Oberlaa

Oberlaa lies in the southern part of Vienna’s 10th district, Favoriten, beside the Liesing stream. The area divides into two parts: Oberlaa Stadt north of the railway and Oberlaa Land to the south. The southern section holds the old village core with the parish church and a protected conservation zone. The northern section contains the Laaer Wald forest, the Volkspark Laaerberg and the Kurpark Oberlaa. A railway line runs between the two parts, linking southern districts to the Danube port. The village dates back to at least 1140 and suffered through wars and epidemics over the centuries. In 1892 the northern fields were annexed to Vienna, while the southern village followed in 1938. A thermal spring discovered in 1969 led to the 1974 opening of the Therme Wien and the Kurpark Oberlaa. The U1 underground now reaches the area, connecting the spa to the city centre. Visitors find the historic church first built in 1267, rebuilt after the Turkish sieges and still in use. The Kurpark Oberlaa spreads across the Laaer Berg slope with wide lawns and garden beds. Nearby stands the Schmerber-Kreuz, a memorial from the former film studios. The old school beside the church recalls the 16th-century schoolmaster Daniel Zeller. Heurigen wine taverns offer local wine and food, continuing a long tradition of village hospitality.