Endstation to the Vienna Woods

In a previous post I described the system of City Hiking Trails (Stadtwanderweg) that begin at some of the tram Endstations (terminus) located around the edge of Vienna. So, on a dank, rather dismal misty November morning I hauled myself aboard Tram D*, bound for the northern edge of the city to the village of Nussdorf, on the western shore of the Danube, where starts Stadtwanderweg 1.

The Tram "D" winds it way down from Beethovengang into Nussdorf

The district is steeped in Beethoven history, and just nearby is the house in which he worked on his mighty ninth (choral) symphony. Indeed, the endstation itself is called Beethovengang, and to begin the trail you have to cross Eroicagasse.

Stadtwanderweg 1 begins at Beethovengang and follows the
course of the Schreiberbach brook...

...alongside which is the monument to Ludwig van Beethoven

The trail passes through the zone of vinyards, some of which seem scarcely larger
than pocket handkerchiefs clinging to the side of the hill

Beyond the vinyards, up into the Vienna Woods in their misty autumnal garb

There appears a clearing in the woods at Kahlenberg where mackerel are grilled. Who could resist one on a cold November day? I certainly couldn't!

Decending through the Vienna Woods in their autumnal glory...

...until a view of the Danube is captured

The end of the trail on the bank of the Danube. How do you take a picture of a broad, grey, featureless river (that is eponymously blue) on a grey day? Well, I tried my best!

*Before leaving the city centre, the Tram "D" route follows part of the Vienna "Ring" and you have good views of many of the famous buildings like the Parliament, City Hall (Rathaus), Natural History Museum and University.