Vienna/Inner East

Vienna's Inner East is an artificial island formed between the river and the Donaukanal. The island contains large expanses of parks and forests, including the famous Prater park with the permanent funfair including the Riesenrad ferris wheel. As most of the island was only reclaimed in the late 19th century, there is much modern architecture to be found in this area as well. Administratively, the island is divided into the districts of Leopoldstadt (2) and Brigittenau (20).

Understand
Leopoldstadt (2) is the southern half of the island that is formed between the Danube and the Danube Canal. It stretches from the more wild forests of the Prater in the south up through the point where the Prater becomes a more formal park and amusement park where the transportation hub Praterstern is located. Going onward to the north are several neighborhoods from the Gründerzeit with dense housing including impressive Neo-Baroque buildings. Towards the north of the district along the Danube Canal across from Schwedenplatz is the Karmeliterviertel (Karmeliter Quarter) which was once a Jewish ghetto and today is the hub of Jewish life in Vienna. This area is indeed quite diverse across the board and is becoming gentrified. At the edge of that area is the Augarten. The area past that has been hand-picked for an intense development project that will turn several former freight yards into entire new neighborhoods. Along the Danube are numerous massive housing projects from the 1920s onward.

Brigittenau (20) is the northern half of the island between the Danube and the Danube canal. It consists mostly of land gained by the regulation of the Danube in 1870-75. Hence it does not contain any distinctive historical areas.

Get in
The main train station of the area is the, the ultra-modern multi-modal station opened in the new millennium, where bus, tram, U-Bahn, S-Bahn and long-distance train lines converge at a namesake intersection, from which the district's main streets project in a star-like fashion. You can reach it directly from Vienna International Airport with the S7 S-Bahn. Both U-Bahn lines serving the district, and, stop at the Praterstern, and pretty much all tram lines have a terminus there.

You can access the district on foot by crossing the Donaukanal, which runs along the border between the Innere Stadt and Leopoldstadt or Brigittenau via the numerous bridges. The line, which stops along the Donaukanal, can take you to Wien Mitte/Landstrasse, where you can drop your luggage (depending on the airline you travel on) and board the City Airport Train on your way out of Vienna. Tram lines 1 and 2 also run along the Donaukanal (and along the Ring), and continue to the Inner East – the line 2 to Brigittenau, while line 1 ends up in the middle of the Prater park.

Get around
The district is served by U-Bahn lines U1 (southwest-northeast from Innere Stadt to Donaustadt) and U2 (northwest-southeast from the Ring around the Innere Stadt to Aspern in Donaustadt). Both lines stop at the Praterstern.

The U1 is most useful to get to the Leopoldstadt from the old town and the Hauptbahnhof. U2 can be useful to get to the southern part of Donau's waterfront and the attractions there (Donaumarina), the Ernst-Happel-Stadium, as well as the Messe.

Tram lines run along the Taborstrasse/Dresdner Strasse (line 2), Wallensteinstrasse/Norwestabhnstrasse/Nordbahnstrasse (line 5), and numerous streets in the northern part of Leopoldstadt (extension of lines 2 and 5, as well as lines 31 and 33). Tram line 1 has a terminus in the southern end of the Prater park, at Prater Hauptallee.

The southern part of Leopoldstadt is scarcely served by public transportations and if you want to get in or out of there and you are not anywhere close to an U2 station, you need to use the buses, walk, drive or take a taxi.

See






Stay Safe
This area of Vienna is very safe, even at night, and no problems should occur here at all.

The one exception to this is the Praterstern train station, which many Viennese locals tend to avoid at night. Although it gets quite shady at night and it's best to avoid it during that time, nothing should really happen to you as long as you have basic common sense. A police station is nearby as well. Its also wise to avoid the Prater at night.

Go next
The obvious place to go next inside of Vienna is Innere Stadt. The other possibility is to continue outside the Ring to Vienna/Outer East.