When the heat arrives, Vienna has an advantage many large cities do not: it sits right in the middle of a river landscape. You never have to travel far to get close to the water, and depending on what you are in the mood for, that water looks different every time.
The Donauinsel and its two faces
The Donauinsel stretches for more than twenty kilometres through the city, with sunbathing lawns, cycle paths and bathing spots right on the water. On one side lies the Neue Donau, wide, calm, made for swimming. On the other, the Alte Donau looks almost southern, with boat rentals and sailing schools, jetties children jump from, and cafés right on the shore. It is the same river, and yet the two banks feel like two different places.
For something more untouched, walk a little further out into the Donauauen. There it grows quiet, the water sits between old trees, and for a while you forget you are still within the city limits. Places like this, in the middle of a big city and yet so far from it, are not easy to come by.
My favourite tip for hot days
And then there is a place a little further uphill that on hot days I sometimes love even more than anything by the water itself: the Krapfenwaldlbad, an outdoor pool set into the slopes of the Vienna Woods, looking out over the whole city. Once you have looked down over the rooftops of Vienna from up there, while the heat shimmers below, you come back. It is no longer a secret, but that makes it no less lovely.
For those who want to make more of it
For anyone who would like to spend a whole afternoon by the water, we have put together a bike tour around the Alte Donau, with stops for swimming, refreshments and simply pausing along the way. The exact route, with all the places and times, is in our recommendation, “By Bike Around the Alte Donau”.
For me, summer in Vienna means, above all, not forgetting how close the water is, even if you live right in the middle of the city. I wish you cool hours ahead, whichever shore you choose.
Martha
