The Als is the second-longest stream (the longest is the Wien River) to flow from the Wienerwald into the Danube.

The original Vororte of Hernals, Dornbach, and Neuwaldegg were annexed in 1892 and form the heart of the 17th district.

With about 59.6% of the area populated with greenery, Hernals is one of the greenest districts in Vienna, with 39.6% forest and 14% smaller gardens and meadows.

[3] Archaeological digs place the first settlements in the Hernals district in the Neolithic Era, near the Als Stream, whose waters were teaming with fish.

During the Middle Ages, the villages (Vororte) of Hernals and Dornbach were built along the Als, while Neuwaldegg was founded at the start of the Modern Era.

After World War I, the social democrats initiated the municipal construction of housing estates (Gemeindebauten) in Hernals.

The largest Gemeindebau erected between the world wars in Hernals was completed in 1929 in Wattgasse, where 294 apartments were built.

The expansion was halted due to financial pressures in the Austrian government, and the number of community apartments remained below the Vienna average at 1,467.

As a largely proletarian district, Hernals became unstable after the Schattendorf Executions, and on July 15, 1927 the police attacked 158 people in Hernalser Hauptstraße.

The end of the second World War was marked by the Soviet troops marching into Hernals on April 7, 1945.

In 1990, the border with the Währing District was moved, in the area between the streets Czartoryskigasse and Herbeckstraße, which meant a small loss of territory for Hernals.

In 1998, the border with Ottakring was moved north (in the area of Spinozagasse street between Steinmüllergasse and Rosenackerstraße).

[7] The most recent boundary change took place in 2001, in the area of Kongresspark, which since then has remained entirely in the Ottakring District.

These ratios remained steady until 1932, when the Czechs disappeared and the Christian socialists lost some of their power (fell to 17%).

The LiF (lost 0.4% and reached 1.1%),the KPÖ (stagnated at 1.4%) and the BZÖ (this time increased 0.3% points and now has 1.4%) didn't get a seat in the District Proxy of Hernals.

The lower-left part represents the town of Dornbach and displays two crossed silver keys on a golden background.

The lower-right part represents Neuwaldegg and displays a meadow with a small house, two trees, and a road, which symbolise the former residence of the governor.

Other sites worth seeing are the Jörgerbad spas and the Alszauberbrunnen (Als magic wells) with statues of the brother composers Johann and Josef Schrammel.

The "Erste Wiener Nationalarena" was started as a summer theatre in place of the Josefstädter Theater that was closed during the revolution in 1848.

[3] [4] Wiener Sport-Club's traditional home is in the Dornbach quarter; it is one of the country's oldest athletics clubs.

Furthermore, the architect Friedrich von Schmidt, figure skater Ferdinand Sauter, the entrepreneur Josef Manner also lived in Hernals.