ELCA Professional Excursion in Austria

Hello European landscapers, welcome to Austria!

We must master the balancing act between traditional gardendesign tradition and ecological responsibility, and the courage to embrace new technological visions. We design open spaces such as squares, residential complexes, gardens, and even urban development areas.

We are the architects of climate-resilient and livable green spaces, especially in urban areas.

This and much more awaits you in Austria, including training as a climate-gardener, which enhances the public image of our craft.

Your Federal Guild Master,
Ing. Herbert Eipeldauer III

Hello European landscapers, welcome to Austria!

It is a great honour to welcome you to Austria and to celebrate the outstanding achievement of the Trend Award, which recognises our commitment to sustainable and innovative garden design. This award is not only a milestone for „Natur im Garten“, but also a sign of the growing importance of ecological gardening across Europe.

We are proud that the ELCA Professional Excursion is now coming to Austria, offering a unique opportunity to experience firsthand how we balance tradition and innovation in our green spaces. Here, you will discover climate-resilient gardens, vibrant public squares, and pioneering urban projects that set new standards for livability and biodiversity.

Join us in exploring how we shape the future of landscaping—through education, such as our climate-gardener training, and through bold visions that enhance both nature and urban life. Together, we can inspire and lead the way toward a greener, more sustainable Europe.

Your
Wolfgang Sobotka
President „European Garden Association – Natur im Garten International“

• 04.30 p.m. Guided tour DIE GARTEN TULLN in English and German
  Guided tour with Franz Gruber, Managing Director DIE GARTEN TULLN and experts from “Natur im Garten“
• 06.00 p.m. Welcome drink
  
• 06.30 p.m. Welcome dinner, DIE GARTEN TULLN terrace by the water lily pond
  Welcome address Mr Herbert Eipeldauer, President of the Austrian Association of Gardeners and Florists
  Welcome address Mr Henrik Bos, President of ELCA

• 08.30 a.m. Guided tour of the garden city of Tulln, Donaulände and Nibelungenplatz (ELCA Trend Award winner)
  Start: Best Western Hotel, Tulln
  Join us for a guided tour through Tulln, Austria’s garden city and a beacon of ecological urban design
  Guided tour with Peter Eisenschenk, Mayor of the city of Tulln and Cornelia Hebenstreit, Project Leader of the city of Tulln
• 09.30 a.m. Departure from Hotel Best Western, Tulln
  
• 10.00 a.m. HAMETER perennial nursery
  Guided tour with Xandl Schmidhammer, general manager HAMETER
  Coffee Break
  
• 11.15 a.m. Departure
• 11.45 a.m. Visit private garden in Innermanzing (ELCA Trend Award winner)
  Guided tour with Mr Peter Baumgarten, landscape architect, BEGRÜNDER
• 12.30 p.m. Departure
  
• 1.30 p.m. Lunch at Kittenberger Adventure Garden
• 02.45 p.m. Guided tour at Kittenberger with Reinhard Kittenberger
  - Adventure Gardens
  - Chalets at the garden lake
  - Private Garden of Reinhard Kittenberger
  - Landscaping Company
  - Production
• 6.30 p.m. Dinner at Kittenberger Adventure Gardens Restaurant
  Welcome address Mr Herbert Eipeldauer, President of the Austrian Association of Gardeners and Florists
  Welcome address Mr Henrik Bos, President of ELCA
  
• 09.00 p.m. Departure to Tulln

• 8.30 a.m. Departure Hotel Best Western, Tulln
• 9.15 a.m. Private Garden, Strebersdorf, Vienna
  Guided Tour by the owner and operator Franz Kubacek
• 9.45 a.m. Departure
• 10.15 a.m. Urban development project “Seestadt”, Vienna
  Coffee Break
• 12.00 a.m. Departure
• 12.15 p.m. Horticultural School
  - Lunch
  - Welcome address Mr Mario Steininger, Director Horticultural School
  - Presentation of the new Climate Gardener Training Program by Mr Herbert Eipeldauer, President of the Austrian Association of Gardeners and Florists
  - Guided Tour Show gardens of the horticultural school
  - Visit Austrian Horticultural Society
• 2.30 p.m. Departure
• 3.00 p.m. Research Center Schönbrunn: Sponge city experiment at the Schönbrunn Research Centre of the Federal Institute of Horticulture,
  - Welcome Address Mr Gerd Koch, Director Horticultural School and Head of the Austrian Federal Gardens
  - Information about the research projects and Guided Tour Thomas Roth
  - Coffee break
• 4.30 p.m. Departure
• 4.45 p.m. Guided Tour of the historic Schönbrunn Palace Gardens, focusing on tree damage caused by climate change
  During a walk through Schönbrunn Palace Park, the Head of the Austrian Federal Gardens points out the damage caused to trees by climate change and presents the Austrian Federal Gardens' solution.
  Mr Gerd Koch, Director Horticultural School and Head of the Austrian Federal Gardens
• 5.45 p.m. Departure
• 6.00 p.m. Meeting Campus Tivoli, Vienna (address: Tivoligasse 73, 1120 Wien)
  Welcome address Wolfgang Sobotka, President „European Garden Association – Natur im Garten International“ and President Campus Tivoli
  Welcome address Mr Herbert Eipeldauer, President of the Austrian Association of Gardeners and Florists
  Gerold Hauser, Former President of the Austrian Association of Gardeners and Florists
  Welcome address Mr Henrik Bos, President of ELCA
  Dinner
• 9.00 p.m. Departure
  Return transfer to Tulln

