Mention old-timers and you probably think of ancient Bentleys, not armoured personnel carriers. Unless you’re at “Auf Rädern und Ketten”, an annual military old-timer show in Vienna.
- Free 3-day open-air event showcasing a wide range of historical military vehicles
- Hosted by the Museum of Military History
- Vehicles come from the in-house collection and private owners
- Plenty of side activities
- Be sure to visit the excellent museum, too
- Next dates: TBA (if it repeats)
- See also:
“On Wheels and Tracks”
“Auf Rädern und Ketten” translates broadly as “On Wheels and Tracks” and brings together dozens of historical military vehicles for public display.
The centrepiece of each day of the event is, of course, the presentation of the vehicles, which range from army motorcycles up to giant tanks. But that’s not all on offer.
The diversity of vehicles matches those of participants, dressed in historical uniforms in reconstructions of military surroundings. Pick up a few army knickknacks at a flea market or enjoy a tin of military rations barbecued meal. And if you’re off-duty, there’s usually live music on the Saturday evening.
All of this takes place on the grounds of the Heeresgeschichtliches Museum (Museum of Military History), which also supplies many of the vehicles in the show.
Should you go, the museum itself is definitely worth a visit. It has some quite remarkable exhibits, such as the coat worn by Napoleon on his way into exile or the car from the Sarajevo assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand that triggered WWI.
Dates and tickets
Dates are yet to be confirmed for the next chance to see the military old timers in action. The last event took place in early June 2019; opening times were:
- Friday: midday to 5pm
- Saturday: 9am to 9pm
- Sunday: 9am to 5pm
Presentation and parade times for wheeled vehicles at the previous event were:
- Friday, 3.30 pm
- Saturday, 11.30 am and 3.30 pm
- Sunday, 11.30 and and 2 pm
Presentation and parade times for track vehicles were:
- Friday, 2 pm
- Saturday, 10 am and 2 pm
- Sunday, 10 am and 3 pm
Entry is usually free – no ticket required.
How to get to the event
The museum is close to the largest railway station in Vienna and not far from the Belvedere complex popular with visitors. For travel tips, see the bottom of the main article on the Heeresgeschichtliches Museum.
The actual old-timer event takes place on the open area behind the museum.
Address: Arsenal, Objekt 1, Ghegastraße, 1030 Vienna | Website
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