Reisenberg

The Reisenberg, commonly called Am Cobenzl, is a lower summit of the Latisberg in Vienna’s 19th district, Döbling. It rises on a shoulder of the hillside about 382 metres above sea level, part of the Flysch zone with its layers of sandstone, limestone and marl. The gentle slope faces south-east towards the city, offering long views over the surrounding countryside. The name may recall the giant log-haulers who once worked these woods. Records from 1238 already speak of the Reisenberg, and by the 14th century the area was covered with vineyards. The hill gained fame when the Jesuits built two small palaces here in the 17th century for rest and study. After the order was dissolved in 1773, Count Johann Philipp Cobenzl bought the estate, turned the houses into a single schloss and added a dairy. The produce was sold in town and the place became so popular that locals renamed the whole hill after him. In later years the schloss served as a concert hall for Johann Strauss senior and as a research station for Karl von Reichenbach. After decades of changing owners and uses, the city of Vienna bought the property in 1907 and opened a restaurant-café nearby in 1912. Today visitors walk up the serpentine road from Grinzing to reach the Weitsicht Cobenzl, a modern café and terrace built in 2022. Behind it lies the Weingut Wien Cobenzl, where vines are cultivated and weddings celebrated. A short distance away the Landgut Wien Cobenzl runs a small farm with animals and activities for children. The park-like terrace that once held the old hotel is still used for midsummer bonfires, while the surrounding paths lead walkers through quiet woods and open meadows.