Mödling is a city in Lower Austria and the capital of the
district of the same name. The city is located about 20 minutes
south of Vienna, at the foot of the Anninger and on the eastern edge
of the Vienna Woods.
Finds testify to an early settlement in
the Neolithic (Jennyberg), Iron Age (Calendar Mountain), by Romans
(near the train station) and Longobards (Lerchengasse). In the early
Middle Ages the area was finally settled by Slavs, partly under Avar
suzerainty (location: Goldene Stiege). Charlemagne conquered the
region in the Avar Wars, and the Hungarians soon followed. From the
end of the 10th century, the area was finally under the influence of
the Babenbergs. Around 1200 Mödling was even the seat of a
Babenberger branch line, there was the title "Duke in Mödling". This
title was borne by Heinrich the Elder and Heinrich the Younger, who
also had Mödling Castle expanded into a large defensive structure.
Walther von der Vogelweide was a prominent guest. In the late Middle
Ages Mödling became a market and should have been economically quite
prosperous. B. the magnificent Schranne (town hall) and the two
Gothic churches. In the Turkish wars, the wine-growing village was
destroyed and then rebuilt. After the Napoleonic Wars, the hussar
temple and the many artificial ruins that the Prince of
Liechtenstein had built on the calendar mountain were built. In the
Biedermeier period Mödling was also a very popular destination for
painters, poets and composers (the "Brühl", a rocky section of the
Mödling valley, was particularly popular). Ludwig van Beethoven and
Franz Schubert also appreciated the place and spent some time here.
Mödling was a well-known spa town from the 19th century. Thanks to
the connection to the southern railway and the associated
industrialization, Mödling quickly grew into an important suburb of
Vienna. Above all the mayors Josef Schöffel (also known under the
name "Der Retter des Wienerwaldes") and Jakob Thoma did a lot for
Mödling. B. Schöffelstadt, the hospital and the orphanage named
after Josef Hyrtl. In the 19th century Mödling was also promoted to
town. From 1938 to 1954 the city and the surrounding communities
belonged to Vienna as the 24th district, and from 1945 to 1955 it
belonged to the Soviet occupation zone. Since 1954 Mödling has been
an independent town in Lower Austria again.
In 2016, the
former gendarmerie school was demolished.
The name "Mödling"
is derived from the word "Medilihha" and is of Slavic origin.
Churches
The most important church building is
the towerless, late Gothic parish church of St. Othmar in the west
of the city center, directly on the slope of the Kalenderberg, a
former fortified church. Next to it is a late Romanesque Karner
which is well worth seeing. The hospital church (1443-1453) St.
Aegyd is also worth seeing. There used to be a citizens' hospital
there. The oldest church in Mödling stood where the orphanage
church, a building from the 19th century, can be found today. The
first phase of Mödling's settlement in the early Middle Ages took
place at the same location. In the immediate vicinity you can marvel
at the modern Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (20th century). In
Mödling there is also a Protestant church from the 19th century and
another modern church (St. Michael).
In total there are two
Roman Catholic parishes in the city: The parish of St. Othmar (with
the churches of St. Othmar, Karner St. Pantaleon, Spitalkirche St.
Aegyd and the Church of St. Michael) and the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Both are part of the Archdiocese of Vienna. The orphanage church is
also used by the Old Catholic Church.
Castles, chateaux and
palaces
Liechtenstein Castle
Liechtenstein Castle:
Classicist building, today a senior citizens' residence
Both
the castle and the Liechtenstein castle are already located in the
municipality of Maria Enzersdorf.
Castle ruin Mödling: In the
Middle Ages the seat of a Babenberger branch line, around 1200 even
the famous Minne singer Walther von der Vogelweide was a guest
there. Badly affected by several catastrophes (fires) in modern
times, it was partially rebuilt in the 19th century in the Romantic
style. Located in the middle of the Föhrenberge Nature Park, the
castle is easily accessible for hikers.
Buildings
The
Mödling City Theater is located in an Art Nouveau building in the
center. The Beethoven House is also nearby: the composer Ludwig van
Beethoven spent his summers in the house in 1818, 1819 and 1820 and
often went for walks in the Vienna Woods.
Other interesting
buildings are the Posthof on Schrannenplatz and the Herzogshof near
the Posthof.
