Lainzer Tiergarten, Vienna: a former royal hunting domain

In 1561 the Habsburg Emperor Ferdinand I created the Lainzer Tiergarten. He had a wooden fence erected in existing woodland in the foothills of the Alps to enclose a royal hunting preserve. The name was derived from the village closest by named Lainz. The word Tiergarten translates literally as "animal garden", and now often indicates a zoo. It's original meanig was "enclosure with wild animals" and indicated a hunting preserve or an area where animals were kept for the use in hunting (mostly fallow deer and pheasants). In 1781 a stone wall was built to replace the wooden fence. Most of this wall still exists encircling the preserve although some sections on the edge have been developed -for instance for the Friedenstadt Estate. At present the Lainzer Tiergarten is enclosed by some 22 kilometres of original wall and some short sections of fence. There are seven gates, of which the Lainzer Tor at the end of the Hermesstrasse is the main entrance.

A comparison of the 2450 hectare Lainzer Tiergarten (1) with the more famous Berliner Tiergarten (2), Wiener Prater (3) and Park Schönbrunn (4) shows that it is much larger. The section a was developed for the Friedenstadt Estate. Section b was added to mitigate habitat loss caused by the building of a new motorway. Section c is also in part an extension outside of the historic wall.

Several natural streams and springs were diverted to feed into the Lainzerbach. This brook was dammed to form an artificial lake, used for fishing. It also serves as a source of water for the animals within the enclosure of the hunting park. This Hohenauerteich  (a name best translated as: "high lying artificial pond between the fertile fields") is located near the edge of the preserve not far from the Lainzer Tor.

A view across the Hohenauerteich from the Hermesstrasse, with the Hohenauerwiese behind it and the Leitenwald on the Wilder Berg in the background.

The Hermesstrasse that runs from the centre of Speising west towards the Lainzer Gate ends in a loop that gives access to the Hermesvilla. This building complex was commissioned by Franz Joseph I Emperor of Austria and Hungary as a getaway mansion for his wife Elisabeth (Sisi). It comprises of a main mansion building with covered walkways towards stables and other practical building behind it that together surround a formal garden with fountain. At the front an arboretum with many exotic trees was planted to enhance the landscape. This garden is fenced off from the rest of the Lainzer Tiergarten to prevent game feasting on the plants. In 1918 the entire park was opened to the public as a paying attraction, entrance has been free however since 1973.The villa is now a restaurant. Two other restaurants are located deeper into the woods: Hischgstemm and Rohrhaus. In 1927 an obervation tower was built called Hubertuswarte. This 22.4 metres high construction was named for the Patron Saint of hunting, St. Hubert. It is located on the highest point in the preserve, the Kaltbründlberg, of 508 metres.

The Hermesvilla (1886) with the eponymous statue in front of it (left). A view from the forest edge with the wooded alpine foothills in the background. On the right the Hubertuswarte, a viewing tower.

As a hunting preserve the area within the fence was aimed at providing a favourable living environment for game. Most of the Lainzer Tiergarten is made up of natural woodland with a mix of deciduous woodland in valleys and low-lying areas and mixed fir-beech woodland higher up. Some 20% comprises of meadows.

The Rohrhauswiese was named after the Rohrhaus ( a name meaning house built with reeds) and is a typical meadow in the Lianzer Tiergarten with fruit trees in one corner and a flower meadow stretching between the edges of the surrounding forest.

Today several species can still be encountered here. The lainzer Tiergarten is home to 800-1000 wild boar, 200-250 fallow deer, some 700 mouflon and 80-100 red deer. In parts of the hunting park shrubs and strees were introduced to provide more food for the animals. Thornless bushes were planted and kept low to allow the deer to nibble at them. Fruit trees like apples and plums were introduced to provide for foraging boar. The woodland was thus managed to favour oak and beech, as both provide vital nuts for the animals. Hunting is still practiced here.

From all the animals that live within the Lainzer Tiergarten some are seen more often than others. Most visitors will be able to encounter fallow deer (on the right) or the large sheep called mouflon. Wild boar and red deer are much more shy creatures that prefer dense forest. I was lucky to meet several boar, but only caught a glimpse of a red deer sprinting away through the forest below me.

Although most tourists will focus on Vienna and the iconic Ringstrasse or large parks like the Wiener Prater, the Augarten, the Belvederegarten and Park Schönbrunn, the Lainzer Tiergarten is well-worth a visit. Even though it is located some distance outside of the city and can only be reached by bus. The entire former hunting preserve is open for about 9 months of the year from early March to early November. The section around the Hermesvilla is open throughout the year and can be accessed via the Lainzer Tor.