Georgenberg

The Georgenberg rises at the southern edge of Vienna, a 330-metre hill in the 23rd district of Liesing. It marks the point where built-up streets give way to the Wienerwald forest. To the west lie the Antonshöhe and Wilde Berg, while to the east the ground rises again as the Sauberg. The northern slope, known locally as Schafleiten, is lined with houses that look down towards Maurer Langen Gasse. The hill carries two unusual landmarks. Fritz Wotruba’s Wotrubakirche, built between 1974 and 1976 from massive concrete blocks, stands near the summit. Below it, since 1997, the Sterngarten serves as an open-air planetarium run by the Österreichischer Astroverein. The Kalksburger Straße cuts across the hill, but its southern section has been closed to cars for years, leaving only a quiet approach to the church. Visitors walk through quiet streets to reach the Ottillingerplatz in front of the Wotrubakirche. From there a broad path leads up to the angular concrete volumes of the church itself. Beyond the building, trails wind into the surrounding forest, offering views over the city and the Vienna Woods.