Running · Vienna, Austria · recorded with NomadTracks

Hermesvilla: a 16.6 km run through Vienna’s western districts

A red-brick church in Breitensee, a wooded path under autumn leaves, then the elaborate ironwork and garden fountain of the Hermesvilla: this 16.6-kilometer run connects several very different corners of western Vienna. The recording starts at Laurentiusplatz, heads west through Hacking, visits the villa in the Lainzer Tiergarten and finishes in Hietzing.

This is a point-to-point outing rather than a closed loop. The recording lasts 2 hours 7 minutes, with roughly 162 meters of ascent and elevations between 200 and 303 meters. The six photos show the transition from streets to woodland and the villa grounds.

Distance16.6 km
Elevation gain162 m
ActivityRunning
Duration2 h 07 min

About this data: this track and its photos were personally shared with us as samples by a NomadTracks user. NomadTracks never uploads, collects or shares your tracks or photos — your recordings stay on your devices and in your own cloud.

Route map of Hermesvilla: a 16.6 km run through Vienna’s western districts drawn from the recorded GPS points on an OpenStreetMap basemap
The actual recorded GPS track — start marked green, finish orange. Numbered pins mark where the photos below were taken.

Download GPX Coordinates, elevation and relative times — recording dates are normalized out, photos not included.

Elevation profile of the track
Elevation profile over the full distance. Switch the map above to interactive mode, then slide across the chart — a marker follows the route.
Like this map? It came straight out of the app — record your own running tracks with elevation, photos and GPX export, free. Get NomadTracks free

From Breitensee to Hacking

The opening photo shows St. Laurentius in Breitensee, its brick tower rising above Laurentiusplatz. The route then heads west through the city towards Hacking, where another church marks the way: the twin-spired church of the Dominican convent on Schlossberggasse, photographed from Seuttergasse. These are the urban miles before the run turns south towards the greener edge of Hietzing.

Woodland on the approach

South of Hacking the recorded line continues towards Friedensstadt and the Lainzer Tiergarten. The Afritschweg photo catches a narrow earthen path under a canopy of branches, with fallen leaves and patches of sunlight on the ground. It is a marked change from the streets earlier in the run. The elevation profile rises gradually towards the villa, then falls away on the return towards Hietzing.

An imperial villa in the woods

The Hermesvilla was built between 1882 and 1886 to plans by Carl von Hasenauer, as Emperor Franz Joseph’s gift to Empress Elisabeth. Its name comes from the statue of Hermes in the garden. The photos focus on what this run reached outside: ornate ironwork, the garden fountain, clipped hedges and the decorated corner tower. Scaffolding and temporary fencing are visible in the recording’s photos; the museum documents ongoing façade restoration.

On to Hietzing

After the villa, the track heads east through the southern part of Hietzing before turning north to finish near the Kennedybrücke. Start and finish are in different places, so the GPX describes the complete recorded outing, not a small circuit around the villa. Its 3,644 points preserve the streets, paths and turns across the full 16.6 kilometers.

Plan around the park gates

The city publishes the Lainzer Tiergarten’s current gate hours; they vary with the season, and entry and exit are not possible after closing. Park entry is free, while the Hermesvilla museum has separate opening times and admission. Download the GPX on this page and import it into NomadTracks to inspect the route before setting out.

About the place: Vienna, Austria

This route connects Breitensee in Vienna’s 14th district with Hacking and Hietzing in the 13th. Its western destination is the Hermesvilla in the Lainzer Tiergarten, where city streets give way to the wooded edge of the Wienerwald. The recording ends back in Hietzing rather than at its starting point.

The red-brick tower of St. Laurentius, the parish church of Breitensee on Laurentiusplatz
1 · The red-brick tower of St. Laurentius, the parish church of Breitensee on Laurentiusplatz
The twin spires of the Dominican convent church in Hacking, seen from Seuttergasse
2 · The twin spires of the Dominican convent church in Hacking, seen from Seuttergasse
An autumn woodland path on Afritschweg near Friedensstadt, east of the Hermesvilla
3 · An autumn woodland path on Afritschweg near Friedensstadt, east of the Hermesvilla
Ornamental ironwork at the entrance to the Hermesvilla grounds, with scaffolding visible beyond
4 · Ornamental ironwork at the entrance to the Hermesvilla grounds, with scaffolding visible beyond
The fountain and clipped hedges in the Hermesvilla garden
5 · The fountain and clipped hedges in the Hermesvilla garden
The Hermesvilla’s rounded corner tower and decorated façade, with temporary fencing at ground level
6 · The Hermesvilla’s rounded corner tower and decorated façade, with temporary fencing at ground level

Get NomadTracks free — iOS & Android

Record yours: every chart and map on this page came straight out of the app — no desktop tools involved. Get NomadTracks free — iOS & Android and bring your own adventure home as data.

More track stories