Relaxing on the Vienna Danube
Old Danube
Surrounded by gardens, lawns, restaurants with terraces on the water, promenades with pedestrian and bicycle paths, the Old Danube draws swimmers, sailors, rowers, and surfers. You can choose between the offers of three sailing and surfing schools, eleven boat hire companies and four lidos. Tip: Rent a rowing, pedal or electric boat and experience a romantic boat picnic in the moonlight (e.g. from the boat rental point in the Hofbauer Marina - open daily until midnight in good weather). Maybe you would also like to spend an afternoon at the Gänsehäufel beach facility where two kilometers of beaches, a wave pool and athletic pool, playgrounds, cafés and a nudist area promise enjoyable hours of leisure.
Additional information: Summer days on the Old Danube
Danube Island
The three day long Danube Island Festival (held annually in June) is the biggest free open air party in Europe with around 3 million visitors. Apart from that, there is a lot going on on “the island": this Viennese leisure paradise has 42 kilometers of sand, gravel and grassy beaches on the banks of the New Danube, bathing coves, places to play (ball) games, flat running and skating trails, places to hire boats, bikes and surfboards, extended nudist areas, bars, cafés and restaurants at the Copa Beach as well as the Sunken City which lies opposite.
On summers' days, up to 190,000 visitors rush to Danube Island, one of the biggest local recreation areas in Europe. The numbers are impressive: 70 hectares of fields, 180 hectares of forest and 1.8 million trees and bushes. But it's not hard to find your way around the island's twelve sections. The multifunctional information center has existed since 2010. Not only are visitors' questions answered here, but the "Island information" area also offers a water playground and changing themed exhibitions. Help is also provided by 27 clear information boards and free WiFi.
A tip for families: a 250 meter-long family bathing beach.
Danube Canal
The Danube Canal (also known as the "Little Danube") emerged from the regulation of the Danube between 1870 to 1875. It is the southernmost original arm of the Danube in Vienna, 17.3 km long in its present-day form, and flows past the Vienna Old City. You can get to know the Danube Canal on the Twin City Liner or a DDSG excursion ship, or you can partake of its ambience in one of the numerous outdoor restaurants bordering the Danube Canal.
Additional information:
Vienna by ship and boat
