10 Summer Things to Do in Vienna

One of the many wonderful things about Vienna is that each season it seems to turn into a new city. For winter, it’s bitterly cold but magical with Christmas markets and ice skating and other winter-tastic activities. In the summer time, Vienna is reborn. I wouldn’t think Vienna would be considered a summery city as it’s not a beach town. However, maybe it’s because the Donau canal passes right through the city, but the summer opens up a plethora of new activities to enjoy. Whenever I’d come back to Vienna in the summertime after a trip, I feel so comforted to see the many people sitting, walking, chatting, and laughing along the canal. It seems like everybody hibernates for winter and then once the temperature rises, they pour out onto the street.

No matter what season you visit Vienna, you’re bound to find some incredible things to do, but if you’re visiting during summertime, consider yourself very lucky to experience the city in all its summer glory.

Check out some of the best summer things to do in Vienna!

1. Grab some wine and sit along the Donau

There is nothing quite like sitting on the edge of the canal with your feet dangling, sipping a bottle of wine (because hey– no open container laws, right?) and chatting with friends (or strangers)! It makes for a lovely summer night.

2. Donauinselfest

This is an open-air free music festival that takes place for three days over June. There’s food, music, and sunshine. And hey, it’s free, so why not?

3. Rathaus film & music festival

Another event held at city hall, the Film & Music festival runs from the end of June to the beginning of September. There’s loads of people and international food stands. Bleachers are set up in front of a giant screen which can play anything from a Mumford & Sons concert to an opera.

4. Rent a boat at Boat Rental Hofbauer on the Old Donau (Alte Donau)

You can rent pedal boats, rowing boats, or electric boats and head out on the water for some relaxation. Make sure to check if they have any cool events going on while you’re there. They do things like light festivals and full moon cruises which are obviously super magical.

5. Yoga on the beach

Strandbar Hermann, a bar along the canal has “yoga on the beach” on weekends where you can do free yoga in the sand. Pretty cool way to get some exercise in under the sun! Check out their schedule here.

6. Swim in the Donau

There are a few different spots to swim in the Donau, which you can check out here. I’ve only ever been to Neue Donau. Be aware there are some angry geese as well as naked people chilling among these parts.

7. Drink a Wiener Eiskaffee (Viennese iced coffee) or have some ice cream

For some reason people in Vienna seem to be obsessed with ice cream. There are a couple ice cream places right outside Schwedenplatz, or for some dairy free ice cream check out Veganista. You should also try a Wiener Eiskaffee– coffee poured over vanilla ice cream and topped with whipped cream. You could head up to the top of Kahlenberg and enjoy one with a view like I did!

8. Go to the pool

Vienna has loads of outdoor swimming pools that you can experience for the day for a small fee. Check out the full list here.

9. Open air cinema

Kino Am Dach is the open air cinema on the roof of the library. I love chilling outside in the summer above the city in front a big projector with a bunch of strangers.

Note: When looking at the program look out for OmU (original language with subtitles) or Ov (Original Version) or OF (Original-Fassung) to tell if the films are in English.

10. Badeschiff

Badeschiff literally means “bathing ship.” It’s located along the canal and it’s basically a restaurant/entertainment center with a floating swimming pool above the canal. You can grab a drink or some food and chill on the deck or head to the pool to cool off. It also has a football (soccer) cage, where you can play for free for 90 minutes, and a bowling alley where you can play for 5€/half hour. Overall, a cool way to spend a summer evening.

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