The entrance itself isn’t magnificent, but it has a way of making you feel larger than life. You aren’t quite sure which path to take or where they may take you. There’s the trail in the right corner, hidden by rows of trees. In your view is a small shack, but you can’t make out the graffiti painting on it.
How mysterious, maybe I’ll take that way some other time, you think to yourself.
You gaze at the trail in the left corner where picnics are taking place. There’s even a swinging hammock tied between two large trees. Wow, some friends and I could definitely chill here for the day, you think to yourself. Then there’s the middle trail, and it appears to be the road that’s taken most frequently. It reveals every angle of the park. It leads directly to the children’s laughter, the quiet whispers of happy couples, and the quick pants of a restless dog. There’s a lot of temptation to follow that path. It almost draws you in and gives you no choice. I wonder where it leads to, you think to yourself. So you proceed.
This is Auer-Welsbach-Park. There hasn’t been a time where I skipped running through this park during a run. I remember my first and last run through this park. The first time, I remember wondering where the path I was running on would lead to the entire time. Who would’ve known that it would wrap around and bring you in close proximity of Schönbrunn Palace? I was in for a pleasant surprise that day and actually ran past the palace gates to stop for a quick glance. It’s always beautiful and always busy.
There’s also a daycare right in the middle of the park. There’s something about hearing children laughing and playing early in the morning that gives me life. It was the kick I needed to get back to the pace I started my run at. Although everything is vague after entering the park due to the tree leaves overshadowing many areas and the sky, there isn’t a time when you feel unsafe. From time to time, a police car drives along the middle path. It’s great to know that people put great effort into spending their leisure time at a park and to also know that their leisure time is being protected. It just makes the place more special. The last time I ran through the park, it started sprinkling but I could barely feel the raindrops because of the leaves. I didn’t get soaked until I ran out of the park, and I was tempted to turn around and take another lap.
I think I appreciate this park just as much, if not more, than the locals that live in the area. It’s special because it doesn’t get as much tourist traffic as other places in Vienna. It’s only those who enter that understand its uniqueness.
