Diplomats' excursion to the Lainzer Tiergarten

On 29 September 2025, the City of Vienna organised an excursion for the Diplomatic Corps in cooperation with the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (BMEIA). Over 100 ambassadors, permanent representatives and their guests took part in the event. The focus was on the importance of dialogue and sustainability.

Kick-off at Biotope City Wienerberg

The day began with a tour of Biotope City Wienerberg. This urban development area impressively demonstrates how nature can be brought back into the city through urban planning and development and well-designed façade and roof greening. Experts from the Municipal Department for Housing Promotion guided the group through the green spaces explaining the principles of housing construction in Vienna, to address the challenges of an increasingly hot city.

Visit to the Favoriten Water Tower

At the same time, a second group visited the historic Favoriten Water Tower on the top of the Wienerberg. This striking historicist building is now used as a popular cultural centre, offering an unforgettable view of Vienna from its viewing platform. The guests learned the history of Vienna's famous mountain spring water supply and the city's current drinking water infrastructure.

Experiencing nature in the Lainzer Tiergarten

In bright sunshine, the visitors then walked through the Lainzer Tiergarten, one of the largest forest areas in a European capital as well a nature conservation and recreation area. The Municipal Department of Forestry and Agriculture joined the group, discussing the conditions and challenges of Viennese forestry and the increasingly important topic of urban agriculture.

Lunch at the Hermesvilla

After the short hike, Mayor Michael Ludwig and State Secretary Sepp Schellhorn, representing Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger, invited the guests to a dialogue-rich lunch at the Hermesvilla. The Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy See, Archbishop Pedro López Quintana, thanked Vienna for its hospitality on behalf of the Diplomatic Corps.

Afterwards, the participants visited the Augarten Porcelain Manufactory, which provided an insight into the artistry of Viennese porcelain production.

Through this event, Vienna successfully demonstrated its role as a platform for international cooperation and sustainable development.