Many people dream of visiting Vienna, the most beautiful capital of Austria. The Baroque architectural masterpieces of the city center are intertwined in a magical dance with the modern buildings of the industrial outskirts. Schubert’s waltzes and Beethoven’s sonatas sound great both in the halls of the Belvedere and in the interiors of the Vienna Gasometers. Many people dream of living in Vienna, but only a select few are determined to buy an apartment in the Austrian capital. However, housing in different districts differs in price and can be affordable.
Statistics of Simmering
In 1892, Simmering, the 11th district of Vienna, was annexed to the city. The district has an area of 23.3 km², a population of 105,022 (01.01.2021), and a density of 4491 people/km². It is in the south and borders on the 10th Favoriten, 3rd Landstraße and 2nd Leopoldstadt districts, closing the city center. Viennese do not often want to buy an apartment in Vienna’s 11th district because of the proximity of industrial facilities. Although 9 out of 23 km² are allocated for parkland!
Property prices in Simmering are low compared to other districts. On average, you can buy an apartment in Simmering for €4954 per 1 m². The demographics of the area are constantly growing, so new buildings are rapidly growing in it. It is also possible to rent an apartment in Vienna at a low price.
Infrastructure
The metro is a popular form of transport in Vienna. Simmering is also served by the U-Bahn, with the U3 terminus leading into the city center to St. Stephen’s Cathedral. The autobahn and the A4 route leading to Vienna International Airport Flughafen Wien-Schwechat are nearby.
Simmering has the Wien Simmering Bahnhof station on Simmeringer Hauptstraße.
Trams are also a common means of transport in District 11. Routes 6 and 71 go from here to other parts of the city.
Tram 71 (Straßenbahnlinie 71) has a separate history that is cherished by Viennese. It runs from Schwarzenbergplatz to the Central Cemetery. In the early twentieth century, it was used as a hearse for the dead. It has become the subject of anecdotes about the last journey of the capital’s inhabitants.
Simmering is filled with eco-friendly transport: subway, tram, electric bicycle, bicycle and electric car.
There is an electric charging station for all types of charge: cars, electric bicycles, which can be ridden throughout the city.
Industrialisation of the 11th district
Simmering is an industrial district. It is home to a variety of industries. The world-famous Siemens AG plant, which produces electrical engineering and various equipment, is located in District 11. The plant of the pharmaceutical company LEO Pharma, which is represented in 100 countries, is also located in Simmering.
In 1902, Simmering produced electricity for the city and the tram system. Today, the power plant has become one of the most modern and environmentally friendly plants in Europe. Since 2009, the system has been generating electricity for 730,000 households and more than 7,000 legal addresses. The power plant runs on biomass, which reduces CO2 emissions by 144,000 tonnes per year.
Gasometer City
In the 19th century, houses in Vienna were lit and heated with coke oven gas. For this purpose, 4 huge gas holders were constructed, each 70 m high. Later, coke oven gas was replaced by natural gas, and the gas meters were no longer needed. They were reconstructed in 2001: the equipment was dismantled, the interior was completely replaced, and the roof and facade were left as they were. Thus, the unusual-looking buildings were transformed into the Gasometer City residential complex with apartments, offices, shops, a cinema and a fitness centre. In addition to these majestic buildings, the complex includes student accommodation. So it is quite possible for a student to rent or buy an apartment in Vienna at a low cost.
Simmeringer Hauptstraße is the main street of the district, with discount shops and eateries.
Schloss Neugebäude
Schloss Neugebäude was built in 1600 as a combination of a hunting castle and a Belvedere. Since 2007, it has been used as a summer cinema, theatre, and venue for various events. The police and prison are still located here.
Sultan’s Trail
The Sultans Trail runs through the 11th district. The European tourist route, which starts in Vienna and ends in Istanbul, is named after Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. The road reflects the route of the Ottoman Empire’s military campaign west of Istanbul on 10 May and its defeat on 23 September 1529 at the walls of Vienna. The Sultan’s Path symbolises the unity of people of all nationalities, religions and cultures.
Wiener Zentralfriedhof
The Vienna Central Cemetery (Wiener Zentralfriedhof), covering an area of almost 2.5 km², was opened in 1874. It is one of the oldest cemeteries in Vienna and the largest burial grounds in Europe, with approximately three million graves. It is home to celebrities such as Schubert and Beethoven.
St. Charles Borromeo Cathedral
The Friedhofskirche zum heiligen Karl Borromäus stands in the central Viennese cemetery. It was created in the Art Nouveau style. The church is a complete conceptual masterpiece.
Shopping centers
- Huma Eleven – a modern shopping center with 90 shops and many restaurants. If you want to buy an apartment in District 11 and you don’t have a car, there is a free shuttle bus from the last Simmering metro station to the shopping center;
- Zentrum Simmering – another shopping center that is loved by the locals.
Restaurants
In Simmering, restaurants surprise with pleasant prices and large portions:
- Simmeringer Landbier, Hauptstrasse 50, Austrian cuisine; lunch, dinner. A cosy place with good prices and good food. Huge schnitzels and delicious burgers. Friendly staff and menu in English;
- Simmeringer Biergartl, Geiselbergstrasse 41, Austrian and European cuisine. Rustic beer bar with a wide selection of draft beers (Zwettler, Stiegl, Murauer). Large portions at reasonable prices;
- Concordai – restaurant of authentic cuisine, candlelit evening, atmospheric music, Austrian wines.
An unusual entertainment for Viennese is the Baggerpark Wien, an extreme excavator park located in District 11. Here you can take a 20-minute driver’s course and ride an excavator around the park.
Advantages and disadvantages:
Advantages:
- quiet area;
- cheap to rent or buy housing;
- modern buildings;
- shopping centers;
- metro, railway station;
- proximity to the airport.
Disadvantages:
- distance from the centre;
- industry;
- proximity to the motorway.
You can buy an apartment in the 11th district of Vienna quite quickly by contacting the VigoImmobilien real estate agency. Simmering will appeal to middle-income people, employees, students and travellers due to the proximity of the railway station, airport and motorway.
If you are interested in buying/renting an apartment in another neighborhood, just visit the VigoImmobilien website, where you will find your ideal home.
