Smiling girls enjoying a drink in the green garden oasis at Hostel Ruthensteiner in Vienna.

Come In and Enjoy!

Looking for an artsy, sustainable, and friendly place to stay? Hostel Ruthensteiner is the perfect choice for you. Handmade with lots of love and honored as Europe’s best hostel 2024 by Hostelworld, we have been providing travelers with a place to meet, kick back, and enjoy since 1968.

Find out what our guests say
Group of girls having breakfast together in the common area of Hostel Ruthensteiner.
Two people toasting with wine at a cozy kitchen counter.

Make new friends

Musicians love our instruments, Digital nomads our speedy WiFi, and we love meeting all of them in our social areas!

Two people examining a map together outdoors.

52 years of History

The authentic place for young hearts of all ages and cultures was founded by two free spirits in the year of love.

Illustration of two people hugging, forming a tree.

Sustainable

Organic Food, Local Drinks, Vegan healthy options, renewable energy, clothes swap & a fun, fair workplace atmosphere.

Our Rooms

Bright modern bedroom with blue accent wall and kitchenette.

Apartments

Nice, bright studio apartments for 2-3 persons or a place for up to 6 people groups with access to our shared green courtyard. Environmentally friendly with solar hot water, recycling etc.

Single Private shared room with drawer as desk design wall

Private Rooms

Want to stay private? Our cozy private rooms provide everything you need! HighSpeed WiFi in the room. Towels are included, as well as complimentary soap and shampoo.

Hostel room with bunk beds and wall art.

Dorms

Don’t mind roomies? Book a bed in one of our dorms. Your bed comes equipped with its own reading light, power point, and private locker. Enjoy the HighSpeed WiFi in the room.

Things we offer

Activities

Organic Breakfast
glutenfree

Hostel Spirit

Laundromat, dryer, iron

Two musicians playing guitar and flute, abstract illustration.

Instruments
for jamming

Dinner, Cooking

Free bike rental

Lockers

Breakfast, Food & Cooking

Delights & culinary superpowers

Start you day in style! Our breakfast options make for a symphony of flavors that will make your mornings sing!
We’re talking delicious vegan waffles, sporty yogurt variations and hangover-proof ham & eggs.

Tease your taste buds

Cook up a storm!

But wait, there’s more! For the culinary daredevils among us, our guest kitchen is a playground for your culinary creativity, where you can craft mouthwatering masterpieces, present your local cousine and share with others in our cozy dining room or under the plants in the garden.

Our kitchen has 2 fridges, 2 stoves, a microwave, free spices and other basics like oil&vinegar, a “free food” section where guests can leave what they didn’t use, all kinds of pots and pans, dishes & cutlery and much more.

Friends laughing and cooking together in guest kitchen.

Arts & Music

We’re Vienna’s true Art & Music Hostel.
Vienna is a city full of amazing art history. In our hostel you do not even have to go out – there is art everywhere in our house.
There is a Schiele Room with handdrawn pieces by Sonja Stangl, A Mozart Room with modern graphics by Mathias Doblhammer, all former staff members or friends.

From the austrian masterpieces of Schiele, Dürer and Klimt to the vibrant world of modern street art, this city has been a haven for artistic expression throughout the ages. We are all artists ourselves, be it painters, writers, musicians, and some of the former staff that are now fully endowed artists have left their pieces all over the Hostel.

Whether you’re a musician or simply someone who appreciates good tunes, we invite you to join us and have a great time. If you’re a musician, our hostel is the perfect place for you to showcase your talent and perform a concert.

We also welcome artists of all kinds to exhibit their paintings and other artwork. Feel free to reach out to us if you’re interested in playing a concert or displaying your art at our hostel.

More about art & music at the Hostel
Friends laughing in cozy cafe bar atmosphere.

Community & Activities

Something that makes our Hostel so special is the great international atmosphere! For us there is no better place in Vienna to make new friends from everywhere in the world.

A big part of that is that we are really a community of colorful people just like you and always happy to help with our views of the city, talk about our own travel experiences, listen to yours and philosophize about the world and all.

Activities & More

Our lush, beautiful gardens invite you to take some time off from the hustling & bustling. Get a fresh, cool drink from the bar or a hot drink from the reception and take it easy! Have your food from the kitchen next door, challenge someone to a game of chess or play one of our board games.

