The Docks at Alte Donau Vienna

Swimming in Manhattan

Zina from Vienna

""The Docks at Alte Donau" in Vienna are perfect for swimming in the middle of the city! Or walking around if the weather is chilly."

Before moving to Vienna, I had never experienced swimming in a river this way. I must admit I was a bit sceptical in the beginning, but soon realized it’s a perfect escape from the city – while still in the city. You hop on the metro after work, and there you are – swimming and enjoying the sun or partaking in some water sports.

There are different spots on both sides of the Danube where you can dip your toes or whole body into the water. This particular part of the Danube is called “Alte Donau”, meaning “old Danube.” It is actually a cut-off meander of the Danube, so it has no direct connection to the “New Danube.” There are the “old upper Danube” and the “old lower Danube”.

The old upper Danube has a water park, boat rentals, restaurants, and bungalows, but I find the lower old Danube more interesting. There is a pathway from the U2 metro station Donaustadtbrücke. On the right side, there are houses and on the left side the are these beautiful wooden docks. I recommend coming early or later in the afternoon to catch a nice spot. From there, you can sunbathe, jump into the water, swim, or watch the rowers from nearby rowing clubs.

The backdrop of the whole experience are the high business towers and buildings of the 22^nd district on one side, which make you feel like you are swimming in the midst of Manhattan.

Relaxing

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Vienna Spotter Zina

I am an architect by day and a theater enthusiast by night. And on the weekends, I am a translator. I don’t know how, but I still manage to have enough spare time to travel and enjoy walking my dog, going to concerts, hiking, or just exploring the city. I am from Sarajevo and moved to Vienna in 2017. I moved because of a funny feeling called “Fernweh” (wanderlust) in German. And since I used to live in Austria as a kid (during the war in ex-Yugoslavia), I already spoke German and it was familiar to me. I call my favorite hobby “free therapy” – i.e., my theater group. Whatever problems I might ...

About this spot

An der unteren Alten Donau 289

€

free

Nov 4, 2025

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