgasse.
wien.gv.at - Food & drink
Viennese cuisine & coffeehouse
Schnitzel, boiled beef, apple strudel and Sachertorte — plus the coffeehouse, listed as intangible cultural heritage by the Austrian UNESCO Commission since 2011.
wien.info - Winter & Advent
Advent in Vienna
Christmas market at the Rathausplatz (2026: 13 November to 26 December) with an ice-skating trail, plus markets at Schönbrunn, the Belvedere and in the Prater.
christkindlmarkt.at
Location and character: the green south of Favoriten
With around 220,000 residents, Favoriten is the most populous district in Vienna after Donaustadt — roughly eleven per cent of the whole city lives here (Vienna regional statistics, as of 1 January 2025).
You notice little of that size in Oberlaa. This part of the district sits at its southern end, where the dense blocks stop and the landscape turns flat, open and quiet. Around half of the district is green space, mostly in the south — which is right here. The trip into town stays short all the same, because the metro does not merely pass by — it begins here.
Therme Wien and Kurpark Oberlaa
Therme Wien is on Kurbadstraße, around 390 metres from our apartments as the crow flies.
The operator itself gives the U1 station Oberlaa as the way to get there, so the spa is reachable from anywhere in the city without changing trains. Next to it lies Kurpark Oberlaa, at roughly 608,600 square metres one of Vienna’s major green spaces. It was created in 1974 for the Vienna International Garden Show, and it still shows: eight bodies of water, a rose hill with some 2,400 roses, plus the Takasaki Garden, a Japanese garden. Several of these gardens sit closer to the apartments than the park’s calculated centre — the nearest are a good 300 metres away as the crow flies.
Shopping and everyday life — worth knowing in advance
Here is the inconvenient part, and we would rather tell you now: there is not a single supermarket within 800 metres.
We checked this specifically, because it makes a real difference on a stay where you cook for yourself. What there is: a small corner shop on Oberlaaer Platz, around 530 metres away as the crow flies, though with limited opening hours. The pharmacy on Kurbadstraße is around 270 metres away. So for a proper weekly shop, plan in one metro stop, or do it on the way from the station to the apartment.
Out and about with children
For families the Kurpark is the actual reason to stay here.
The City of Vienna lists playgrounds, a climbing wall, a skate park and a beach volleyball court for it. There is also an animal enclosure with pygmy goats and Carinthian spectacled sheep, around 800 metres away as the crow flies. The advantage over most city-centre attractions: none of it costs anything, none of it needs booking, and all of it still works when the schedule has already fallen apart.
When is the best time to visit?
Spring
About 20,000 bulbs bloom on the rose hill in the Kurpark, the roses follow later. In May and June the Vienna Festival runs.
Summer
Water playground at the Wasserturm, the Donauinselfest (2026: 3 to 5 July) and Kultursommer Wien with free entry (2026: 2 July to 16 August).
Autumn
Walks on the Laaer Berg, wine taverns in Oberlaa and Wien Modern (2026: 30 October to 30 November).
Winter
Christmas market at the Rathausplatz (2026: 13 November to 26 December), the Eistraum at the Christmas market and the Wiener Eistraum (2027: 22 January to 7 March).
Facts at a glance
- To the city centre
- U1 to Stephansplatz — 10 stops, no change
- Nearest station
- Wien Hauptbahnhof — U1, 7 stops, direct
- Airport transfer
- Change required: U1 to Hauptbahnhof, then ÖBB Railjet (per ÖBB: 15 min, twice hourly)
- Public transport
- U1 Oberlaa (terminus), approx. 430 m as the crow flies
- buses 17A, 68B, 70A
- night buses N17, N68
- no tram
- Parking
- Short-stay parking zone across Vienna: Mon–Fri 9:00–22:00, two hours maximum
- Groceries & pharmacy
- No supermarket within 800 m
- corner shop approx. 530 m
- pharmacy approx. 270 m (as the crow flies)
More on getting there and parking
Getting there & around
The U1 is the reason Oberlaa works as a base. The station is around 430 metres away as the crow flies and it is the terminus, so you board an empty train. Stephansplatz is ten stops away with no change; when the U1 extension opened in 2017, the City of Vienna gave the journey as 15 minutes. Wien Hauptbahnhof is seven stops away, also direct. There is no through connection from Oberlaa to Vienna Airport. The simplest route is the U1 to Hauptbahnhof and the Railjet from there — ÖBB state two connections per hour and a 15-minute journey. One thing to watch: regional bus 266 does go to Schwechat, but to the town’s railway station, not the airport. Locally, bus lines 17A, 68B and 70A fill in the network, with N17 and N68 at night; regional buses 226, 227 and 266 head out of town. There is no tram in Oberlaa.
Parking
A short-stay parking zone covers the whole of Vienna, Favoriten included. It applies on working days from Monday to Friday between 9:00 and 22:00, and with a parking voucher or the HANDYPARKEN app you may stay two hours at most. The City of Vienna lists different hours only for outlying areas in the 14th, 21st, 22nd and 23rd districts — Favoriten is not among them. Whether a special rule applies to your particular street is set out in the city’s short-stay parking map. That map is the binding source, not this page. Our suggestion stands regardless: with the U1 on the doorstep, you do not need a car for Vienna.
Apartments in this area
Taba Tower · Park
Park-view balcony, own bedroom
Favoriten · Vienna
Taba Tower · Compact
One room: double bed and sofa bed
Favoriten · Vienna
Taba Tower · City view
View and balcony, 9th floor
Favoriten · Vienna
Taba Tower · Panorama
Park and skyline views, 9th floor
Favoriten · Vienna
Frequently asked questions
Is Oberlaa a good base for a first visit to Vienna?
It depends how you travel. If you head out by metro in the morning and want quiet in the evening, yes — ten stops to Stephansplatz without changing is comfortable. If instead you want to walk between sights and stumble into the evening programme, Oberlaa is too far out for you. In that case one of our apartments in Leopoldstadt or Landstraße will suit you better.
How do I get from the airport to Oberlaa?
There is no through connection. From Vienna Airport take the ÖBB Railjet to Wien Hauptbahnhof — ÖBB state two connections per hour and a 15-minute journey. At Hauptbahnhof change to the U1 towards Oberlaa and ride to the end of the line, seven stops.
Is there a supermarket nearby?
No, not within 800 metres — we checked, and we would rather tell you upfront. Around 530 metres away as the crow flies there is a small corner shop on Oberlaaer Platz with limited opening hours, and a pharmacy around 270 metres away. For a bigger shop, take the U1 one stop or handle it on your way in.
Do I need a car in Oberlaa?
Not for Vienna itself. The U1 starts here and takes you to the centre and to the main station without changing. If you do drive: a short-stay parking zone covers all of Vienna, on working days from Monday to Friday between 9:00 and 22:00, with a maximum of two hours per voucher.
Is there a city tax in Vienna?
Yes, the Ortstaxe is a statutory charge levied by the City of Vienna. If you book directly with us it is already included in the price shown — nothing is added on arrival.
Does Oberlaa suit a longer stay?
Several things speak for it: it is quiet, the Kurpark is on the doorstep, and the U1 connects you without changing. What you do need to plan for is food shopping — there is no supermarket within walking distance. If you cook regularly, it is easiest to combine the shop with a trip into town.