The Donaukanal is a former arm of the river Danube

Danube

The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....

, now regulated as a water channel (since 1598), within the city of Vienna

Vienna

Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...

, Austria

Austria

Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

 . It is 17.3 km (10.7 mi) long.
The Donaukanal bifurcates from the main river in Döbling

Döbling

Döbling is the 19th District in the city of Vienna, Austria . It is located on the north end from the central districts, north of the districts Alsergrund and Währing...

 and joins it again in Simmering

Simmering (Vienna)

Simmering is the 11th district of Vienna, Austria . It borders the Danube and was established as a district in 1892. Simmering has several churches, some museums, schools, old castles, and many cemeteries.- History :...

, thus creating an island which holds 2 of the 23 districts of Vienna: Brigittenau

Brigittenau

Brigittenau is the 20th District of Vienna . It is located north of the central districts, north of Leopoldstadt on the same island area between the Danube and the Danube Canal...

 (20th District) and Leopoldstadt

Leopoldstadt

Leopoldstadt is the 2nd municipal District of Vienna . There are inhabitants over . It is situated in the heart of the city and, together with Brigittenau , forms a large island surrounded by the Danube Canal and, to the north, the Danube. It is named after Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor...

 (2nd District).
As opposed to the Danube itself, the Donaukanal borders Vienna's city centre, Innere Stadt

Innere Stadt

The Innere Stadt is the 1st municipal District of Vienna . The Innere Stadt is the old town of Vienna. Until the city boundaries were expanded in 1850, the Innere Stadt was congruent with the city of Vienna...

, where the Wien River

Wien River

The Wien is a river that flows through the city of Vienna. It is 34 kilometres long , of which 15 km are within the city. Its drainage basin covers an area of 230 km² , both in the city and in the neighbouring Wienerwald....

 (Wienfluss) flows into it.

The paths on both sides of the Donaukanal are regularly used by joggers, cyclists and skaters

Roller skating

Roller skating is the traveling on smooth surfaces with roller skates. It is a form of recreation as well as a sport, and can also be a form of transportation. Skates generally come in two basic varieties: quad roller skates and inline skates or blades, though some have experimented with a...

. Recently, there have been successful attempts during the summer months at turning the place into a more attractive recreation

Recreation

Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure and are considered to be "fun"...

al area (summer stages, flea market

Flea market

A flea market or swap meet is a type of bazaar where inexpensive or secondhand goods are sold or bartered. It may be indoors, such as in a warehouse or school gymnasium; or it may be outdoors, such as in a field or under a tent...

s, cafés, etc.). Boat rides circling Leopoldstadt and Brigittenau start at Schwedenplatz.

Because in German

German language

German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....

, the name Kanal, which has been used since about 1700, evokes associations of an open sewer

Sanitary sewer

A sanitary sewer is a separate underground carriage system specifically for transporting sewage from houses and commercial buildings to treatment or disposal. Sanitary sewers serving industrial areas also carry industrial wastewater...

, attempts at renaming the Donaukanal have been made (one suggestion was Kleine Donau—Little Danube) but have not met with success.

History

The name "Donaukanal" ("Danube Canal"), has been used since 1686, for the southern tributary of the River Danube in Vienna. Originally a natural tributary, during 1598-1600, it was regulated for the first time by Baron von Hoyos. In the 19th century, it was modified to ward off floods and drift ice. The former tributary branches off the main stream of the Danube near Nußdorf (lock) and rejoins the main stream just upstream of the "Praterspitz" (at the Prater

Prater

The Wiener Prater is a large public park in Vienna's 2nd district . The amusement park, often simply called "Prater", stands in one corner of the Wiener Prater and includes the .-Name:...

 park). Compared to the main branch of the Danube (in northeast Vienna), the Donaukanal flows further south into the center of Vienna, and it is much more part of the city of Vienna than the main river:
15 road bridges and 5 train bridges cross the Donaukanal. In the early 1990s, work started in the southern section of the Donaukanal (between the 2nd and 3rd districts

Districts of Vienna

The districts of Vienna are 23 named city sections of Vienna, Austria, which are also numbered for easy reference. For centuries, district boundaries have changed...

) to create a recreation area along its banks.

Cultural influences

The banks of the Donaukanal were immortalized by Heinz Conrads in his song "A schräge Wiesn" ("A Sloping Lawn"; later covered

Cover version

In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...

 by Willi Resetarits

Willi Resetarits

Wilhelm Resetarits , better known as Willi Resetarits and Dr. Kurt Ostbahn, is an Austrian singer, comedian and human rights activist....

 and Rainhard Fendrich

Rainhard Fendrich

Rainhard Jürgen Fendrich is an Austrian singer, composer, entertainer, and actor. He is one of the most successful Austropop musicians. His lyrics are written in Viennese German, and he is very popular in Austria, but less in other German-speaking countries, and by far less known in non-German...

), where the hero, Franz, chooses not to go on holiday. Instead, he spends his spare time napping on the grassy slopes next to the Donaukanal.

External links

• "Donaukanal" at the aeiou Encyclopedia
  Aeiou Encyclopedia
  AEIOU is a free online collection of reference works in both German and English about Austria-related topics.-Background:...