Danube Tower

The Donauturm is the tallest structure in Austria, a concrete shaft of 252 metres standing in Donaupark on the north side of the Danube, built in the sixties for a garden show. A lift reaches the open viewing platform at about a hundred and fifty metres in well under a minute, and a restaurant above it turns slowly through a full circle while you eat. The view takes in the Danube and its long artificial island, the office towers of the district next door, the flat country running east and the wooded hills on the far side of the city. The historic centre is visible from here, but small and some way off.

History

The tower was built as the attraction of the Vienna International Garden Show of 1964, paid for mostly by the Zentralsparkasse with a small share from the Schwechat brewery, and designed by Hannes Lintl and Robert Krapfenbauer. Its foundation stone was laid on 12 October 1962, and it opened on 16 April 1964, the first day of the show (Wikipedia, Donauturm).

What you'll find

• The open platform - an outdoor deck at around a hundred and fifty metres, fenced and windy, with a full circuit of the city.
• The revolving restaurant - a floor that turns through a complete rotation while you sit, above the viewing deck.
• The Danube and the island - the river, the parallel flood channel and the long strip of the Donauinsel between them.
• Donaupark - the landscaped park at the base, laid out for a garden show and still used as a local green space.

When to go

Clear days after rain or wind give the best distance, when the hills west of the city stand out sharply. Sunset is the busiest and most photographed hour, so expect a wait for the lift. Winter evenings are quiet and the lit city works well from here. The restaurant needs booking at peak times.

What to expect

The tower stands away from the historic centre, so the famous rooftops are distant rather than dominant, which disappoints people expecting a postcard. Restaurant prices are high and the food is secondary to the rotation. The platform is exposed and cold in wind. Lift queues build sharply in the hour before sunset.

Nearby

The Donauinsel and its riverside paths are minutes away, and the metro runs back to the centre in a quarter of an hour.

Key facts