Top 5 swimming spots in Vienna

Every season in Vienna has its perks. Although the city in the summer tends to be emptier than usual due to the hot days and the fact that Viennese leave the town for the holidays, there are many things to do in the city. In this article, I will give you an overview of the top 5 swimming spots in Vienna, where you can cool down in the hot summer day.

1. The city swimming pools

Vienna doesn’t lack in the swimming pools. There are over 50 different swimming pools all over the city. Most of them are public and operated by the city. With the fair entrance fee of around 30€ for one month, they are frequently visited by the locals. Many of them are placed in beautiful spots. Two are located in the hills at the outskirts of the city, directly in the Vienna Forest, with the breathtaking views of the entire city. There is even a swimming pool at the Danube Channel located on the barge directly in the city center. Also, if you are in a mood to swim in the garden of one of Europe's most beautiful Baroque complexes, the Schönbrunn Palace, you can do that as well. A visit to Europe's largest city spa - Therme Wien can also make your life enjoyable in every season, but especially in summer, due to a vast outdoor area.

2. The Vienna's Seaside - New Danube

The New Danube (or Neue Donau in German) is a side, human-made channel of the mighty river Danube. It was built to provide flood relief by containing excess water from the river Danube. Although developed for different purposes, this still body of water transforms into Vienna’s Sea in the summer. The entire length of the channel, which is 21km long, becomes one long beach and there’s plenty of space to find your perfect spot. There are many restaurants, cafes, ice cream stands, and chill-out areas with lounge music along the shores. Because the traffic with motorboats is forbidden, the waters of the channel are safe and perfect for swimming and also used for different water sports. Most of the time, the water of the New Danube is clean and calm.

Neue Donau - New Danube

Neue Donau, 1210 Wien, Austria

3. Top of the tops – the Old Danube

The Alte Donau, translated in English to the Old Danube, is a natural remnant of what the Danube used to be before humans have rectified the river into its current shape. This formerly main arm of the river lies directly next to the Danube and the New Danube but doesn't have a direct connection with either of them. It is the popular bathing area in Vienna, probably due to the excellent subway connection with the city center and very warm water.  Several very popular public beach baths can be found on the shores. The Alte Donau is probably Vienna’s first address for water sports of all kinds. Sailing is very popular here, as well as surfing, rowing, swimming, and, in winter when it gets cold enough that the water freezes, you can even go ice skating here.

Alte Donau - Old Danube

Fischerstrand 21, 1220 Wien, Austria

4. The ultimate freedom – naked swimming

There are lots of people that enjoy nothing more than relaxing on idyllic nudist beaches in summer. They describe it as the ultimate feeling of freedom to enjoy the sun on the bare skin and to bathe in their birthday suit. In Vienna, there are more naturist areas, but the largest and the most visited one is on the Danube Island, which is located between the Danube and the Neue Donau. An evergreen of the Viennese nude bathing areas is the Lobau. However, in Vienna, there are also indoor swimming pools for naturists such as the one in the 14th district at the swimming pool at the Sargfabrik area.

Lobau, Vienna

5GFW+R9 Vienna, Austria

5. The Caribbean of Vienna

The newest addition to Vienna’s summer escape repertoire is the artificial lake Aspern in Seestadt. The Seestadt is a new housing development, located at the far outskirts of Vienna, in the middle of nowhere, surrounded with the fields of the Pannonian Plain, but with a good metro connection. The lake itself is not that big, but it has beautiful white beaches.  Due to the white beaches, clear and turquoise water, it is sometimes called the Caribbean of Vienna. The shade is limited, but it is never overcrowded.  

Aspern Lake, Vienna

6GH4+6H Vienna, Austria

If you find yourself in Vienna during the hot summer days, the best thing to do is to find a place to swim and to cool down. Hopefully, this overview of the top 5 swimming spots in Vienna will help you.