Sooß amid vineyards and the Vienna Woods

Sooß lies on the foothills of the Vienna Woods, surrounded by vineyards between the spa towns of Baden and Bad Vöslau. The town combines viticulture, historic buildings and varied trails with a landscape in which more than 280 hectares, or just under 75 percent of the municipality of Sooß's section of the Biosphere Reserve, are covered by forest. If you are looking for a holiday apartment or holiday house as a base for a variety of days out, Sooß offers several appealing focal points: wine and regional cuisine, cultural history, as well as walks and hikes.

A wine-growing town with distinctive landmarks

Viticulture has a long tradition in Sooß. The wine-growing area covers around 200 hectares and is particularly known for the red wines Zweigelt and Blaufränkisch. At the local wine taverns, you can taste Sooß wines together with a traditional snack. Many wine taverns offer red and white wines throughout the year. Accommodation in Sooß can therefore be combined with enjoyable evenings without limiting your stay to just one particular season.

One distinctive landmark is the Lausturm tower. From there, panoramic views extend across the sunlit vine-covered slopes of the Sooß vineyards. The tower dates from 1892 and was built by winery owner Robert Schlumberger on the occasion of his wife Sophie's 70th birthday. It is now privately owned and cannot be visited. As a visible part of the wine landscape, it nevertheless remains a characteristic reference point in the surrounding area.

Church history and trails through the landscape

St. Anne's Church stands on the northern side of Sooß; it is a church fortified as a defensive structure. A substantial three-storey tower rises above its eastern gate, while a cemetery wall and a double rampart encircle it. Its origins date back to the beginning of the 14th century, and it was built in the Early Gothic style. The single-nave nave has two square bays and Gothic rib vaults. For visitors interested in culture, the building therefore offers several architectural details to discover independently of the hiking programme.

The trails also offer a range of experiences. The “Tut Gut!” Sooß Steps Trail is a 4.39-kilometre circular route that starts and ends at Sooß Generations Park. The Bad Vöslau Wine Hiking Trail is an easy, family-friendly 5.42-kilometre circular tour through the vineyards towards Sooß, returning to Bad Vöslau via the Water Pipeline Trail. Anyone wishing to combine a manageable tour with a vineyard landscape when travelling with children will find a clearly described option here.

The Sooß Lindkogel circular hike is more demanding. It leads from Sooß via the Weißen Weg and the Sooß Lindkogel to the Vöslauer Hütte refuge and back again. Good fitness and sturdy footwear are required. The starting point can be reached by public transport via the train to Baden and then by bus, as well as by bicycle or car. This means you can weigh up whether to choose accommodation suited to a more leisurely walking programme or a more sporting hike.

Forest, protected area and regional events

The Vienna Woods areas around the Lindkogel are dominated by deciduous forests interspersed with spruce and black pine. The entire section of the municipality within the Biosphere Reserve lies in the “Vienna Woods-Thermenregion” Natura 2000 European protected area. The Franz-Krenn Trail, including its educational nature trail, was opened to the public on 1 September 2023. The wayside shrine on the route from Sooß towards Baden also stands along the cycling and hiking trail to Baden.

The annual Genussmeile offers a special combination of landscape and regional culinary culture. On the first two weekends in September, it combines hiking and wine tasting along Vienna's Water Pipeline Hiking Trail No. 1. The event complements the year-round opportunity to explore wine, wine taverns and forest trails with a clearly defined date in the annual calendar. Anyone wishing to plan their trip around it should take the first two weekends in September into account when planning.

More places for planning your trip

For further orientation, you can also explore Oberwaltersdorf, Berndorf, Teesdorf, Reisenberg, Alland, Baden, Tattendorf and Günselsdorf. Sooß itself was first mentioned in historical documents around 800 years ago and has since developed into an idyllic wine-growing town. The town therefore provides a clear basis for choosing accommodation if you wish to combine vineyards, nature trails, regional cuisine and historical impressions in one trip.

To the overarching travel overview: Baden.