Grünauer Pond

The Grünauer Teich in the Lainzer Tiergarten is an idyllic, historically landscaped body of water that serves as a habitat for many animals. Surrounded by tranquil nature, the pond invites you to linger and observe fish, birds, and amphibians. Easily accessible via well-maintained hiking trails, the Grünauer Teich offers a lovely place for a break off the beaten track. Swimming is not permitted here for conservation reasons, so nature remains untouched.

The Grünauer Teich is an artificial body of water with an area of 7785 m² in the Lainzer Tiergarten nature reserve. The pond was built in the 18th century to cover the water needs of the game in the zoo during the summer months. The Grünauer Bach was dammed for this purpose. Due to the porous subsoil, constant repairs and sealing work were necessary. After the pressure of the ice had destroyed the weir of the pond in 1809 and the collapse of the banks and dams constantly required further expensive rehabilitation measures, the necessity of the system was questioned. Nevertheless, in 1835 the banks were paved with cobblestones. By selling the ice to Fleischer and the Hütteldorfer brewery in winter, the costs of the bank reinforcement could subsequently be amortized. Between the two world wars, the pond was opened to the public for bathing and boating. However, the offer was accepted only to a small extent. Attempts to use the pond for raising crabs and carp were only marginally successful. After the end of commercial use, the pond was able to develop in a natural way. After the pond, which had meanwhile become very muddy, was dredged in 1990, it now offers a diverse habitat for various fish, in particular carp, roach and rudd as well as pike, and amphibians, especially common toads, crabs and waterfowl and even a beaver.