The warm weather is finally here. The parks are green, the trees and flowers are blooming and the whole city is out enjoying the weather. If you enjoy the water and water side attractions, you have many options throughout the city. One of my favourite places to go, is the Donaukanal. The canal (map) can be accessed almost anywhere in the city. It runs through Vienna east of the 1st district starting at the 19th and running south all the way to the 11th district.

The canal is a great place to come and relax. There are many bars and ice cream places sprinkled throughout the canal. During the day, you can find many people laying out in the sun and enjoying the calmness of the water with the occasional boat passing by. For the runners, the canal offers many kilometres of uninterrupted running pavement. For the cyclists, the area is starting to get a little bit crowded.

The bars (Tel Aviv beach, etc)  along the canal are now open and on sunny days they are filled to the brim. Once the sun is down, the party along the canal keeps going, weather permitting. The canal is very friendly to children with many playgrounds along the canal. On the west side of the canal, you can find outdoor working out equipment as well as basketball courts. The east side of the canal is a bit greener and more comfortable for laying out in the sun, especially at the Wettsteinpark (map) or between U4-Schottenring and U4-Friedensbrücke stations.

The canal supports a very strong graffiti scene. During the weekends you can find artists retagging the walls with beautiful works of art. You should definitely take a walk once a week if you enjoy street art. The canal also includes many different outdoor spaces. There are urban community gardens, yoga places and art installations. If you want to enjoy a club scene, the canal has that for you as well, Flex club. (map) I personally have never been to Flex club, but I see many people go in and out of this place, every time I am passing by.

A few weeks ago, I noticed another bar being constructed. A few days ago, the bar was being stocked with alcohol and being prepared for an opening. One last thing, Donaukanaltreiben Festival happens on the canal during June!