5 Reasons Why Being Active Outdoors Makes Us Happier & Healthier
Being active outdoors makes us calmer, healthier, and happier. Find out what science has to say about outdoor exercise and its effects on our physical and mental health.
From river surfing in Salzburg to a walk through Vienna’s jungle: 4 ways to get active and experience nature in the middle of and not far from the city.
You are never far from nature in Austria’s cities. They are often the perfect starting point for excursions into the local surroundings – and you can usually find real nature experiences in the middle of the (big) city too. Whether cycling along the water or surfing on it, climbing the city mountains or walking through green oases – here is how you can dive right into an outdoor adventure in Austria’s cities:
Salzburg, the City of Mozart, lies between several city mountains. Whether you wish to take a leisurely afternoon stroll or embark on a more demanding day tour – the city mountains offer unique panoramic views of the old town, River Salzach, and the surrounding area.
The Gaisberg and Untersberg are ideal for day tours with an overnight stay in a hut. The Festungsberg, the adjacent Mönchsberg, and the Kapuzinerberg, on the other hand, make for a leisurely excursion as part of your city trip, such as on a city walk – with picture-postcard backdrops included.
Vienna is not considered the most liveable city in the world without reason. Think green spaces rather than grey estates, as you don’t even have to leave the city to experience nature here. Vienna even has its own jungle.
The Lobau lies to the east of the capital, covers 2,300 hectares, and makes up almost a quarter of the entire Donau-Auen National Park. It is known as the jungle of Vienna due to its diversity of plants and animals. Believe it or not, over 800 types of plant, 30 mammal and 100 breeding bird species, 8 types of reptile, 13 types of amphibian, and 60 types of fish can be found here.
Looking for the perfect wave? Then you are in for a surprise, as you will not only find what you are looking for on the islands of Hawaii such as Big Island or Oahu, but also in Austrian cities such as Salzburg and Innsbruck. In the Salzburg district of Gneis, for example, you will find the man-made surfing wave on the Almkanal.
A special feature of the four and a half metre wide and half a metre high wave are two movable spoilers, which mean it can be individually adjusted. You can surf the 150 m long wave almost all year round, with the exception of the cattle drive in September when the riverbed is dried out.
A part of the Traisental cycle route leads along the Traisen, a river that flows through St. Pölten, the capital of Lower Austria. The family-friendly trail takes you past the Viehofner lakes, where you can swap your bike for a pedal or rowing boat. Alternatively, you can push the bike over a wooden jetty to the Feldmühle nature trail, where you can listen to frogs and marvel at colourful butterflies and yellow water lilies.
Fancy even more nature along the way? Museum Niederösterreich’s museum garden is the ideal place for a short break and its Haus für Natur (house for nature) is home to a formicarium with thousands of red ants.
Being active outdoors makes us calmer, healthier, and happier. Find out what science has to say about outdoor exercise and its effects on our physical and mental health.
City trips in Austrias cultural summer hit right at the heart. Because Austrias cities surprise, make curious – and sometimes even are addictive. #feelAustria