Augarten
Vienna's oldest baroque garden, opened to the public in 1775, with two enormous anti-aircraft towers standing in it.
Updated 18 October 2026
The Augarten was laid out as a formal French garden in the seventeenth century and was opened to the public by Joseph II in 1775, with an inscription at the gate declaring it a place of pleasure dedicated to all people - which makes it the oldest baroque garden in Vienna - though not the city's first public opening: Joseph II had already opened the Prater to everyone in 1766. It is a grid of avenues under mature trees. Standing in it are two of the six Flaktürme built in Vienna in 1942 to 1944 - vast reinforced concrete anti-aircraft towers, one a gun platform and one a fire-control tower, too solid to demolish safely in a residential district and so left where they are, derelict and fenced. The Augarten porcelain manufactory, working since 1718, and the Vienna Boys' Choir school are both in the park.
History
In 1614 Emperor Matthias built a small hunting lodge in the Wolfsau, then a floodplain, around 1650 Ferdinand III laid out a Dutch garden and enlarged the lodge, and in the 1660s Leopold I bought the neighbouring Trautson gardens and in 1677 turned their mansion into a pleasure palace, the Favorita. The siege of 1683 laid everything waste but some walls; Joseph I restored the gardens and palace in 1705, the palace now home of the Augarten porcelain manufactory, and in 1712 Charles VI had Jean Trehet replan the whole park in the French style still seen today. On 1 May 1775 Joseph II opened it to the public under the inscription dedicating it to all people, and in 1781 Isidore Canevale built him the modest summer house known as the Josefsstöckl (Wikipedia, Augarten).
What you'll find
- A baroque garden opened to all in 1775 - nine years after the Prater, and formally dedicated to the people.
- Two wartime flak towers - concrete anti-aircraft structures left standing, unusable.
- The Augarten porcelain works - manufacturing since 1718, with a museum and shop.
- Avenues of mature trees - the formal grid under a full canopy.
When to go
April to October. Half a day.
Practical notes
The flak towers are fenced and cannot be entered - they are looked at. The manufactory tour needs booking. The park is large and plain, and parts feel neglected.
Nearby
The Prater is east; the Danube canal and the first district are south.
Key facts
Source: Wikidata, item Q143265, read on 18 October 2026.
What to pack for Augarten
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
- Comfortable walking shoes - Sightseeing means kilometres of pavement and cobbles daily. Find on Amazon
- A slim anti-theft daypack - Zips that close properly; keep it in front in crowds and on transit. Find on Amazon
- A refillable water bottle - Many cities have public fountains; save money and plastic. Find on Amazon
- A light layer + compact umbrella - For museum air-con and a sudden shower. Find on Amazon
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Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
