Vienna: 1 capital city, 4 Danubes
Above/featured: Southeast view from Leopoldsberg in the city’s 19th district. Visible are the waters of the Old Danube, New Danube, Danube, and the Danube Canal. Photo, 1 Jun 2022 (X70).
Vienna loves the Danube so much that the city now has four water features with the label “Donau”.
All of it is thanks to the regulation of the Danube river after the city of Vienna and the surrounding region had to put up with frequent flooding. Vienna embarked on works of flood-control engineering in two major periods of construction: 1870 to 1875, and 1972 to 1988.
Once a former arm of the river, the Old Danube is now a crescent-shaped lake that’s been cutoff by “linearization” and straightening of the Danube. A former natural arm of the river, the Danube Canal was regulated for the first time around 1600. Most visitors will encounter the Danube Canal which is best integrated with the city with the appearance of multiple road and rail crossings and the canal’s reach with 7 of the 23 city’s districts. The Danube river proper was completely regulated and straightened during the second engineering period, which also saw construction of the New Danube as a secondary flood channel in parallel with the primary river.
4 water features labelled ‘Danube’
- Alte Donau (Old Danube)
- Donau (Danube)
- Donaukanal (Danube Canal)
- Neue Donau (New Danube)
1. Alte Donau (Old Danube)
Early-morning kayaks at the southeast corner of Untere Alte Donau in the 22nd district. Photo, 7 Jun 2022 (X70).
Mühlschüttel area, Obere Alte Donau in the 21st district. Photo, 31 May 2023 (X70).
Mühlschüttel area, Obere Alte Donau in the 21st district. Photo, 31 May 2023 (X70).
2. Donau (Danube)
Northwest-facing view over the Danube river, from Reichsbrücke bridge in the 22nd district. Photo, 4 Jun 2022.
Southeast-facing view at dusk from Brigittenauer Sporn (Nussdorfer Spitz) in the 20th district. Photo, 11 Jun 2022 (X70).
Northwest-facing view from Praterkai station in the 2nd district. Photo, 12 Jun 2023 (X70).
3. Donaukanal (Danube Canal)
Where Vienna river meets the Danube: Urania (1910), Aspernbrücke (Aspern Bridge, 1951), and Uniqa Tower (2005). Photo, 18 May 2018 (6D1).
On the Salztorbrücke bridge in the 2nd district, facing northwest over the Danube canal. At left is the Ringturm which in 1955 became the 2nd skyscraper constructed in the city’s history. Photo, 31 May 2022 (X70).
On the Schemerlbrücke bridge in the 20th district, facing northwest in fading dusk light. In the background is the opening of the Danube canal from the Danube river proper. Photo at dusk, 11 Jun 2022 (X70).
4. Neue Donau (New Danube)
On the Jedlesee Bridge in the 21st district, facing northwest over the New Danube. Photo, 4 Jun 2022 (X70).
Facing northwest from Reichsbrücke; Donauinsel, Ponte Cagrana, and CopaBeach are left, centre, and right, respectively. Photo, 4 Jun 2022 (X70).
At Kleinwasserkraftwerk Wehr 1 (small hydroelectric plant) in the 22nd district, facing northwest over the New Danube. Photo, 7 Jun 2022 (X70).
I made all images above in the summers of 2018, 2022, and 2023 with a Canon EOS6D mark1 (6D1) and Fujifilm X70 fixed-lens prime (X70). This video provided the spark for the present description. This post appears on Fotoeins Fotografie at fotoeins DOT com as https://wp.me/p1BIdT-mQV. Last edit: 24 Feb 2026.
Fotoeins Fotografie 
8 Responses to “Vienna: 1 capital city, 4 Danubes”
[…] green city, on foot or by bike; northwest view over the New Danube in the city’s 21st […]
LikeLike
[…] colour and design is all over a landmark that’s visible from around the city (e.g., Leopoldsberg). The city constructed a district heating facility in Spittelau in 1969. After fire destroyed much […]
LikeLike
[…] the Austrian capital city of Vienna, multiple water features have the label “Danube” (Donau). For the northwest-view in the image above, the Vienna river from the left empties into the Danube […]
LikeLike
[…] the Austrian capital city of Vienna, multiple water features have the label “Danube” (Donau). Warm sunny weather brings residents out to the water, and this section of the Old Danube (Alte […]
LikeLike
[…] the Austrian capital city of Vienna, multiple water features have the label “Danube” (Donau). The northeast part of the Leopoldstadt becomes an interesting mix of new residential blocks, light […]
LikeLike
[…] the Austrian capital city of Vienna, multiple water features have the label “Danube” (Donau). Leisure activities are high on people’s minds on a day like this, with this northwest facing […]
LikeLike
[…] The summer heat is back, but a strong breeze all day has helped with comfort levels. With the U2, I made my way to the east end of the Austrian capital city for these scenic views over the New Danube, within an hour from sunset. (In Vienna, there are 4 water features named “Danube.”) […]
LikeLike
[…] The Danube river itself isn’t blue and more like a murky brownish-green from all that silt and mud content, but on a summer morning, I’ve gone up into the foothills and vineyards for an obstructed view that includes plenty of greens and blues. Throughout the city are views of four water bodies with the name Danube. […]
LikeLike