Looking for something to add to your Austria travel bucket list? Check out the Danube Tower or Donauturm. The Danube Tower is not only the tallest structure in Vienna, but in the whole of Austria!
Soaring to a height of 252 meters (826 feet), this watch tower provides panoramic views of the city that stretch out in all directions.
It’s an experience that takes you higher than other popular viewpoints in the city, such as the towers of Stephansdom, the rooftop deck of the Gloriette at Schonbrunn Palace, and the balcony of Karlskirche.
Curious about the view from the Danube Tower? I’ll share it with you right now. You’ll also find some useful information, tips for visiting the Danube Tower, and more!
Good to know
If the weather is great, the Danube Tower is one of my top recommendations for wanderers looking to visit a destination outside of Vienna’s Old Town. I think it’s a great alternative to day trips from Vienna, like Melk Abbey, Salzburg, and the nearby castles of Liechtenstein, Kreuzenstein, and Laxenburg in Lower Austria.
The View
Simply, Danube Tower offers an unparalleled view that no other spot in the city can match.
View this gallery of the Danube Tower for a glimpse of the views the tower provides.
On a clear day, you can see the whole Danube basin. The view stretches far, showing the green Austrian countryside, the city of Bratislava in Slovakia, and even the Carpathian Mountains.
Worth Visiting?
While the Danube Tower offers a great view of Vienna, it might not seem as amazing if you’ve visited other Austrian cities like Salzburg and Innsbruck, which have beautiful Alpine scenery.
The views in Innsbruck and the sunrise and sunset spots in Salzburg might have set your expectations high.
But don’t worry, as you may already know, there’s more to the Danube Tower than just the view. You can enjoy both the sights and the food there. Plus, there’s a perfect spot to relax when you need a break!
Vienna is famous for its coffee culture, and at the Danube Tower’s ‘Turmcafé,’ you can enjoy this tradition. They serve traditional Viennese coffee and tasty coffeehouse treats.
Imagine sipping your special coffee while the restaurant slowly turns, giving you a changing view – doesn’t that sound amazing?
If you want a special dining experience, the Danube Tower is the place to go.
You can enjoy tasty dishes from Vienna and other regions that were once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, like Bohemia, Hungary, and Moravia. All this while enjoying the amazing views from 170 meters above the ground.
Did you know you can learn new things about Vienna at the Danube Tower?
You can find out more about the attractions you see from the tower. Just check out the interactive panorama screens on the observation deck at 150 meters. They have all the information you might need for the rest of your trip.
Before or after visiting the Danube Tower, you can explore the Danube Park.
It’s a nice, clean, and modern park right next to the tower. The park is great for walking and relaxing.
You can also take beautiful photos of the tower. Try to find an angle that frames the tower with the trees, or take a picture of the tower’s reflection in the pond for a cool shot.
Best Time to Visit
Have you decided to visit Danube Tower? Check out my two tips.
Getting to the Tower
Even though Danube Tower is outside Old Town Vienna, it is very straightforward to get to Danube Tower, especially if you have access to the Blue Line of the Vienna Sightseeing Hop-on Hop-off Bus.
The bus has a stop for the tower, which is close by.
This is the preferable way if you do not like driving or walking for several minutes, which would be the case if you used public transportation.
You can click here to learn more about the bus tour, such as how much it costs, when it runs, and where it goes.
The Hop-on Hop-off bus in Vienna is a great way to see the city, but be aware of the bus schedule when you book your ticket.
The last bus comes by around 6:00 pm (depending on the season), which might be too early if you have a dinner reservation.
Remember: the sunset in Vienna during the summer is around 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
Some tourists take the hop-on hop-off bus to the Danube Tower for dinner and then use an Uber to go back to their hotels after their visit. This is because it’s a 20-minute walk from the Danube Tower to the nearest subway station, Alte Donau station, on the U1 Line.
If you want to visit the Danube Tower in the morning, noon, or afternoon, there’s another option. You can take the U1 line to VIC/Kaisermühlen station or Alte Donau station, or take the U6 line to Neue Donau station. Then, catch the bus line 20A to Donauturm station.
Going Up the Tower
Getting to the top of the Danube Tower in Vienna is easy and straightforward.
When you enter the building, you’ll see the front desk where you can pay for your ticket. Get your skip-the-line tickets to Danube Tower here. If you have a Vienna Pass, you don’t need to pay, but you still need to get the barcodes from the front desk.
The barcodes will grant you access to the turnstiles, which are close to the elevator. For a more comfortable visit, you can store your bags in the lockers of the Danube Tower. They only cost 1 Euro to rent.
You might have to wait a little bit during the peak season, since there are only two elevators that go up and down the tower. But don’t worry, they’re super fast.
You can see where the elevators are on the screens next to the elevator doors. The elevator has a glass ceiling, so you can watch how quickly it zooms up the tower. It only takes 35 seconds to get to the middle floor or the observation deck, the last time I checked.
Visiting Information
If you are planning to visit the Danube Tower, you should know the following information before you go.
Here’s where you can check the current price of the skip-the-line entrance ticket to the Danube Tower.
Please don’t forget to check the official website of Danube Tower for the latest news and announcements, linked at the resources section of this post.
- The Viewing Platform of Danube Tower is open from Monday to Sunday, from 10:00 am to 10:30 pm The last ascent is at 9:45 pm and the last descent is at 10:15 pm
- The Restaurant is closed on Monday and Tuesday, but open from Wednesday to Sunday and on public holidays. You can have lunch from 11:30 am to 4:00 pm or dinner from 6:00 pm to 10:15 pm. You need to make a reservation for lunch or dinner, and choose from the following time slots:
- Lunch: 11:30 am to 1:30 pm or 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
- Dinner: 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
- The Café is open from Monday to Friday, from 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., and from Saturday to Sunday and on public holidays, from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and from 2:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. You can enjoy a coffeehouse service with cakes, pastries, snacks, and beverages, or a brunch on weekends and holidays.
Spending time in the Danube Tower is pretty straightforward: all you have to do is get there, ascend, admire the scenery, and maybe treat yourself to a meal or a drink.
The observation deck alone won’t take more than an hour of your time, but if you also want to eat or drink at the tower’s restaurant, you’ll need about two hours.
Don’t forget to factor in some extra time for queueing, checking out the telescopes and information screens on the observation deck, and snapping some photos.
Resources
Are you ready to experience the Danube Tower for yourself? I hope this mini guide has given you a glimpse of the Danube Tower and its attractions. For more information, please check out the links below
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