Garten Tulln: Beautiful But Not as Relaxing as Expected

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DIE GARTEN TULLN (The Garden Tulln) is one of the most famous things to do in Tulln, and honestly, it’s probably the attraction most people visit the town for.

It’s known as Europe’s first ecological garden show, with themed gardens, a viewing tower, a forest area, and lots of ideas for sustainable gardening.

I visited Garten Tulln in mid June, and while I do think it’s worth seeing, I also had mixed feelings about some parts.

Some gardens were beautiful, especially if you’re looking for inspiration for your own garden or balcony. Others felt a bit bare, and a few ponds looked frankly just too dirty.

So, is Garten Tulln worth visiting?

Yes, if you enjoy gardens and plants. But don’t visit expecting a perfectly manicured flower park or a place where you’ll spend hours relaxing on comfortable loungers.

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What to See Inside Garten Tulln

I spent around 2.5 hours at Garten Tulln and felt like I saw almost everything apart from most of the forest area.

The gardens are easy to navigate thanks to the red path that leads visitors through the attraction. I picked up a map at the entrance but never actually needed it.

Themed Gardens

Bright red flowering plants line a winding garden path beneath a blue sky with scattered clouds. Colorful blooms fill the landscaped beds while a large flower sculpture rises in the background.

Modern demonstration garden featuring a shallow reflective pool, stone waterfall wall, stepping stones, and neatly landscaped planting beds. Wooden decking and contemporary design elements create a tranquil outdoor living space.

What makes Garten Tulln different from many other garden attractions is its educational focus. Each garden has its own theme and an information board in German and English explaining the idea behind the design.

There’s also a free audio guide for your phone if you’d like to learn more (don’t forget to bring headphones). You can download the audio guide app here.

Inspiration for Your Own Garden

Small patio garden with potted trees, flowering plants, and metal café style seating arranged on a stone terrace. A table topped with blooming flowers creates a cozy outdoor sitting area.

One thing I really liked was that many of the gardens felt realistic and achievable.

There are even show balconies with ideas for small spaces. While they aren’t that impressive, they offer a practical inspiration for ordinary homes and apartments.

The Viewing Tower

Multi level observation tower rises above the treetops with steel supports, stairways, and viewing platforms stacked high into the sky. Tree branches frame the structure from below.

Sweeping aerial view across Die Garten Tulln with winding paths, themed garden plots, mature trees, and landscaped green spaces stretching toward distant hills. Dark clouds gather above the expansive garden park.

The 34,95 metre high viewing tower is one of the highlights of Garten Tulln.

You can either climb the 201 stairs or take the elevator to the top. As someone who always enjoys a good viewing tower, I was looking forward to this part of the visit.

The views are nice, but not quite as spectacular as I expected. Because the surrounding landscape is so green, much of the view consists of treetops stretching into the distance.

The beautiful rose garden in front of the tower was one of the prettiest areas of the entire garden during my visit in June.

The Kneipp Path

Bare feet stand in a shallow stream flowing over smooth pebbles between large rocks and leafy garden plants. Clear water reveals the stones beneath the surface in an interactive garden water feature.

Another feature I enjoyed was the small Kneipp pool. You can take off your shoes and walk through a shallow cold stream over stones to stimulate circulation.

The Kneipp path isn’t very long, but it was a fun interactive stop along the route. Even though it wasn’t particularly hot on the day I visited, I still couldn’t resist doing it.

The Forest Area

Beyond the themed gardens, Garten Tulln also has a large forest area with walking paths.

I only briefly looked into this section because it reminded me a lot of the green area I had already walked through on my way from the train station. Instead, I decided to spend my time exploring more of the themed gardens.

If you enjoy peaceful walks in nature, though, this area gives you the chance to extend your visit beyond the show gardens.

The Downsides for Me

Natural swimming pond bordered by gravel, aquatic plants, ornamental grasses, and mature trees. A small table and chairs sit beside the water, creating a peaceful garden retreat surrounded by greenery. — Pretty chairs but not comfortable

White wrought iron gazebo shelters a small round table and two matching chairs surrounded by blooming red roses and ornamental garden plantings. The romantic seating area sits on a gravel surface beneath a decorative canopy in a landscaped garden. — Pretty chairs but not comfortable

Some gardens were beautiful and super picturesque, while others felt rather bare.

I was also surprised by how dirty some of the ponds looked. While the natural appearance is part of the concept, there were moments where it felt slightly neglected rather than intentionally wild.

Another thing I didn’t like that much was how uncomfortable most chairs are, there are many sitting opportunities throughout the park but for me most weren’t that comfortable, most were cast iron without cushions.

Food and Drinks at Garten Tulln

Outdoor restaurant terrace with green chairs and tables overlooks a pond filled with aquatic plants and a fountain. Large umbrellas provide shade beside the water on a cloudy afternoon.

There are two smaller outdoor venues along the route. One focuses on beer while the other specialises in wine. Both also serve non alcoholic drinks, but the food selection is limited to snacks. The beer garden is cash only.

For a proper meal, I would head to the restaurant by the lake near the entrance. The terrace overlooks the water and fountain. And as a vegan visitor, I was pleased to find a clearly labelled vegan sweet potato curry with rice on the menu.

I brought my own water bottle and didn’t eat there myself, but if I were visiting again, the lakeside restaurant is where I would stop for lunch.

