Donau / Danube, Vienna

The banks of Danube in Vienna are different from the banks of Danube in Budapest. In Vienna this river looks maybe more narrow and there are lot of beautiful bridges and canals joining two banks. Danube actually isn’t so wide here as in Budapest.

We took a boat cruise along the Danube and enjoyed watching the water levels change at the water gate.It was a fascinating experience.however the guided tour was not so impressive.The rides start from Swendenplatz. There are one hour rides as well as three hour rides.After taking the three hour ride,We realised that the one hour ride might have served the purpose as well considering the fact that you can experience the change of water levels in both the rides.

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So what's so great about the Old Danube? Well there are so many things you can do here! Cycling, swimming, walk your dog, family picnic, jogging or plain lazing around and watch the time fly. The view around is very nice & the people are friendly. There are also toilet & restaurant nearby if you feel like emptying or filling your tank. :)

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I spent a very pleasant afternoon at Donau Park.
For the price of 8,50 €, I got a combo ticket that allowed me:
*to make a lovely run with the Lilliput Bahn, which is a small red childish train that runs around the park;
*to climb the DonauTurm (Donau Tower) and to admire the panorama from high, which I enjoyed very much (although it was very windy!!);
*to make one more ride (yuppy!!) with the Lilliput Bahn at Praterstern.
Tickets can be bought at one of the three train "stations" in Donaupark.
Highly recommended, expecially for those like me who still feel children somehow...

Tip: climb the tower on a clear day, if possible, so that you can enjoy the view better. I once went on a rainy day (a decade ago) and it was nearly impossible to go on the view terrace outside...

Danube has different ambiance from the center of the city. When you sit there, you really feel yourself relaxed but of course you mustn't think about your job, your boss or your duties :)
And in addition to this, I strongly reccomend you drink Radler near the Danube River. It's a kind of beer and has sweet taste. You must try it.

And of course don't forget to take some photos near the Danube :)

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The magnificent Benedictine monastery at Melk, 80km from Vienna, is a great place to head for on a day out from Vienna. You can drive yourself or take a train, but we took the easy option of a day tour that included some time cruising the Danube - and we were glad we had. It was just so lovely relaxing on the boat as we made our way through the region known as the Wachau. Scenes of churches, villages, vineyards and castles came and went on either side of the boat as we sat in the sunshine, drank our coffee and generally eased our sight-seeing-sore feet. We passed the ruined castle of Aggstein high on a craggy hilltop, whilst further further along Schloss Schonbuhel made a dramatic picture on its rock jutting into the river before reaching Melk.

We just took a standard tour, chosen from a brochure and booked through the hotel, nothing special but relaxed and easy. I think it cost about 60 euros, with a hotel pickup (though in our case, the hotel botched that!). Lunch at Melk was at our own cost. We were taken by coach to somewhere along the river - a pretty little village where we walked down through the vines to a landing stage to begin our river cruise. We were on the boat for a couple of hours. The return to Vienna was by coach all the way, an 8 hour day by the time we finished. The guide gave a commentary as we travelled in the coach, and then left us to our own devices on the boat. At Melk we had a monastery guide to take us through. All in all, it was just a very standard tour but that was just what we wanted - a relaxing day with some sightseeing.

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North of the 18th and 19th Districts is a heavily wooded area known as the Vienna Woods. From atop Leopoldsberg, you are afforded wonderful views of the city of Vienna, the old/new Danube (or Donau), UN City as well as the surrounding countryside. History says that the city of Vienna was saved from the Turks when and army from Poland came up through the Vienna Woods and helped the Austrians push back the invaders. These days, you can drive, bike or hike to the top.

If you need to take a break from the sightseeing, Donau Insel is a nice place to go. It's the major recreation park of the Viennesse. You can rent roller blades and bikes at the north bank. You might even run into some topless sunbathers. There are also numerous restaurants and bars/pubs along the banks.

Rollerblades are 6 Euros per hour. There are lockers outside the rental facility so you can store your belongings.