5 ms·

Vienna is very swimmable. Not right now, because its cold and rainy, but on a hot summer day thousands of people gather and swim in the Danube every single day.

Vienna is very swimmable. Not right now, because its cold and rainy, but on a hot summer day thousands of people gather and swim in the Danube every single day. It's amazing, the water is relatively clean, small fishes inside, its a joy for children and adults alike.

jahnu 2y ago
Would be nice to get the canal swimmable too. And enough water in the Wien to even contemplate it :D
- phaer 2y ago
  You can swim there if you want! there's a picture with ppl swimming in Viennas canal (Donaukanal) on the website and there's a whole association around it which claims 300+ members: https://schwimmvereindonaukanal.org/ https://schwimmvereindonaukanal.org/. That being said, Donauinsel is still quite close to the center and I personally prefer the relative quietness and greenery around there to swimming in the canal.
  - jahnu 2y ago
    Ok I didn’t mean that much water! https://bsky.app/profile/jamestheswift.bsky.social/post/3l47hgaus3z2m https://bsky.app/profile/jamestheswift.bsky.social/post/3l47...
  - welder 2y ago
    It's not so safe.. boats and currents. I prefer swimming in the pool that's floating on the canal: https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAb0gXufXx https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAb0gXufXx
    - phaer 2y ago
      I suppose it's less safe then a pool, but I don't think there's more current compared to the Danube and there are boats there as well.
      - welder 2y ago
        Yea, Alte and Neu Donau are safe but Donau and Kanal... I see people do it with a balloon strapped to their waist for visibility to boats, but I wouldn't do it. Those pontoon ferry boats travel over 30 km/h on the Kanal.
  - jahnu 2y ago
    Hah! I never knew that and so far only ever seen drunk people in there.
- nenad 2y ago
  Schwimm Verein Donaukanal (Swim Club Danube Canal) is one of the signatories of the Swimmable Cities movement. According to their FAQ it is very much possible to swim in the canal under certains conditions that they mention as well. https://schwimmvereindonaukanal.org/FAQ-en-1 https://schwimmvereindonaukanal.org/FAQ-en-1
  - The_Colonel 2y ago
    Yeah, but I see plenty of potential for improvement to make it more accessible. Start with the information, even many Viennese I've met don't know swimming in the canal is allowed. Putting up some signposts at places suitable for swimming would be great.
    - jahnu 2y ago
      I would bet most have no idea.
welder 2y ago
Vienna swimming is amazing. I was just swimming in Vienna Alte Donau a few days ago, before it started raining. Because the Donau and Donau-insel are so long, you have many different ways to swim: - swimming docks (alte donau) https://www.instagram.com/p/C_qMA8loXMv https://www.instagram.com/p/C_qMA8loXMv - artificial beaches (CopaBeach) - natural swimming (Neu Donau / Donau Insel) https://photos.app.goo.gl/d5iGqKP8uAjyYY81A https://photos.app.goo.gl/d5iGqKP8uAjyYY81A - Strandbad Angelibad for a roped off swim area with food and playgrounds - Alte Hafenschenke where you swim on a tributary to the Donau - swimming in a pool on a hill with a view of the city (Krapfenwaldlbad) - swimming in a pool floating on the canal https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAb0gXufXx https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAb0gXufXx - public pools cost only a few euros and have restaurants, slides, grass for picnics, sunbathing rooms (big rooms with no roof) https://www.heldenderfreizeit.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/freibad-aufmacher-1200-1200x800_c.jpg https://www.heldenderfreizeit.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07... You've also got Sausalito-style restaurants on the water all along the river: https://www.instagram.com/p/C_P5_NAodqb https://www.instagram.com/p/C_P5_NAodqb
- tomw1808 2y ago
  I usually went with the kids to Angelibad before, I really like the vibe and they love the ice cream, playground and kids pool. Now they're getting older, so we're either directly go somewhere to the Donau or hang out in one of the other baths like Strandbad Alte Donau or further down. I normally don't like sweetwater for swimming and stayed away from the Danube for years. I was expecting the muddy smell and all, but this one's really great - I should've tried it earlier.
johnofthesea 2y ago
Also bit further down in Bratislava (even with decreased quality from Morava tributary). Especially gravel beaches near Hainburg (which is technically not Bratislava) or on the other side between Devin and Karlova ves.
Cthulhu_ 2y ago
I was in Novi Sad for work a few years ago, they've got a walkable boulevard, artificial beaches and beach clubs set up along the Danube, it looked really nice.

