Wien (river)

Last updated
Wien
Wienfluss Stadtparksteg-DSC1265w.jpg
The Wien in the Stadtpark
Location
Country Austria
Physical characteristics
Source 
  locationKaiserbrunnberg near Rekawinkel in Lower Austria
  elevation520 m (1,710 ft)
Mouth  
  location
Donaukanal (Danube) in Vienna
  coordinates
48°12′43″N16°23′04″E / 48.21194°N 16.38444°E / 48.21194; 16.38444
Length34 km (21 mi)
Basin size221 km2 (85 sq mi)
Basin features
Progression DanubeBlack Sea

The Wien is a river that flows through Austria's capital Vienna.

Contents

Geography

The river Wien is 34 kilometres (21 mi) long, of which 15 km (9.3 mi) are within the city. Its drainage basin covers an area of 221 km2 (85 sq mi), [1] both in the city and in the neighbouring Vienna Woods. Its source lies in the western Vienna Woods near Rekawinkel and its mouth at the eastern end of the city centre of Vienna, next to the Urania, where it flows into the Donaukanal ("Danube Canal"), a branch of the Danube.

The Wien River in flood, near the Brauhaus Bridge, June 2009 Wienfluss nahe Braeuhausbruecke Juni 2009.JPG
The Wien River in flood, near the Bräuhaus Bridge, June 2009

The Wien is subject to huge variations in flow. In its headwaters in the Vienna Woods, the soil is underlain by sandstone. Because of this, during heavy rain the soil quickly saturates, resulting in substantial runoff. Thus, the flow of the Wien can quickly increase from a creek-like 200 litres per second (7.1 cu ft/s) to 450,000 litres per second (16,000 cu ft/s) in the heaviest rains or during the spring snowmelt in the Vienna Woods, a ratio of over 1:2000.

The Wien River and the city of Vienna

Within the city limits, the river bed consists almost entirely of concrete, which was installed between 1895 and 1899 in order to stop the devastating floods, sometimes accompanied by cholera, which the river had regularly caused before that time. At the same time, the Stadtbahn ("city railway") was built, which makes use of the concrete river bed and is only separated from the river by a wall. It is now part of the Vienna U-Bahn system.

Along the course of the river, the Naschmarkt and the Theater an der Wien can be found. Much of the river is covered over in the city, particularly in front of Schönbrunn Palace, in the Meidling and Naschmarkt neighbourhoods and around Karlsplatz near the city centre. [2]

The River Gate was built in the years 1903 to 1906 and was opened to the general public on 15 November 1906. The gate forms one of the most beautiful Jugendstil scenes to be found in the city of Vienna.

In 2013, the City of Vienna approved plans to build three terraces along the river valley. Each terrace (or "zone") will cover a total area of 2,500 square metres (27,000 sq ft). [3] The first terrace is expected to be completed by 2015. [4]

Cycling and walking beside the Wien

A sign with speaker used to warn cyclists and pedestrians; it says "Leave the river when (lights are) flashing." Wienfluss Warning.jpg
A sign with speaker used to warn cyclists and pedestrians; it says "Leave the river when (lights are) flashing."

For safety reasons, cycling or walking in the concrete bed of the Wien is officially prohibited. A continually controversial topic is whether to build cycle paths and footpaths next to the water. Proponents believe the water flow can be safely regulated, while opponents do not believe this is possible. In 2005, a short segment was opened to the public, near Hütteldorf railway station. It features an audible and visual alarm system to warn users to leave the path if flooding is imminent. Extensions to this path have been proposed, but continue to receive much opposition. The path is open from March to October.

Nomenclature

In German, the river is colloquially called the "Wienfluss". Since English uses the name "Vienna" for what in German is called "Wien", in English the river is sometimes called the "Vienna River".

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aller (Germany)</span> River in Germany

The Aller is a 215-kilometre-long (134 mi) river in the states of Saxony-Anhalt and Lower Saxony in Germany. It is a right-hand, and hence eastern, tributary of the Weser and is also its largest tributary. Its last 117 kilometres (73 mi) form the Lower Aller federal waterway. The Aller was extensively straightened, widened and, in places, dyked, during the 1960s to provide flood control of the river. In a 20-kilometre-long (12 mi) section near Gifhorn, the river meanders in its natural river bed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lech (river)</span> River in Austria and Germany

