Winters have been mostly mild in Vienna since I moved in 2019, much to my disappointment, as I really like cold winters. It's still cold enough to create a thin layer of ice on ponds, like in Lobau, a national park not too far from my place.
Hiking
01 November 2025 to 08 February 2026
I'm in a hiking club since beginning of 2025 and while I have had my share of hikes during summer, I actually never had the chance, opportunity or maybe motivation to do one during winter. That changes in 2025 as I join a few winter hikes, discovering the Austrian landscape in winter as well as how to put on Grödel (shoe winter spikes). The cumulative sound of ten pairs of spikes hitting the black ice is surprisingly loud. I take a mental note to bring a pair of earplugs for next season. I also find out that my body still heats up pretty fast when not in t-shirt, even in winter, so it's not unusual to spend most of the hike in t-shirt, even when temperatures are in the negative. I find a good compromise in a long-sleeved merino t-shirt which keeps me warm enough for most of the ascents. We hike to Kienek with the colorful leaves...
and Krummbachstein the week after for the group's yearly tradition of going to a alpine hut for an Austrian traditional meal at that time of the year: Martinigansl (essentially, a goose). It's also our first encounter of snow of the year, at the very top.
We go up Dürre Wand in thick and cold fog, with little chance to see landscapes from cliffs. My first time hiking in the snow.
We get lucky and the hike to Hoher Lindkogel is through the snow-covered forest. While the hike doesn't offer much in terms of landscapes, the fresh snow offers a unique experience and I'm looking forward to hiking in those conditions again.
The winter hike season ends for me by going up and around Sonnwendstein, with only a few patches of snow and black ice left on our path.
Viennese snowstorm
21 February 2026
Beginning of 2026, I get lucky with a cold winter - sometimes reaching -10°C - and even one snowstorm in Vienna with about 15-20 cm in a day. I unfortunately wait too long to capture the snow in the city but the next day I go to Lobau national park where I even have the chance of walking in pristine snow (although that is quite strenuous). It's the perfect opportunity to give my new camera lens a try and see if I made a good choice. The park in the fresh snow is breath-taking. I finish my day passing next to a deer farm and capture a wild one at sunset.
Goodbye Winter
15 March 2026
Wanting to take night pictures of Vienna, but not willing to wait too long for the darkness to settle, I head up to the Danube before the Daylight Saving Time makes the sun set an hour later. Unfortunately, no vibrant sunset colors this time.
