The view of the old Danube (Alte Donau)

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When the river was regulated in 1875, the enlarged main branch of the Danube from the beginning of the 18th century was separated from the new main branch by a dam and turned into a recreation area under the name "Old Danube". At the turn of the century, however, "leisure time" was not yet a natural part of Viennese life. This made people all the more aware of nature's blessings in the few free hours they were given. Relaxing green, good air and water for the eyes and soul. People walked, those who could afford it, went by horse-drawn carriage. The destination was the outskirts of the city. To the west is the Vienna Forest with its wineries, to the south is the Bohemian Prater at the edge of the Laa Forest, to the south are the meadows of the Prater with the Wurstelprater and above the new Crown Prince Rudolf Bridge (Reichsbrücke) is the area of ​​the Old Danube. The still dirty streets of Vienna, the dusty, bad air and the gray houses drove people to the Old Danube, where the willow trees gently arched over the water, the sandy shore of the Gänsehäufel reminded them of the Italian Adriatic coast, and where later on the terraces of the restaurants they could watch the sailboats and dream of distant landscapes...