Guides
Leopoldstadt — Travel Tips and Apartments
Across the Karmelitermarkt in the morning, up the Riesenrad in the afternoon, through the Augarten in the evening.
Leopoldstadt lies between the Danube Canal and the Danube itself — an island setting in the middle of Vienna, within walking distance of the old town yet with a character of its own. For guests it is one of the city’s more comfortable compromises: central enough to cover a lot on foot, and quieter than the 1st district. Our two apartments here are around 900 metres apart, in two different neighbourhoods, and they even sit on different metro lines. So we describe both separately below rather than quoting an average that would fit neither.
Who this location suits
- Guests who want a central base without sleeping in the bustle of the 1st district
- Market people: the Volkertmarkt and Karmelitermarkt are around the corner, depending on the apartment
- Families with the Prater in mind — the Riesenrad is around a kilometre from Vereinsgasse
- Anyone who cooks: local shopping is dense at both locations
What you can experience
This is backed up, not guessed. Opening times and prices are best read from the provider, they change.
Nature & activityAugarten
Vienna's oldest surviving baroque garden with the porcelain manufactory and its museum, the film archive and the Vienna Boys' Choir at the MuTh.
bundesgaerten.at
Winter & AdventWinter market at Riesenradplatz
With concerts and rides, in 2026 it runs from 20 November to 6 January 2027. Plus the Christmas market and the ice-skating trail in the old centre.
wintermarkt.at
With kidsLiliputbahn
Since 1928 from the Riesenrad through the floodplain landscape of the Green Prater, in operation in 2026. A ride for children and everyone who wants to feel like one.
liliswelt.at
And more
- Culture & old town
Prater & Wurstelprater
Public since 1766, in 2026 the Prater celebrates its 260th anniversary. New this year: laser tag and a trampoline park. Some of the businesses are open in winter too.
praterwien.com - Culture & old town
Riesenrad
Built in 1897, in operation in 2026. The cabins were refurbished, with new floors and glass coating.
wienerriesenrad.com - Nature & activity
Hauptallee
The chestnut avenue from Praterstern to the Lusthaus, for walking, running and cycling. In spring the chestnuts bloom.
wien.info - Food & drink
Karmelitermarkt
Market rights since 1671, on its current site since 1910: cheese, meat, fish, organic. The farmers' market is on Friday and Saturday.
wien.gv.at - Food & drink
Volkertmarkt
Between the Prater and the Augarten, stalls since 1878, renewed in 2000. The farmers' market is on Saturday.
wien.gv.at - Food & drink
Prater specialities
Pork knuckle and Lángos, plus the Viennese coffeehouse, listed as intangible cultural heritage by the Austrian UNESCO Commission since 2011.
- Culture & old town
WU Campus
An architecture campus with the library by Zaha Hadid. Large parts of the open space are public.
wu.ac.at - Culture & old town
Krieau trotting track
A listed racecourse in the Green Prater, with individual race days in autumn and winter.
krieau.at - Culture & old town
Leopoldstadt Temple
Four columns on Tempelgasse commemorate the synagogue destroyed in 1938. A quiet place to pause.
geschichtewiki.wien.gv.at - Water & wellness
Donauinsel & Alte Donau
Neither lies in the district, but both are reachable by the U1: swimming, sailing, cycling.
Location and character: the district between the waters
Leopoldstadt is home to 110,100 people across 19.2 square kilometres (Vienna regional statistics, as of 1 January 2024).
The most surprising figure sits in the land-use statistics: 60 per cent of the district is green space and water. That is down to the Prater, most of which belongs here, and the Danube areas to the east. For you that means you stay in a densely built nineteenth-century quarter and are still quickly surrounded by a great deal of green. That mix is what defines the 2nd district.
Two apartments, two neighbourhoods
The Vereinsgasse apartment is in the Volkertviertel in the eastern part of the district.
The nearest metro is Taborstraße on the U2, around 380 metres away as the crow flies; Praterstern, with the U1, U2 and suburban rail, follows at around 700 metres. The Volkertmarkt is around 173 metres away — a small, unhurried neighbourhood market rather than a visitor attraction. The Förstergasse apartment lies around 900 metres further west in the Rembrandtviertel, close to the Danube Canal. Here the U4 station Roßauer Lände is nearest at around 360 metres, with Schottenring on the U2 and U4 at around 400 metres. The Karmelitermarkt is around 530 metres away. In short: Vereinsgasse is the better choice for the Prater and the old town via the U1, Förstergasse for the Augarten, the Danube Canal and everything along the U4.
Markets and the Augarten
Leopoldstadt is a market district.
The Karmelitermarkt is the better known of the two: stalls, restaurants, noticeably busier on Saturdays than midweek. The Volkertmarkt is smaller and quieter — go there if you want to see how a Viennese neighbourhood works without an audience. The Augarten is around 560 metres from both apartments, measured to the centre of the park. The nearest entrance is therefore closer; how much closer depends on your route, and we have not measured it. The park is a baroque layout with long straight avenues — and with two Second World War flak towers still standing inside it.
Shopping and everyday life
Local shopping is unusually dense at both locations.
