New Danube Canal

The Neue Donau is a 21-kilometre-long side channel of the Danube in Vienna, running parallel to the main river. It was built in the 1970s and 1980s as part of the city’s flood defences. The channel averages 200 metres wide and holds between 330 and 420 hectares of water. Its depth varies from 1.6 to 6.5 metres, and it can carry up to 5,200 cubic metres of water per second. Unlike the main river, the Neue Donau is fed only by groundwater, giving it clearer, bluer water. The project was approved in 1970 after repeated Danube floods in 1897, 1899 and 1954. Construction took sixteen years and moved about thirty million cubic metres of earth, which was used to form the Donauinsel. The scheme was praised by UN-HABITAT as the first fully sustainable flood protection system. During the 2024 Central European floods, the system prevented major damage in Vienna. Hydrologist Günter Blöschl estimated the avoided losses far exceeded the project’s cost. Visitors find a long stretch of clean water bordered by a wide park island. Public beaches line both banks for swimming, and rowing clubs use the channel regularly. The world’s largest floating trampoline park floats on the water. Three U-Bahn stations serve the area, alongside S-Bahn, trams and buses. The clear water and green surroundings make it a popular spot for leisure all year round.