Vienna Hostel Ruthensteiner
Vienna's legendary social hostel with a garden courtyard, BBQ nights, and 55+ years of backpacker history.
A Vienna institution since 1968, Ruthensteiner has the garden courtyard, BBQ nights, live music, stand-up comedy, and a shared kitchen that make it the social heart of Vienna's hostel scene. Five minutes from Westbahnhof, well-connected to everything.
Ruthensteiner has been hosting backpackers since 1968, and it shows — not in a tired way, but in the kind of institutional knowledge that only comes from decades of doing this. The garden courtyard is the centerpiece: BBQ nights, live music sessions, happy hours, and the kind of atmosphere where strangers become travel friends over a €3 beer.
The shared kitchen is one of the best-equipped in any European hostel. Real pots, sharp knives, enough fridge space. Combined with the fact that you're a 5-minute walk from Westbahnhof and its surrounding Turkish grocers, self-catering here actually works.
Beyond the social scene, Ruthensteiner runs stand-up comedy nights, themed dinners, bike tours, and walking tours — all organized in-house, not outsourced. The staff genuinely know Vienna and will steer you away from tourist traps toward real Heurigen wine taverns and Beisl restaurants. The location in the 15th district isn't glamorous, but Westbahnhof station means you're 2 U-Bahn stops from Stephansplatz.
- 01Garden courtyard with BBQ, live music, and happy hours — the social heart of Vienna hostelling.
- 02Best shared kitchen in Vienna — properly equipped, enough fridge space, actually usable.
- 03Stand-up comedy, themed dinners, bike tours all run in-house by knowledgeable staff.
- 048.9 rating from 2,800+ reviews — consistently excellent across years.
- 05€22/night base price — outstanding value for what you get.
- Garden courtyard with BBQ and live music nights
- Stand-up comedy, themed dinners, and walking tours
- Fully equipped shared kitchen — rare quality for Vienna
- 5 min from Westbahnhof — trains to Schönbrunn, airport, everywhere
“Great hostel, super clean. Nice evening activities, beers and food. The garden area is fantastic for meeting other travelers.”
“We got an upgrade for an apartment which was great, spacious, comfortable and had everything we needed. Clean and very convenient for getting around the city.”
“Very well localized, the bathrooms were clean, had several games to be played. The kitchen is excellent and the garden courtyard is the best part.”
- Westbahnhof station5 min walk
- Mariahilfer Straße10 min walk
- Schönbrunn Palace15 min by U-Bahn
- Raimund Theater3 min walk
- Turkish grocers (Brunnenmarkt area)10 min walk
- Stephansplatz (city center)2 stops by U3