From Vereinsgasse the nearest Billa is around 126 metres away, a Penny around 217 metres, with Spar, Lidl and Hofer all under 400 metres. The nearest pharmacy is around 163 metres off. From Förstergasse it is shorter still: Billa around 115 metres, Penny around 173 metres — and the Augarten pharmacy around 50 metres. That is the shortest walk to a pharmacy of any of our Vienna apartments. We deliberately do not list opening hours here, because they change. Check quickly online before heading out in the evening.
When is the best time to visit?
Spring
The chestnuts in the Hauptallee bloom, and the season starts in the Wurstelprater (2026: 15 March).
Summer
Open-air cinema "Kino wie noch nie" in the Augarten (2026: 25 June to 30 August), swimming at the Donauinsel and Alte Donau, market days at the Karmeliter- and Volkertmarkt.
Autumn
Race days at the Krieau, long walks through the Augarten and the Prater and the markets in the neighbourhood.
Winter
Winter market at Riesenradplatz (2026: 20 November to 6 January 2027), Christmas market and ice-skating trail in the old centre, the Pratermuseum takes its winter break.
Facts at a glance
- To the city centre
- Vereinsgasse: U1 from Nestroyplatz, 2 stops to Stephansplatz
- Förstergasse: one change
- Nearest station
- Praterstern approx. 700 m from Vereinsgasse
- U1 to Hauptbahnhof with no change
- Airport transfer
- Railjet from Hauptbahnhof, 15 minutes per the airport — engineering works until end of October 2027, see “Getting around”
- Public transport
- Vereinsgasse: U2 Taborstraße approx. 380 m, trams 2, 5, O
- Förstergasse: U4 Roßauer Lände approx. 360 m, U2 and U4 at Schottenring approx. 400 m, trams 1, 31, 71
- Parking
- Short-stay parking zone across Vienna: Mon–Fri 9:00–22:00, two hours maximum
- Groceries & pharmacy
- Billa approx. 126 m (Vereinsgasse) and 115 m (Förstergasse)
- pharmacy approx. 163 m and 50 m (as the crow flies)
More on getting there and parking
Getting there & around
From Vereinsgasse the U2 station Taborstraße is nearest at around 380 metres as the crow flies. For Stephansplatz the easiest route is the U1 from Nestroyplatz, two stops. The same U1 takes you to the main station without changing. At Praterstern, around 700 metres away, the U1, U2 and several suburban rail lines meet. From Förstergasse the U4 station Roßauer Lände is nearest at around 360 metres, with Schottenring on the U2 and U4 at around 400 metres. From here Stephansplatz means one change — the U4 does not go there. For trams, lines 2, 5 and O are among those serving the area around Vereinsgasse, while lines 1, 31 and 71 serve the area around Förstergasse. For the airport: Vienna Airport quotes 15 minutes for the Railjet from Wien Hauptbahnhof, every half hour. Important for your planning: from 7 September 2026 until the end of October 2027 Vienna’s central rail corridor is being renovated. During that period the S7 no longer runs to Praterstern but terminates at St. Marx; the City Airport Train runs as a replacement bus from Wien Mitte. This particularly affects Vereinsgasse, whose easiest airport route would otherwise be the S7 from Praterstern. For how things stand on your travel date, check with ÖBB. We do not quote city transport journey times in minutes: the timetable service could not be retrieved in a citable form, and estimated figures would be no help.
Parking
A short-stay parking zone covers the whole of Vienna, the 2nd district included. It applies on working days from Monday to Friday between 9:00 and 22:00; with a parking voucher or the HANDYPARKEN app you may stay two hours at most. After 22:00 and on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, parking is free. The binding information for your particular street, and the current tariffs, come from the city’s short-stay parking map, not from this page. With metro stations a few hundred metres away, you will not need a car here in any case.
Apartments in this area
Frequently asked questions
Is Leopoldstadt a good base for a first visit to Vienna?
Yes. You are close enough to the old town to reach much of it on foot or within two metro stops, while sleeping somewhere quieter than the 1st district. If you want to be as central as possible, Landstraße is a little closer in; if you want quiet and plenty of green, Oberlaa or Floridsdorf.
How do your two apartments in the 2nd district differ?
They are around 900 metres apart and sit on different metro lines. Vereinsgasse in the Volkertviertel is on the U2 (Taborstraße, around 380 metres) and reaches the U1 via Nestroyplatz — good for the Prater and the old town. Förstergasse in the Rembrandtviertel is closer to the Danube Canal, with the U4 at Roßauer Lände (around 360 metres) and the U2 and U4 at Schottenring — good for the Augarten and the Karmelitermarkt.
How do I get from the airport to Leopoldstadt?
Vienna Airport quotes 15 minutes for the Railjet to the main station, every 30 minutes. From the main station the U1 takes you onwards. Please note: from 7 September 2026 until the end of October 2027 the central rail corridor is closed, and the S7 then terminates at St. Marx instead of Praterstern. Do check with ÖBB how the connection looks on your arrival date.
How far is it to the Prater and the Riesenrad?
From Vereinsgasse the Riesenrad is around 1,040 metres away as the crow flies, from Förstergasse around 1,830 metres. The Prater Hauptallee, the long chestnut avenue for running and cycling, starts further east. We give no walking times, because we have not measured the actual route.
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.
Are there supermarkets nearby?
Yes, at both locations. From Vereinsgasse the nearest Billa is around 126 metres away, from Förstergasse around 115 metres. Pharmacies are around 163 and around 50 metres away respectively. We deliberately do not give opening hours, because they change.