Vienna’s Donaustadt: 5 summer highlights for the whole family

Ahoy! The Schani Hotel group is growing! We are moving to the other side of the Danube River at the beginning of 2024, when we will be opening the fourth establishment in our family of hotels: Hotel Schani UNO City. So, let’s go on a voyage of discovery to our newest hangout, Vienna’s Donaustadt, taking our great summer mood with us as we explore.

Viennese charm meets international flair. The construction work at our new hotel in Vienna’s 22nd District is fully underway, and we are looking forward to what’s coming, brimming with the unflagging joy of summer. We have been exploring our new neighbourhood to fill the gap before the grand opening and soaking in everything about the Viennese summer. The following five hotspots will make you want to spend more time over the other side of the Danube. So, starboard ho!   

1. CopaBeach on the Donauinsel

Aperol spritz, cool water and that beach feeling? Sun worshippers, families, water rats and connoisseurs of good food and drink can find something for their tastes right next to the U1 subway station Donauinsel, on the Danube Island in the middle of the river. CopaBeach combines good food, relaxation, and family fun with a touch of Mediterranean flair. A real looker and just a short hop away from Vienna International Centre, also known as the UNO City.

2. Boat trip on the Old Danube

You can hire a wide range of craft – from electric boats to rowing boats or peddle boats – at the Old Danube (Alte Donau) to try out an array of different activities. How about having your own island for a couple of hours? Whatever you choose – a relaxing journey with cooling dips in the water and/or a picnic on the boat – it is the perfect free-time activity.   

3. Viennese bathing culture at Strandbad Gänsehäufel

This Vienna openair swimming pool opened in 1907 and was rebuilt and reopened in 1950, after being destroyed in World War II. Today, Vienna’s most visited openair pool boasts its own nudist area and several bathing beaches which are up to a kilometer in length and is listed as protected. It’s genuine Viennese cultural heritage and well worth a visit. Want more Gänsehäufel? #WienLiebe

4. Nature pure in the Lobau

Nature lovers seeking relaxation and recouperation can explore the Danube Floodplains National Park (or Nationalpark Donau-Auen and known locally as the “Lobau”) – one of Europe’s last intact floodplain regions and one of the most beautiful relaxation spots in Vienna. These wetlands comprise 2,300 ha for slowing down, and for quiet, relaxed summer days. Read more here.

5. Sport for all

Vienna’s wakeboard lift is right next to the New Danube or Neue Donau (U2 subway station Donaustadtbrücke) and invites the whole family to try out this sport. Or how about stand-up paddling? Paddling along the Old Danube is guaranteed sports fun during the day or a relaxing form of after-work activity. You can find out more about the SUP & Kayak Center‘s program here.   

We recommend you put your feet up and enjoy a spritzer after a day in and on the water. Next summer, we will be able to enjoy the evening in the quiet, green courtyard of our new Schani Hotel. We’ll need to wait a little until then – but anticipation is the purest form of pleasure!

PS.: Hello and welcome over the Danube. We are awaiting a new arrival in the Schani Hotel family in 2024. *Drum roll* We have created a new meeting place for people from all over the globe, close to nature, the water, and the skyscrapers of Vienna’s Donaustadt. Clear the stage for Hotel Schani UNO City. Curious? #staytune

Photos:

© WienTourismus/Paul Bauer

© WienTourismus/Christian Stemper