Tina in a pink floral dress poses beside oversized garden tool sculptures including a giant wheelbarrow and pitchfork. The playful installation stands along a gravel path surrounded by greenery.

Tips for Your Visit

Garten Tulln is open seasonally from the end of March until the end of October. Check the latest opening hours here before your visit.
A standard adult ticket costs €16. Entry is also included once with the Niederösterreich Card, which is what I used. If you’re planning to visit several attractions in Lower Austria, the card can save you a lot of money.
I spent around 2.5 hours at Garten Tulln and felt like I saw almost everything apart from most of the forest area. If you plan to use the audio guide, have lunch at the restaurant, or spend more time relaxing, allow at least 3 to 4 hours.
Bring headphones if you’d like to use the free audio guide app. Each themed garden has additional information available through the guide.
Wear comfortable shoes. You’ll be doing quite a bit of walking, both in the gardens and potentially from the train station.
Bring a water bottle or plan a stop at one of the restaurants or garden bars during your visit.
I visited in mid June and loved seeing the roses around the viewing tower. Later in the season, you may be able to see ripe fruit on some of the fruit trees. During my visit, I spotted plums, peaches, pears, and more, but they weren’t ripe yet.
If you’d like to relax for a while, head to the hammocks near the entrance area. They were by far the most comfortable seating option I found in the gardens and would be a lovely place to relax after lunch.
Near the entrance, you’ll also find a small souvenir shop and a tiny plant shop if you’d like to take home a gardening souvenir.
The main path through the gardens is wheelchair friendly.

🌿 You can buy your Garten Tulln ticket online or at the ticket office

Smiling woman wearing sunglasses stands on a pedestrian bridge above a green river on a sunny day. Trees line the waterway while modern apartment buildings and the curved bridge structure frame the scene in the background.

How to Get to Tulln from Vienna by Train

Even though Tulln isn’t that big it has two train stations: Tulln an der Donau and Tulln Stadt.

While Tulln Stadt is slightly closer to the gardens, trains from Vienna take much longer because they are regional services with many stops along the way. Tulln an der Donau has faster and more frequent connections.

The direct train from Vienna to Tulln an der Donau leaves from Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof or Wien Heiligenstadt and takes about 20 minutes.

Walking from the Train Station to Garten Tulln

Directional signs in a shaded riverside park point visitors toward Donaubühne, Die Garten Tulln, and the Messe pedestrian route. Tall trees line the walking and cycling paths beneath a bright summer sky.

Curved pedestrian bridge crosses a calm green waterway surrounded by dense trees and wetland vegetation. The elevated walkway offers views across the natural landscape on a sunny day.

From Tulln an der Donau station, it’s about a 30 minute walk to Garten Tulln.

One tip: follow the official Garten Tulln signs rather than Google Maps. Google Maps wanted to send me along big roads, while the signposted route took me through a much greener area with bridges and trees.

I actually enjoyed the walk much more than I expected.

Cycling Between Garten Tulln and the Train Station

Public bike share station with several rental bicycles parked in docking stands beneath mature trees. Informational signage and cycling infrastructure make it easy for visitors to explore the area by bike.

View from a bicycle rider's perspective along a smooth paved path shaded by tall trees and dense greenery. A white bridge is visible ahead while the bicycle handlebars and front basket appear in the foreground, highlighting a scenic cycling route through the park.

If you don’t feel like walking, you can also rent a bike in Tulln using Nextbike.

In the bike app you can check the map for locations. There are bike stops right at the Garten Tulln and at the train station.

I walked to Garten Tulln and cycled back to the station. After downloading the app, I simply scanned the QR code on the bike and was ready to go.

The route follows mostly traffic free paths through green spaces and along the Danube, with bike paths clearly marked throughout.

The rental only cost me €1 for 15 minutes and I really enjoyed the bike ride. If the weather is nice, I highly recommend walking one way and cycling the other.

Garten Tulln vs Kittenberger Erlebnisgärten

Pond fountain sends several streams of water into the air among tall reeds and flowering garden plants. A wooden deck with lounge chairs overlooks the peaceful water feature.

Circular rust colored water feature creates rippling reflections among ornamental flowers, grasses, and stone pathways in a display garden. A slender tree rises above the landscaped setting under dramatic clouds.

I visited Kittenberger Erlebnisgärten just a few days before Garten Tulln, so I couldn’t help comparing the two.

Overall, I personally preferred Kittenberger Erlebnisgärten. The gardens felt more impressive and there were plenty of comfortable sun loungers next to ponds and water features where I could have happily relaxed for hours.

Garten Tulln felt very different. It focuses on education. Every garden has a theme, information boards explain the concepts behind the designs, and there is even an audio guide. And while there are chairs throughout most weren’t that comfortable.

If you’re looking for a relaxing day surrounded by beautiful gardens, I would choose Kittenberger Erlebnisgärten. If you’re looking for practical gardening ideas and want to learn more about sustainable garden design, Garten Tulln is the better choice.

Don’t Miss the Rest of Tulln

While Garten Tulln is the town’s most famous attraction, don’t make the mistake of spending your entire day there.

Personally, one of my favourite parts of Tulln was simply strolling along the Danube promenade. The riverside paths are beautifully landscaped and there are plenty of places to sit and enjoy the view.

If you’re interested in art, the Egon Schiele Museum is another worthwhile stop. Tulln is the birthplace of the famous Austrian artist and the museum offers an interesting insight into his life and work.

For more ideas, check out my guide to the best things to do in Tulln.