Vienna Press Release – June 2025 Vienna and the Danube: urban leisure oases by the water

June 2025 – With "Pier 22" on the New Danube and the André Heller Park on the Old Danube, Vienna more than lives up to its reputation as a city worth living in by the water. Modern projects that combine leisure, art, and nature.

Urbane Freizeitoasen mit einem breiten kostenlosen Angebot an Liegeflächen, Badeplattformen und viel Grün sind Ergebnisse langfristiger Stadtplanung und innovativer Konzepte. Sie ergänzen Wiens vielfältiges kulturelles Sommerangebot perfekt.

Die Donau ist der zweitlängste Fluss Europas und prägt Wien wie kein anderer Strom. Sie ist Namensgeberin für den Donauwalzer von Johann Strauss, Wiens inoffizieller Hymne. Neben dem Fluss selbst gibt es den Donaukanal, die Alte Donau und die Neue Donau. Wiener:innen schätzen ihre Gewässer besonders in der Badesaison von Mai bis September und neue Projekte sorgen dafür, dass die Lebensqualität der Stadt an der Donau weiterhin hoch bleibt.

Urban leisure oases offering spacious free sunbathing areas, swimming platforms, and abundant green spaces are the result of long-term urban planning and innovative concepts. They perfectly complement Vienna’s diverse summer cultural offerings.

The Danube, Europe’s second-longest river, shapes Vienna more than any other body of water. It also inspired Johann Strauss’s Danube Waltz, which is regarded as Vienna’s unofficial anthem. In addition to the river itself, there is the Danube Canal, the Old Danube, and the New Danube. Locals especially appreciate their waterways during the swimming season from May to September, and new projects ensure that Vienna’s outstanding quality of life along the Danube remains high.

Pier 22: new leisure area on the Danube Island

The transformation of the former ‘Sunken City’ into ‘Pier 22’ is taking place in three construction phases, with the first section opening in 2024. This initial phase features accessible swimming platforms, plenty of sunbathing areas and shopping-free zones.

By summer 2025, just a few minutes from the city center and close to the U1 Donauinsel station, an expansive sports and activity landscape will be created. This will be complemented by new access points to the water and nature restoration measures. A total of 13,000 square meters of redesigned space will be available for public use. The third and final phase of construction will begin in autumn 2025. As part of this stage, the existing sports field will be equipped with a weatherproof roof, making it usable year-round. It is scheduled to open in summer 2026.

Culinary offerings

At the same time, two new dining establishments will open at the site:

starting in summer 2025, the ‘Outdoor Café’ will serve South American and Austrian specialties on a spacious terrace along the top of the embankment.
Also opening in summer 2025 is ‘Café Pier 22’, which will be open year-round and islocated directly adjacent to the multifunctional sports field from where it offers panoramic views of the New Danube. The café’s kitchen will provide a wide selection of healthy snacks such as bowls, salads, and soups, along with house-made cakes prepared fresh every day. Coffee will be sourced from the in-house RÖSTRAUM roastery.

The redesign has been carried out with careful consideration of the New Danube’s flood protection requirements. The effectiveness of this concept was demonstrated during the record flood of September 2024,when the already completed section of ‘Pier 22’ passed the stress test with flying colors.

Copa Beach

Directly opposite, Copa Beach offers another newly developed area following the same concept. With deck chairs, sand, and a shopping-free zone, it serves as Vienna’s modern urban beach. The roughly ten eateries here offer a diverse range of culinary options – from Brazilian and Mexican cuisine to Asian specialties and Greek classics. This international lineup is rounded out by high-quality cocktails and creative snacks.

New Motel One at the DC Waterfront

From autumn 2025, a new Motel One with 198 rooms will open on the DC Innovation Campus, including a spectacular rooftop terrace with views over the Danube. In addition to the hotel, approximately 1,500 m² of flexible office space, as well as dining and retail areas, will be developed.

Arena Beach and Pirate Bay

The bathing beaches along the New Danube offer both locals and visitors a unique alternative to traditional outdoor swimming pools in Vienna. Not only at the sandy beaches, but also at many spots along the shoreline, you can easily access the water for a safe swim or a refreshing splash.

New projects such as Arena Beach – a bay that derives its name from its amphitheater-like design – and Pirate Bay, a stretch of shore filled with sand, are particularly appealing to families.

André Heller Park byn the Old Danube

By fall 2025, a new art experience park will be created on the Upper Old Danube, under the artistic direction of multitalented André Heller. Spanning 28,000 m², this park will blend sculptures, sound and wind installations by international artists with natural landscaping, including 2,500 m² of perennial and shrub areas and approximately 150 newly planted trees. The concept also includes walking paths, direct access to Vienna’s cycling network, and a connection to the newly created bathing area opened in 2023.

Flood protection and refuge

More than 150 years ago, the Danube was a river with many subsidiaries, constantly carving out new paths around Vienna’s former city walls and surrounding what is now the First District. These areas that would later become the 2nd, 20th, 21st, and 22nd districts were regularly flooded. This was typical of a floodplain landscape, but unsuitable for a growing city.

The Danube was therefore canalized for the first time between 1870 and 1875. The river was channeled from the Vienna Gate in the north to the Lobau in the southeast into a straight, 280-meter-wide riverbed. However, this did not achieve the desired results. During the second phase of rerouting, from 1972 to 1987, one half of the floodplain was excavated and the material was deposited on the other half. A total of 30 million cubic meters of earth were moved. This led to the creation of the popular Danube Island. The excavated floodplain became what is known as a relief channel. This oversized emergency waterway was given the appealing name ‘New Danube’ and remains one of the most innovative flood protection measures to this day.

Addresses:

Pier 22, across from CopaBeach, New Danube, 1220 Vienna
How to get there: U1 Donauinsel Station (Donauinsel exit)
Copa Beach, Exit U1 Donauinsel Station, 1220 Vienna, www.copabeach.wien
How to get there: U1 Donauinsel station (exit Am Hubertusdamm)
Pirate Bay, Kaisermühlendamm on the New Danube, 1220 Vienna
How to get there: U2 Donaustadtbrücke station, walk along the Danube Island (approx. 700 meters)
Arena Beach, Kaisermühlenbucht, downstream from the Kaisermühlen Bridge, 1220 Vienna
How to get there: U1 Kaisermühlen VIC station, bus line 92A to Harrachgasse stop, then walk (approx. 350 meters) up the river
Motel One at the DC Innovations Campus, Donau-City-Straße 13D, 1220 Vienna, www.dc-waterline.at/dc-innovationscampus
Bank Austria Park at Mühlschüttel/Alte Donau created by André Heller, from Mühlschüttelgasse to Drygalskiweg, 1210 Vienna
How to get there: U6 or S-Bahn Floridsdorf station, bus line 33A to Theodor Körner Gasse stop