What could be more beautiful than discovering a city from above? For us, it is always an experience to get a completely different view of a region from vantage points. The Danube Tower in Vienna is simply ideal for such a city view.
Walk through the Danube City and UNO City
We arrive at the VIC/Kaisermühle subway station and stand in the middle of one of Vienna’s newest districts. In 1996, construction began here in the former floodplain of the Danube, the Danube City. Already some years before the first buildings the UNO-City with the Vienna International Centre (VIC) were built in this area. In addition to office buildings, residential complexes are also located here. The special feature of Danube-City is that there are only a few above-ground streets here. Large parts of the area are car-free and can only be reached by cars underground.
If you wander among the buildings here you can discover some interesting skyscrapers.
Danube Tower
In the middle of the Danube Park in Vienna stands the Danube Tower. The tower was built from 1962 to 1964 and opened for the Vienna International Garden Show. Today, the popular excursion destination is one of the city’s landmarks.
The Danube Tower is 252 meters high and was Europe’s tallest reinforced concrete tower at the time of its opening. The shaft of the tower has a diameter of 12 meters at ground level and tapers to a diameter of 6.2 meters at the top (in 145 meters).
At a height of 150 meters there is a spherical equilateral triangle on which the observation platform of the Danube Tower is located. This can be reached by elevator. A staircase inside the tower still allows you to reach the higher café and restaurant.
Even from below the view to the top of the Danube Tower is impressive and after a while the neck hurts, so high you look up.
It is empty in the entrance area of the tower and so we can immediately take the elevator up. A look upwards is worthwhile, the elevator has a glass roof and it looks great when you watch the way up.
At the top, we first stand protected from the wind behind a glass window and then step out through a door onto the viewing platform. Despite sunshine (okay it was March and the sun was not yet so warm) it is quite cool here. Part of the platform is in the shade and the wind is quite fresh. But the view compensates for everything.
From up here you have a wonderful panoramic view of Vienna. If the weather is good, you can even see 80 kilometers away and even Bratislava to the east. Our view didn’t go that far this morning, but it still impressed me. We look over the beautiful Danube Park, discover the course of the Danube through the city and can take a look from above at the buildings of the Danube City.
Around the Danube Tower – the Danube Park
After our visit to the Danube Tower, we decided to take a short spring walk through the Danube Park.
The park covers 604,000 m² and was created as part of the 1964 International Garden Exhibition. The narrow-gauge railroad that transported visitors to the garden exhibition still runs through the grounds. There are playgrounds, some monuments, large meadows and flower beds, a Chinese restaurant with a Chinese garden, a large lake and many paths for an extended walk.
The Danube Park is one of the most beautiful recreational areas in the city and I think it’s worth a visit to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Address:
Danube Tower
1220 Vienna, Austria
Directions:
Metro:
U1 to Alte Donau, U6 to Neue Donau (an electric bus runs free of charge from both stations to the tower).
Bus:
20A to Donauturm
Pedestrian:
From the VIC/Kaisermühle subway station (U1), walk about 20 minutes through a small section of UNO-City and the Danube Park. The way is signposted.
Car:
There is limited parking at the tower. Public parking is available in Arbeiterstrandbadstraße.
Opening hours:
daily 10 – 24 h
last ascent 23.30
The opening hours of the restaurant and café differ slightly.
Entrance fees:
Adults: 14,50€
Discounts are offered.
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