The unsung fountain of Vienna

My favorite place in Vienna is the Diana Brünndl, a small and inconspicuous fountain presumably named after the Roman hunting goddess. It is located at an altitude of 391 meters on the slope of the Hochruckenberg. The Brünndl houses a spring of the Kasgrabenbach, where one can refresh oneself halfway to the plain of the Sophienalpe. The location can be reached on foot from both above and below in about 20-30 minutes. From Vienna, the ascent can be made from the end of Knödelhüttenstraße (No. 174) in Penzing, where the 52A bus stop is located at the corner. From there, a forest road leads about 1.5 kilometers uphill through the “Wienerwald”:

The Vienna Woods are geographically the easternmost end of the Alps. Due to their natural state close to the Austrian capital, they were accredited the status of a UNESCO biosphere park in 2006. Culturally, the Wienerwald is deeply intertwined with the golden era of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. Listen to the famous waltz “Tales from the Vienna Woods” by Johann Strauss Son (1880) and you will be teleported right into it. In 1931 Ödön-von-Horvath picked up the title for a key play of modern drama: “Tales from the Vienna Woods” depicts the brutality of the common people in pre-fascist Austria.

After strolling through the Wienerwald, one can return to the starting point of the journey via the Sophienalpe and the Rieglerhütte. A few houses earlier, namely at Knödelhüttenstraße 27, the “Alte Knödelhütte” inn was founded in 1758. The historical tavern was sung about in Viennese songs (“Auf der Knödelhütte und in Breitensee”) and immortalized on many historical postcards. Until the mid-1980s, people ate, danced, and celebrated here. The building still exists but has been empty for 40 years now. The property is supposed to be renovated and “developed.” Thus, the gentrification of the surrounding small garden settlements is progressing. Where simple wooden huts stood before and vegetables were grown for personal use after World War II, new single-family houses with pools and English lawns are now emerging on the outskirts of the capital. Only the character of the former k.u.k. Forestry Academy at Knödelhüttenstraße 37 is almost unchanged to this day. The historic buildings are used by the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, and the extensive grounds serve as a forest experimental and demonstration garden.

The Diana Brünndl on the Hochruckenberg is set beyond time and change. At this favorite spot, I can pause, linger, and freely decide which direction I want to go. The crystalline water flows day in and day out. It rarely freezes into ice in the winter. Here, one is in Vienna and at the same time far from Vienna. Each sip is an arrival, each subsequent step is taken with the awareness of this place’s truly memorable aura.