Day 1 - The journey begins
After a series of delays, we finally took off from Rome Fiumicino with destination Vienna. The excitement of departure was great and once we arrived, we headed for our accommodation. With Flavio, without wasting any time, we decided to immediately immerse ourselves in the local culture, starting with a tasting of Austrian beers, a first step to enter the Viennese atmosphere.
Day 2 - Meet and discover Kinogarten
The day officially started with the first meeting of our project.
We got together to get to know each other better and share the experiences that brought us to Vienna, immediately discovering each other’s different perspectives and motivations.
After lunch, we visited the Kinogarten, a unique urban garden. The area is beautifully designed and includes not only a lush garden, but also an open-air cinema and theatre facilities, making it a very special gathering space.
One of the most fascinating aspects was the beekeeping, managed with characteristic and innovative structures that demonstrate how biodiversity can be harmoniously integrated into urban spaces.
We devoted the afternoon to an initial sightseeing tour of Vienna, admiring the elegance of the city and savouring the vibrant atmosphere.
We finally get down to business and start by getting to know each other and our experiences that brought us all the way to Vienna.
Day 3 - Discovering Lobauer*innen & Kleine Stadtfarm
In the morning we left for a visit to the Lobauer*innen & Kleine Stadtfarm, a lovely place that gave us many ideas to take with us. One of the most interesting aspects of the visit was an educational project related land use, which visually showed how much land is needed to produce the various foods we consume every day.
Continuing the tour of the gardens, we met a local artist who creates puppets using recycled materials, demonstrating how creative reuse can become a fascinating and sustainable art form.
After lunch, we continued our journey to discover Vienna’s urban gardens. Special thanks go to the Filipino community, who welcomed us with great hospitality, and to Cordula, who guided us through her gardens, passionately explaining how they work and the importance of the community in the management of these spaces.
The afternoon saw us tourists again, with a stop at the Prater for a snack and an evening discovering Vienna by night.
Day 4 - vegetable garden and solar energy at Laaerbergbäuer*innen
The fourth day was dedicated to a visit to the Laaerbergbäuer*innen, where we had the opportunity to dine on food cooked exclusively solar energy.
It was surprising to see how such a simple and ecological system could be applied to everyday cooking.
Another very interesting aspect of the site is the rainwater recovery system, which allows the gardens to be irrigated efficiently and sustainably, reducing the consumption of drinking water.
In the afternoon, we started preparations for the big parade the next day, but despite our tiredness we found time to explore another special corner of Vienna.
Day 5 - The parade of plant statues
We returned to the Laaerbergbäuer*innen, the starting point of our spectacular parade through Vienna. The city provided the backdrop for our colourful parade of plant statues, an engaging and joyful event that attracted the curiosity of many passers-by.
After the parade, we all gathered for lunch at the former historic Vienna Bakery, a place that a used to produce bread for the entire city.
The atmosphere full of history and the lunch was a time of sharing and conviviality.
In the afternoon, our march reached Gleisgarten, a small garden located on a railway embankment in the heart of Vienna. Here, many friends and new ideas awaited us. Afterwards, we continued on to the Sonnwendgarten, where we were greeted with a big pizza party and lots of fun
Day 6 - Discovering Tigergarten and concluding the project
The last day was dedicated to a visit to the Tigergarten, a place that we were particularly impressed by its ability to adapt to urban spaces.
This is a network of small community gardens set in the city’s squares, easily accessible and perfectly integrated into the urban fabric. These spaces, although small in size, offer an important opportunity for the community to cultivate, socialise and practice environmental sustainability.
In the afternoon, we met again for a final debriefing, a moment of reflection and sharing of experiences. With much nostalgia, we concluded our journey and our project, taking with us new knowledge, inspiration and, above all, many friendships that we hope to meet again soon.
Vienna welcomed us warmly, teaching us how it is possible to create green spaces even in the heart of a big city, valuing the community and the environment.
Goodbye to all my new friends… see you again in Rome!
