Opening 1964

On 16 April 1964, Mayor Franz Jonas and Federal President Adolf Schärf opened the Danube Tower and the Danube Park. The 600,000 m² area extends in the 22nd district between Arbeiterstrandbadstraße, Donauturm and Hubertusdamm.

(c) Wien Museum

From rubbish dump to green oasis

The area was used as a landfill site until 1960. It was only for the Vienna International Garden Show (WIG64) that today's local recreation area was created - a real transformation!

WIG64 – Europe's largest garden show

Around 2.1 million visitors came to WIG64 in 1964. The follow-up exhibition WIG74 in Oberlaa even attracted 2.6 million visitors.

Chairlift with a view

A chairlift was built for the garden show and was in operation until 1983. More than 600,000 guests enjoyed the view of the Donau Park from the air.

(c) Brüder Basch

Balloon race for the ‘Golden Edelweiss’

On 17 May 1964, visitors to the garden show were treated to a spectacular sight: Several hot-air balloons took off from the WIG grounds for a race. The goal was the coveted ‘Golden Edelweiss’, a trophy for the winner.

This special race was one of the many highlights of WIG 64 and emphasised the festive atmosphere of the international garden show.

(c) Basch 

Donauparkbahn - nostalgia on rails

The Donauparkbahn has been doing its rounds since 1964. The 3.4 km long track leads through the most beautiful corners of the park.

Motorised rickshaws - comfortable garden show tour

Those who didn't want to walk through the Donaupark could be driven in style in a motorised rickshaw - a popular means of transport during WIG64.

(c) Heinz Hosch

Donauparkhalle - From ice sports to a world exhibition?

In 1966, the Donauparkhalle built for the WIG64 was converted into an ice rink. It was the venue for the Ice Hockey World Championships in 1967 and 1987. In the early 1990s, the hall was demolished to make room for the planned - but never realised - World Exhibition.

The tower greenhouse - WIG 64 innovation

A particular highlight of the 1964 garden show was the tower greenhouse by Othmar Ruthner. The 41 metre high glass tower fascinated visitors with its innovative concept: thousands of plant pots rotated while they were automatically fertilised and watered.

The idea was quickly imitated - similar towers were already in place in Austria, Germany, Canada, Norway and Switzerland by 1965. A visionary example of modern agriculture and sustainable cultivation.

(c) Wien Museum

Lake Iris - a natural idyll in the Danube Park

The 30,000 m² Irissee was created for the 1964 garden show and has characterised the landscape of the Donaupark ever since. In the 1990s, the water threatened to seep underground, which is why the lake was renaturalised and a swamp zone was added. Today it is a valuable ecosystem and a popular place to relax.

From lakeside restaurant to Korea Culture Centre

The former lakeside restaurant on Lake Iris is partly a listed building and was given a new purpose in 2012: to mark the 120th anniversary of bilateral relations between Austria and Korea, it was converted into the Korea Culture Centre. Today, it serves as a cultural meeting place and event venue that brings Korean traditions and modern art to life.

The coffee house mountain - history with a view

In 1964, a small hill was heaped up from the excavation of Lake Iris, on which a café was opened. Operations ceased in the mid-1980s, but the basic structure was preserved. Today, the restored café hill is a popular vantage point and a testimony to the history of the garden show.

(c) Philipp Splechtna

Homage to Anna Freud - Art & Psychoanalysis

‘Coffee house scene’ - Art by Maitre Leherb

Just a few metres from the former coffee house on Kaffeehausberg, the Viennese artist Maitre Leherb (Helmut Leherbauer, 1933-1997) created an impressive ceramic relief. The ‘coffee house scene’ captures the typical Viennese coffee house culture in artistic form and complements the cultural heritage of this special place in the Donaupark.

(c) Philipp Splechtna

The Pope's mass & the steel cross

On 11 September 1983, around 300,000 believers gathered at the foot of the Danube Tower for Holy Mass with Pope John Paul II - a significant spiritual event in the history of Vienna.

A 40 metre high, 56 tonne steel cross was erected for the occasion. It was threatened with demolition in 2010, but after public debate and the efforts of Cardinal Schönborn and Mayor Häupl, it was saved and blessed in 2012 after renovation.

In 1990, the tower became a radio station for two days: as part of the Jamboree on the Air, scouts and radio amateurs sent messages of peace to the world.

Che Guevara & other monuments

One particularly controversial monument in the Donaupark is the first Che Guevara bust in Europe, which was unveiled by Mayor Häupl in 2008. Its erection was heavily criticised, particularly by the ÖVP and FPÖ.

In 2009, the statue hit the headlines again when the nose of the bust was sawed off. Shortly afterwards, a 3800 euro replica was installed.

In addition to Che Guevara, there are also monuments to Simon Bolivar, the South American freedom fighter, and Salvador Allende, the former Chilean president, in the Danube Park.

(c) Philipp Splechtna

Üzeyir Hacıbeyov - Pioneer of Azerbaijani music

The Azerbaijani composer Üzeyir Hacıbeyov (1885–1948) is regarded as the founder of modern Azerbaijani music. He composed the first opera in the Islamic world, significantly shaping the musical development of his homeland.

In 2006, at the initiative of the Azerbaijani Embassy, a monument was dedicated to him in the Donaupark—a symbol of the cultural connection between Vienna and Azerbaijan.

(c) Philipp Splechtna

Paracelsus – Medicine & Mysticism in the Donaupark

A monument in the Donaupark is also dedicated to Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim, better known as Paracelsus. The physician, alchemist, mystic, and philosopher revolutionized medicine in the 16th century.

His memorial stone is fittingly placed amidst a medicinal herb garden—a tribute to his knowledge of nature's healing power.

"The Golden Calf" – Technology as Apocalypse

At the edge of the Papstwiese, the multi-part sculpture "The Golden Calf – Technology as Apocalypse" by Austrian sculptor Karl Anton Wolf (1908–1989) stands as a striking artistic statement.

The artwork explores the dual nature of technological progress—celebrated as an achievement, yet also seen as a potential threat. It serves as a powerful symbol of the critical engagement with the modern world.

(c) Philipp Splechtna

Memorial Stone for Wehrmacht Deserters

The Donaupark also holds a dark past: On the former military shooting range Kagran, hundreds of Wehrmacht soldiers were executed by firing squads between 1938 and 1945.

Today, the "Memorial Stone for Executed Wehrmacht Deserters" honors the victims of Nazi military justice. Erected in 1984 by the City of Vienna and the Ministry of Defense, it stands as a symbol against forgetting.

(c) APA

Bees & Butterflies – Nature Conservation in the Donaupark

Since the opening of the Donaupark, Viennese beekeepers have been tending to beehives in the area. The beekeeping school shares its knowledge with kindergartens and schools, while aspiring urban beekeepers can take beginner courses here.

A specially designed butterfly meadow has been created to provide an ideal habitat for butterflies. The butterflies hatch in a breeding station next to the meadow and are then released into the park, helping to support the ecological balance.

(c) Philipp Splechtna