What is there
to see?

Look at a map of Vienna and you’ll see that the Danube splits the city in two. Locals refer to everything north of the Danube as ‘Transdanubien’ and it’s here that you’ll find the Donauturm, one of the most striking features of the Vienna skyline alongside Stephansdom and the Wiener Riesenrad.

The Donauturm stands in the middle of the Donaupark and was opened in 1964 in preparation for the Vienna International Horticultural Show. The park itself is a tranquil place, where locals and tourists have been coming for decades to escape the stresses of city life. Everywhere you look is green and it’s easy to forget that you’re in the centre of a bustling city as you jog or walk along or tuck into your picnic.

At 252 m tall, you’d think the Donauturm would be hard to miss among the otherwise low-level buildings, but it’s actually surprisingly difficult to find! Once you do find it though, you won’t be disappointed! The lift propels you upwards at 6 m/s and at the top you’re treated to a wonderful view of Vienna.

Both the indoor and outdoor viewing platforms offer a stunning panoramic view over the city and its surroundings. You’re too far out of town to see right down over the rooftops of the city centre like you can from the Haus des Meeres or Stephansdom, but it’s a great vantage point if you want to get your bearings for the rest of your trip.

There’s a revolving restaurant at 170 m where diners can enjoy the ever-changing view, and also a revolving café 10 m below which is a must for anyone with a soft spot for Austrian cakes and pastries. Whichever you pick, the platform takes 26, 39 or 52 minutes to complete a full revolution. Among the casually dressed tourists, you’ll also notice plenty of smarter clientèle, as the restaurant is a popular venue for business meetings.

A trip to the Danube Tower is also very popular with locals, and for that reason alone it should definitely be on your Vienna to-do list.

Facts
and figures

Height: 252 metres (Comparison: the Eiffel Tower has a height of 324 meters)
Steps: 779
Total weight: 17,600 tonnes
Annual visitors: 400,000
Average length of visit: 108 minutes

Danube Tower
A BIT OF HISTORY

Standing an impressive 252 m tall, the Danube Tower is the tallest structure in Austria, offering 80 km panoramic views over the city of Vienna. The tower and the Donaupark which surrounds it are relatively recent additions to the city’s landscape. Both were opened in 1964 (after 18 months of construction work) in preparation for the Vienna International Horticultural Show, which saw the whole area renovated and upgraded.

In 1983, the Donauturm drew an international audience once again when Pope John Paul II visited Vienna and held a mass in front of the tower with many thousands of worshippers in attendance.
The tower has been a protected historical monument since 2001 and 100% privately owned since 2016.

In 2018, further renovation work was carried out to strengthen its position as a leisure and entertainment hub, including the addition of an outdoor dining area and coffee shop on the ground floor.