The Bar, the guest kitchen, the lush gardens and even the laundry … This is where it’s happening – all the time.

More on our Common Areas
Laughing backpackers men hugging in lush hostel courtyard

Location & Vienna

We are just a short 5-minute walk away from the Westbahnhof train station, ideally located between the city center and the Schönbrunn Palace in a quiet little side street.

Vienna’s fabulous public transport system is just a few minutes’ walk away, providing you with a world of options to explore. As you stroll along the bustling walking area close by or ride it on one of our rental bikes, time will fly by, leading you effortlessly to the historic city center.

Travelers consulting a city map together outdoors.

Vienna – a glittering gem in the heart of Europe, a city full of history, art, music, and architecture. It is also a city full of life. Some decades ago Vienna could have been described as quaint and maybe a bit stiff, and while it retains a certain feeling of slowness and continuity, the influx of newcomers and general multiculturization have made it into the thriving and colorful place it is today. Vienna is an urban oasis, full of parks and beautiful buildings old and new – in fact, year after year, Vienna has been ranked the most livable city in the world.

Explore the hood

The hostel at one glance

Work & Travel

A way to join our community

Would you like to spend time in Vienna and make friends from around the world? Join our working traveler team, stay at the hostel, and gain valuable experience as a hostel worker.

By becoming a part of our W&T team, you can deepdive into the vibrant culture of Vienna while making lasting connections with people from diverse backgrounds. Stay at our welcoming hostel, which provides a comfortable and friendly environment for travelers from all walks of life.

Learn more and apply now

What's going on?

Last year, @giorgia.brasil sent this exact voice message to our boss, @i_on_this_dot_called_earth 

A few weeks later, @isabelle.anahata arrived with brushes, colors, and a vision. She transformed a blank corridor into living, breathing art.

Now, that wall is more than decoration — it’s a reminder that @viennahostel is a place that listens, embraces creativity, and believes that people (and spaces) are meant to be full of life.

Thanks Giorgia. Thanks Isabel. And thanks Stefan, for bringing this to life. 🙌🌿🌈

#art
#balance
#hostellife

Last year, @giorgia.brasil sent this exact voice message to our boss, @i_on_this_dot_called_earth

A few weeks later, @isabelle.anahata arrived with brushes, colors, and a vision. She transformed a blank corridor into living, breathing art.

Now, that wall is more than decoration — it’s a reminder that @viennahostel is a place that listens, embraces creativity, and believes that people (and spaces) are meant to be full of life.

Thanks Giorgia. Thanks Isabel. And thanks Stefan, for bringing this to life. 🙌🌿🌈

#art
#balance
#hostellife
...

51 2
Coffee in one hand, check-in list in the other, and about 10 languages flying past your desk before noon: 
🫰Life as a receptionist at a the hostel.🫰

#hostel #reception #travelers

Coffee in one hand, check-in list in the other, and about 10 languages flying past your desk before noon:
🫰Life as a receptionist at a the hostel.🫰

#hostel #reception #travelers
...

69 1
Our clothes swap is where travelers get unexpected upgrades, and every piece has a story. 👕♻️ Take what you need, leave what you don’t 😉🌍

#hostel #vienna #hostel #travel #backpacking

Our clothes swap is where travelers get unexpected upgrades, and every piece has a story. 👕♻️ Take what you need, leave what you don’t 😉🌍

#hostel #vienna #hostel #travel #backpacking
...

54 0
This crew is taking on the world - one hostel and one city at a time 🌍✨Isn’t it inspiring?

#travelers #backpack #europe #vienna #Austria #hostel

This crew is taking on the world - one hostel and one city at a time 🌍✨Isn’t it inspiring?

#travelers #backpack #europe #vienna #Austria #hostel
...

43 0
Fluffy, homemade, and made with love—just how breakfast should be. 🥞✨ Mornings at @viennahostel taste this good!

#pancakes #breakfast #hostel #vienna

Fluffy, homemade, and made with love—just how breakfast should be. 🥞✨ Mornings at @viennahostel taste this good!

#pancakes #breakfast #hostel #vienna
...

48 0