Spectator Sports in Vienna
Horse Racing -- There are three racetracks in Vienna, but by far the oldest, most venerable, and most prestigious is the Rennbahn Freudenau, at Trapprenbahnplatz on the grounds of the Prater (tel. 01/728-9531). Established in 1836, it operates April to November and traditionally includes both trotting and flat racing. The Vienna Derby, one of the season's highlights, takes place here in late June. A "competing" racetrack, smaller and less intriguing in terms of architecture, lies on the opposite side of the Prater fairgrounds; Rennbahn Krieau (tel. 01/728-0046) operates trotting races every week of the year, except during July and August, when the venue is closed, and when race fans head to a racetrack in the outlying resort of Baden for a short, 2-month season. Newer than any of the above-mentioned racetracks, and permeated with a deliberate dose of hypermodern style that's directly influenced by Las Vegas, is the Magna Racino racetrack and casino complex in the Viennese suburb of A-2483 Ebreichsdorf (tel. 02254/9000; www.magnaracino.at), 30km (19 miles) south of Vienna. Inaugurated in 2004 and funded by a Canadian billionaire of Austrian descent, it's the site of a casino, several restaurants, an ongoing series of cabaret with girls-and-glitter shows, and horse races, which run between April and early November. At press time, it was fighting for market share in the tight-knit world of Austrian horseracing. It's the home of the Austrian Derby, presented in late June.
Soccer -- Football, as it's known in Europe, tends to draw a slightly less impassioned response in Austria than it does in Germany or Italy, but it still exerts a powerful appeal on sports fans throughout town. The city's two soccer teams are Rapide-Wien, Hannappi Stadion, Keisslergasse (tel. 01/72743-0; U-Bahn: Hütteldorf), and the Austrian national team (Österreichische National Team), based at the Horr Stadion, Fischhofgasse (tel. 01/688-0150; U-Bahn: Reumannplatz). Bigger than either of those stadiums, and usually used for soccer matches of above-average international interest drawing massive crowds, is the Ernst-Happel-Stadion (sometimes known simply as Weiner Stadion), Meiereistrasse 7 (tel. 01/728-0854; U-Bahn: Praterstern, then tram no. 21 to Meiereistrasse). For tickets and information about upcoming events, call the stadiums.