Museums
Museum of the City of Mödling.
The collection of the Museum of the City of Mödling in the
Thonet-Schlössel ranges from prehistory to modern times. The
permanent exhibition is supplemented by special exhibitions on
various topics.
Schoenberg House. Arnold Schönberg's Mödlinger
residence (1918–1925) is often referred to as the "birthplace of
12-tone music" because of the compositional method developed there.
A permanent exhibition with pictures, display boards, video and
audio stations as well as original furniture and instruments gives
an insight into Schönberg's life and work, into his time in Mödling
and into the history of the Schönberg House.
Henricoland
miniature world: model railway landscape with attached model railway
shop in Babenbergerstraße
Streets and squares
The (short)
pedestrian zone Elisabethstrasse / Schrannenplatz with the
Renaissance town hall (the so-called "Schranne"; today registry
office) and medieval town houses is well worth seeing. There is a
plague column near the town hall.
Parks
Museum park last
change:
various
To the northwest of the city, on the calendar
mountain (already in the municipality of Maria Enzersdorf), there is
an extensive recreation area (Föhrenmischwald), which was provided
with some artificial ruins (romanticism) at the beginning of the
19th century, including an amphitheater, the Black Tower, Pepper
cans and the glasses. Access, etc. from the parish church of St.
Othmar. There are many vineyards south of the center; The wine grown
there can be tasted in one of the city's numerous Heurigen
restaurants.
By plane
Vienna-Schwechat Airport is about 20 kilometers east
of Mödling. There has been no direct bus connection between the
airport and Mödling since 2010. The journey by public transport from
the airport to Mödling either takes a Railjet to Vienna Meidling,
where you change to an S-Bahn or a regional train, or take the S7
S-Bahn to the station Wien Rennweg or Landstraße / Wien Mitte (CAT)
and there change to the S-Bahn or a regional train to Mödling. You
can find the exact times at the ÖBB timetable information. The
journey takes about 50 minutes and costs around 7 euros. By car, the
journey is via A4-S1-A2.
By train
Mödling train station is
about 10 minutes' walk from the city center. At the station
forecourt, regional buses go to the surrounding area (e.g.
Seegrotte), the City Bus towards the center, there is also a station
from the bike provider Nextbike. Mödling is served by regional
trains and S-Bahn trains. Long-distance and express trains usually
stop not in Mödling. From long-distance traffic you have to change
to regional traffic in Vienna Meidling or Vienna Hauptbahnhof.
Travelers arriving from the south by long-distance travel should
already change to an S-Bahn or regional train in Wiener Neustadt.
From Vienna you can reach Mödling by S-Bahn or regional trains
during the day mostly every 10 minutes, travel time approx. 25-35
minutes. The last S-Bahn from Vienna arrives in Mödling every day at
1:26 a.m. Train end stations are usually Mödling, Wiener Neustadt or
Payerbach-Reichenau. Boarding in Vienna at all stations of the
S-Bahn main line, among others in Floridsdorf (U6), Praterstern (U1,
U2), Wien Mitte (Landstrasse; U3, U4, CAT), Hauptbahnhof (U1,
long-distance trains) or Meidling (U6, long-distance trains, WLB).
Be careful in Vienna Meidling or Wiener Neustadt: As some S- or
R-Bahn trains go via Pottendorf to Wiener Neustadt, you have to make
sure that the train goes "via Liesing" or "via Baden" on the
destination indicator.
More information is available from the
ÖBB timetable information and from Verkehrsverbund Ost Region.
For an alternative journey by rail, the local railway
Vienna-Baden (WLB, "Badner Bahn") is also ideal. Mödling city center
can be reached in approx. 20-25 minutes on foot from the stops
Wiener Neudorf or Grießfeld; some places in the eastern municipality
sometimes even faster than from the train station.
By bus
The station forecourt is an important hub for buses from the
surrounding communities and from Vienna Liesing. Buses in the
Verkehrsverbund Ost Region from Mödling drive e.g. to the
surrounding excursion destinations Gießhübl, Hinterbrühl, Laxenburg
or Gumpoldskirchen.
