The 7 absolutely awesome things you can do on the Danube river in Vienna

We’re sure you’ve seen a lot of hip humans standing up on surfboards and paddling up and down the Danube (how do they always manage to position themselves just right on the horizon at sunset to looks so graceful?). You can be doing the same if you give a place called Flotus a visit.

This place stocks all the kinds of SUP boards you can think of, and they’re also hosting regular SUP yoga classes, along with regular Stand Up paddling classes.

They also have a bunch of inflated kayaks they’re renting out as well and you can go ahead and try doing some yoga on that, too, if you like. The worst that can happen is you end up falling into the river in your best downward dog pose.

After you’ve paddled yourself into a state that’s ready for a drink and some lying in the sun, you can collapse in one of their waterside lounge chairs.

Good to know… Flotus has two locations – one at Arbeiterstrandbadstraße and one along the Laberlweg. The Arbeiterstrandbad location has a larger variety of boards.  You don’t need to book anything in advance as they’ve got plenty of boards there and they operate on a first-come, first-serve basis. They will, however, ask you for an ID and a deposit, though.

The river hosts several places renting out a variety of boats.

In the area known as the Sunken City, you’ll find Booteria, which hosts a flotilla of pedal boats for those looking to train their calves and electric boats for those who are more about the floating and drinking part of the activity.

Meanwhile, close to the Kagraner bridge (close to the Alte Donau U-Bahn station) there are around four boat rentals places located very close to each other.

There’s Eppel, for example, which also hosts a bar, so you grab a few drinks to take on the boat with you.

If you’re not a lazy piece of meat like we are who would always go the electric boat that you can hire here, you can rent a rowboat.  Most of the places also rent ye’ ol’ favourite pedal boats, because one should never skip leg day.

OK, so pulling off the rich mofo look (a polo top with the collar up and a captains hat is recommended) is up to you, while the sailing can be taken care of by the crowd at the Sailing and Surf school Irzl. 

This is a legit sailing and surf school and the family-run business has been around since 1898 to be exact. Yep, this means you don’t have to go all the way to Greece to learn how to sail.

Irzl offers courses for beginners and the more experienced amongst us, and can supply you with the license you need to sail legally anywhere you want in the world. Well, you’ve got to pass their test though. If you’re already a pro, you can also rent their sailing boats (for around 24 € per hour).

Good to know… Every Monday during the season (from late May to early September), they’re hosting a sailing school regatta.

The crowd at Meine Insel has taken ‘boating’ to a whole new level of chill (and novelty) on the Danube river.

Their fleet of boats include a stylish ride in the form of a unicorn boat, a paper boat (which looks like a paper boat, yet is absolutely made of materials that float, and a ‘Meine Insel’ boat that is exactly what its name says it to be – an island, decked out with a lounge and a few plants. They also have a sofa boat, which equals the ‘Meine Insel’ boat in being the ultimate kind of floating platform for a party with mates, or a romantic scmhusen boat for you and…well, whoever you want to Schmus (wait, is that a word?) with.

What we also found very cool is that some of the boats are also accessible by wheelchair.

Chilling on the Danube with a floating sofa, unicorn, or island – now that’s a real flex!

This place is located right next to the Flotus SUP place at Arbeiterstrandbadstraße 87b.

They also have a cooperation with the restaurant, Schinakl, which sees a bunch of chilled people floating out on the river with not only a bucket of cold drinks, but also a spread of the tasty Austrian food being served up by this restaurant.

Good to know… they’re also hosting a bunch of floating concerts this summer. Check out their website to make a reservation.

Say whaaaat, there is a Wakeboardlift and cable park in Vienna? Yep, there certainly is and it goes by the creative name Wake_Up. 

If you’re a pro wakeboarder, then you most probably already know of this place and we need say no more. However, if you’re new to this water sport that is 80% doing awesome tricks on the water while strapped to a board and being pulled along by a cable, and 20% looking f*** awesome while doing it, you should definetely consider boarding up.

Everybody over the age of 8 is allowed to ride, but we do recommend getting a lesson before slapping on a helmet and jumping in. 

Be sure to book your slot under office@wakeboardlift.at, or give them a call at +43 676 518 27 11.

You can also enjoy the beautiful view over the Danube while slurping at a cold drink while watching others pull off tricks from the Wake_Up restaurant slash beach bar.

Good to know… You can also book your spot at the lift for a whole season or come with a group!

Given the name, we bet you’re not surprised that the affectionately named (by those who frequent it) VCBC is actually located on an artificial beach set on the shores of the Danube.

Most know this location for the parties they’ve got happening most days of the week throughout summer, however, they’ve also got a beach volleyball court and a center, known as the Sup and Kayak center, hiring out Stand Up Paddle Boards and (yep, you guessed it) Kayaks.

The offerings they’ve got for some water sport fun and games is vast  – they’ve got tandem SUP boards, and also XXL SUP boards that can fit up to 6 people!

They’ve also got a range of kayaks on offer, from boats you can navigate yourself to ones that are made for paddling in sync with somebody you enjoy spending your time with 🙂

There is a second Sup and Kayak center location set up directly in the Gänsehäufel.

Both locations also host regularly SUP Yoga (yep, that’s doing yoga on a big-ass surfboard) and SUP courses. You can book your board or kayak online, or just take the chance and turn up spontaneously.

Good to know… they have a SUP happy hour daily from 10am-11am at Gänsehäufel and 12am-1pm at VCBC, with each SUP board being rented out for 10€.