• VARIANT VIENNA
  9.00 a.m. – 1.00 p.m. Guided Tour of Vienna by the bus with the Tour Guide Monika Burket
  - The most important buildings on the Ringstraße (Burgtheater, Volkstheater, Parliament, City Hall) and city centre parks (Walk to the Volksgarten and Burggarten).
  - Option to get off at Vienna Central Station at the end of the tour (1 stop by train to the airport) or return trip to Tulln

• VARIANT TULLN
  9.00 a.m. – 11.00 a.m. Guided Tour in Tulln
  The guided tour once again highlights Tulln’s impressive green spaces, followed by a visit to the Egon Schiele Museum and the House of Digitalization.

Airport

• From Vienna Airport (Flughafen Wien-Schwechat) take the train Railjet (RJ) directly from Vienna Airport to train station Tullnerfeld. The Railjet runs every hour, and the journey takes about 43 minutes
• At Tullnerfeld, transfer to the train S40 towards Tulln Stadt (Tulln City Station), only one stop. The S40 runs regularly. Please board the train heading towards Vienna Heiligenstadt (Wien Heiligenstadt), and the ride takes about 5 minutes
• From Tulln Stadtbahnhof (Tulln City Station), the Best Western Hotel and the Hotel Nibelungenhof are just a 10-minute walk away

TRAIN from the west: Every train from Germany or Switzerland stops in St. Pölten

• From St. Pölten: Take a REGIONAL train (R) towards Vienna or Tulln. Get off at station Tullnerfeld, then take the S40 to Tulln Stadtbahnhof. The hotel is a 10-minute walk from the city station
• In St. Pölten take a train to the station Tullnerfeld, the journey takes 15 minutes
• At station Tullnerfeld, transfer to the S40 towards Tulln Stadt (Tulln City Station), only one stop. The S40 runs regularly. Please board the train heading towards Vienna Heiligenstadt (Wien Heiligenstadt), and the ride takes about 5 minutes
• From Tulln Stadtbahnhof (Tulln City Station), the Best Western Hotel and the Hotel Nibelungenhof are just a 10-minute walk away
• detailed timetable information www.oebb.at

TRAIN from the North, South or East

• From Main Station Wien Hauptbahnhof or Wien Meidling: Take the Railjet (RJ) towards St. Pölten or Linz. Get off the first stop at Tullnerfeld
• At Tullnerfeld, transfer to the S40 towards Tulln Stadt (Tulln City Station), only one stop. The S40 runs regularly. Please board the train heading towards Vienna Heiligenstadt (Wien Heiligenstadt), and the ride takes about 5 minutes
• From Tulln Stadtbahnhof (Tulln City Station), the Best Western Hotel and the Hotel Nibelungenhof are just a 10-minute walk away
• detailed timetable information www.oebb.at

Best Western Hotel
Nussallee 1, 3430 Tulln

(Single room at a price of EUR 110,- / Double room at a price of EUR 155,- Prices include breakfast buffet and local tax of EUR 2.50 per person/night.)

Hotel Nibelungenhof Tulln
Donaulände 34, 3430 Tulln

(Prices include breakfast. Single room at a price of EUR 97.- / Double room at a price of EUR 144,- to 164,- / Triple room at a price of EUR 200,- / Quadruple room at a price of EUR 260,-)

We will be happy to reserve the hotel for you. The hotel will send you an invoice, which we kindly ask you to pay before the ELCA Professional Excursion.