In the street
From the A2 Südautobahn
you drive either at the Mödling SCS or Wr. Neudorf and then follow
the signs to Mödling. If you come via the Westautobahn (A1), change
to the Wiener Außenringautobahn (A21) at the Steinhäusl junction and
then take the Hinterbrühl exit. Then follow the signs again to
Mödling. If you come from the south of Vienna, you can drive to
Mödling via Triester Straße (B17) or Brunner Straße (B12) instead of
the motorway. If you are coming from Baden, you can take a trip
through the vineyards via Gumpoldskirchen instead of taking the
motorway.
Around the city
In principle, Mödling is easy to visit on foot. However, there is also the option of taking the City Bus. There are three City Bus lines and these cover the city area relatively well. All three lines start at Mödling station. A ticket costs € 1.10 and a day ticket € 2.20. The buses only run from Monday to Saturday. There are also a large number of other bus routes that run through the city and beyond. If you are traveling by car, it is better to leave it where it is at peak times, in the morning and in the late afternoon. Otherwise you can get around in Mödling without any problems. All parking spaces in the center are short-term parking spaces that are subject to charges. There is a parking garage in Lerchengasse. A little further away from the center there is usually enough free parking space and these are also free of charge. The Mödlinger connecting taxi runs regularly through the city area between 6:00 p.m. and 1:30 a.m. Monday to Friday: You can only get on at the station forecourt, otherwise you will be taken comfortably and safely everywhere free of charge. Mödling is the operating area of the rental bike provider Nextbike, together with several other southern Vienna suburbs. There are stands, among others. at the train station and at Schrannenplatz.
Activities
Mödling borders directly on the Föhrenberge Nature
Park. You can go on long hikes, etc. in the direction of
Gumpoldskirchen (Weinort), Baden (spa town), Gaaden, Heiligenkreuz
(Cistercian monastery), Hinterbrühl (Seegrotte), Perchtoldsdorf
(Weinort) and Vienna. Bike tours on the paths planned for this are
also possible.
There is also a city pool (in winter: indoor
pool and artificial ice rink, in summer: outdoor pool).
At
the end of July there is an annual wine festival in the museum park.
In September you can enjoy wine from the region and culinary
delicacies on a few weekends on the "Genussmeile" and the
"Weinherbst" along the 1st Viennese high spring water pipeline.
During Advent there are Christmas markets in the pedestrian zone
and in front of the orphanage church.
Shop
Most of the
shops are located in the pedestrian zone (Elisabethstraße) in the
center of Mödling. There are also a number of shops on the main
street. In Mödling there are mainly smaller specialist shops and
boutiques. Mödling is in the immediate vicinity of the largest
shopping center in Austria, the Shopping City Süd. There you can
really find everything you need.
Eat
Mödling has a very
long tradition of viticulture, which is why the town's Heurigen are
highly recommended. There is a good gingerbread shop in Herzoggasse.
In addition, there are many other restaurants in the city, ranging
from nice cafes (traditional or modern) and Austrian inns, pizzerias
and kebab shops to Greek and Asian restaurants. In the Vienna Woods
there are some huts with culinary offerings.
Cheap
medium
In the MaWi (Mautswirtshaus) you can find good and inexpensive food.
Vokalem offers down-to-earth Viennese cuisine. The Mayer stage is
located in the basement of the Mautswirtshaus, where small artists
also perform.
Upscale
In the Babenbergerhof, also a 4-star
hotel, you can try out Austrian cuisine at an excellent level.
Nightlife
Unfortunately Mödling does not offer an exciting
nightlife. In 2017 a club opened at Eichkogel. The bars and clubs in
Vienna are recommended for night owls. The Casinobus 360 runs from
12:10 a.m. to 03:17 a.m. from Vienna's Karlsplatz / Oper via Möding
(stations in Mödling: train station and Weißes-Kreuz-Gasse, travel
time approx. 30 minutes) to Baden approx. Once an hour. S-Bahn
trains run regularly from around 4 a.m. This means that there is
public transport from Vienna to Mödling at any time from Monday to
Sunday.
Practical advice
On Schrannenplatz, near the town
hall, you can find out more about the city and the surrounding area
in an information office for tourists.
There are three post
offices in Mödling.
The phone code is 02236, the postcode (es)
2340, (2342, rarely used).