jahnu 2y ago

Would be nice to get the canal swimmable too. And enough water in the Wien to even contemplate it :D

phaer 2y ago
You can swim there if you want! there's a picture with ppl swimming in Viennas canal (Donaukanal) on the website and there's a whole association around it which claims 300+ members: https://schwimmvereindonaukanal.org/ https://schwimmvereindonaukanal.org/. That being said, Donauinsel is still quite close to the center and I personally prefer the relative quietness and greenery around there to swimming in the canal.
- jahnu 2y ago
  Ok I didn’t mean that much water! https://bsky.app/profile/jamestheswift.bsky.social/post/3l47hgaus3z2m https://bsky.app/profile/jamestheswift.bsky.social/post/3l47...
- welder 2y ago
  It's not so safe.. boats and currents. I prefer swimming in the pool that's floating on the canal: https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAb0gXufXx https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAb0gXufXx
  - phaer 2y ago
    I suppose it's less safe then a pool, but I don't think there's more current compared to the Danube and there are boats there as well.
    - welder 2y ago
      Yea, Alte and Neu Donau are safe but Donau and Kanal... I see people do it with a balloon strapped to their waist for visibility to boats, but I wouldn't do it. Those pontoon ferry boats travel over 30 km/h on the Kanal.
- jahnu 2y ago
  Hah! I never knew that and so far only ever seen drunk people in there.
nenad 2y ago
Schwimm Verein Donaukanal (Swim Club Danube Canal) is one of the signatories of the Swimmable Cities movement. According to their FAQ it is very much possible to swim in the canal under certains conditions that they mention as well. https://schwimmvereindonaukanal.org/FAQ-en-1 https://schwimmvereindonaukanal.org/FAQ-en-1
- The_Colonel 2y ago
  Yeah, but I see plenty of potential for improvement to make it more accessible. Start with the information, even many Viennese I've met don't know swimming in the canal is allowed. Putting up some signposts at places suitable for swimming would be great.
  - jahnu 2y ago
    I would bet most have no idea.

welder 2y ago

Vienna swimming is amazing. I was just swimming in Vienna Alte Donau a few days ago, before it started raining. Because the Donau and Donau-insel are so long, you have many different ways to swim: - swimming docks (alte donau) https://www.instagram.com/p/C_qMA8loXMv https://www.instagram.com/p/C_qMA8loXMv - artificial beaches (CopaBeach) - natural swimming (Neu Donau / Donau Insel) https://photos.app.goo.gl/d5iGqKP8uAjyYY81A https://photos.app.goo.gl/d5iGqKP8uAjyYY81A - Strandbad Angelibad for a roped off swim area with food and playgrounds - Alte Hafenschenke where you swim on a tributary to the Donau - swimming in a pool on a hill with a view of the city (Krapfenwaldlbad) - swimming in a pool floating on the canal https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAb0gXufXx https://www.instagram.com/p/CiAb0gXufXx - public pools cost only a few euros and have restaurants, slides, grass for picnics, sunbathing rooms (big rooms with no roof) https://www.heldenderfreizeit.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/freibad-aufmacher-1200-1200x800_c.jpg https://www.heldenderfreizeit.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07... You've also got Sausalito-style restaurants on the water all along the river: https://www.instagram.com/p/C_P5_NAodqb https://www.instagram.com/p/C_P5_NAodqb

tomw1808 2y ago
I usually went with the kids to Angelibad before, I really like the vibe and they love the ice cream, playground and kids pool. Now they're getting older, so we're either directly go somewhere to the Donau or hang out in one of the other baths like Strandbad Alte Donau or further down. I normally don't like sweetwater for swimming and stayed away from the Danube for years. I was expecting the muddy smell and all, but this one's really great - I should've tried it earlier.

johnofthesea 2y ago

Also bit further down in Bratislava (even with decreased quality from Morava tributary). Especially gravel beaches near Hainburg (which is technically not Bratislava) or on the other side between Devin and Karlova ves.

Cthulhu_ 2y ago

I was in Novi Sad for work a few years ago, they've got a walkable boulevard, artificial beaches and beach clubs set up along the Danube, it looked really nice.