The Lech is a river in Austria and Germany. It is a right tributary of the Danube 255 kilometres (158 mi) in length with a drainage basin of 3,919 square kilometres (1,513 sq mi). Its average discharge at the mouth is 115 m3/s (4,100 cu ft/s). Its source is located in the Austrian state of Vorarlberg, where the river rises from lake Formarinsee in the Alps at an altitude of 1,870 metres (6,120 ft). It flows in a north-north-easterly direction and crosses the German border, forming the Lechfall, a 12-metre-high (39 ft) waterfall; afterwards the river enters a narrow gorge. Leaving the Alps, it enters the plains of the Allgäu at Füssen at an elevation of 790 metres (2,580 ft) in the German state of Bavaria, where it used to be the location of the boundary with Swabia. The river runs through the city of Füssen and through the Forggensee, a man-made lake which is drained in winter. Here, it forms rapids and a waterfall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kostroma (river)</span> River in Russia

The Kostroma is a river in the European part of Russia. It flows through the Kostroma and Yaroslavl Oblasts, and becomes a left tributary of the Volga, which it enters at the Gorky Reservoir, at the city of Kostroma.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timiș (river)</span> River in Romania and Serbia

The Timiș or Tamiš is a 359 km (223 mi) long river that flows through the Banat region of Romania and Serbia and joins the Danube near Pančevo, in northern Serbia. Due to its position in the region, it has been labeled as the "spine of the Banat".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enns (river)</span> River in Austria

The Enns is a southern tributary of the river Danube, joining northward at Enns, Austria. It forms much of the border between the states of Lower Austria and Upper Austria. The Enns spans 253 kilometres (157 mi), in a flat-J-shape. It flows from its source near the village Flachau, generally eastward through Radstadt, Schladming, and Liezen, then turns north near Hieflau, to flow past Weyer and Ternberg through Steyr, and further north to the Danube at Enns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sió</span> River in Hungary

The Sió or Sió-csatorna (Sió-Channel) is a fully regulated river in midwest Hungary. It is the outlet, at the eastern end, of Lake Balaton, flowing out of the lake in Siófok. It flows into the river Danube near the city of Szekszárd. Sió flows through the Hungarian counties Somogy, Fejér and Tolna, its main tributaries are Kapos from the right and Sárvíz from the left. It is 124 km (77 mi) long and its basin size is 14,693 km2 (5,673 sq mi). The drainage basin of Sió covers more than a third of Transdanubia. Its average discharge at the mouth is 39 m3/s (1,400 cu ft/s).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naschmarkt</span>

The Naschmarkt is Vienna's most popular market. Located at the Wienzeile over the Wien River, it is about 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) long.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donauinsel</span> Austrian man made island

The Donauinsel is a long, narrow artificial island in central Vienna, Austria, lying between the Danube river and the parallel excavated channel Neue Donau. The island is 21.1 km (13.1 mi) in length, but is only 70–210 m (230–689 ft) wide. It was constructed from 1972 to 1988 primarily as a measure for flood protection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brigittenau</span> 20th District of Vienna in Austria

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. Brigittenau is a heavily populated urban area with many residential buildings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sulm (Germany)</span> River in Germany

The Sulm is a river in the Heilbronn district of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is an unnavigable right tributary of the Neckar. It rises in the Löwenstein Mountains and after 26.3 kilometres (16.3 mi) distance and 315 metres (1,033 ft) elevation drop flows into the Neckar at Bad Friedrichshall, near Untereisesheim and Neckarsulm. Its valley together with its tributary valleys is also known as the Weinsberg Valley, after Weinsberg, which is located there. The medieval region of Sulmgau, as well as the city of Neckarsulm, were named for it. The upper valley of the Sulm is a protected area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert-Bourassa generating station</span> Hydroelectric power station in Québec, Canada

The Robert-Bourassa generating station, formerly known as La Grande-2 (LG-2), is a hydroelectric power station on the La Grande River that is part of Hydro-Québec's James Bay Project in Canada. The station can generate 5,616 MW and its 16 units were gradually commissioned between 1979 and 1981. Annual generation is in the vicinity of 26500 GWh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donaukanal</span> Waterway in Vienna

The Donaukanal is a former arm of the river Danube, now regulated as a water channel, within the city of Vienna, Austria. It is 17.3 kilometres (10.7 mi) long and, unlike the Danube itself, it borders Vienna's city centre, Innere Stadt, where the Wien River (Wienfluss) flows into it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vienna Danube regulation</span>

The Vienna Danube regulation refers to extensive flood-control engineering along the Danube river in Vienna, Austria during the last 150 years. The first major dams or levees were built during 1870-75. Another major project was constructed during 1972-88, which created the New Danube and Danube Island (Donauinsel). Prior to regulation, the Danube in Vienna had been an 8-kilometre (5 mi) wide wetlands, as a patchwork of numerous streams meandering through the area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harbours in Vienna</span>

For a long time, it was not necessary to build a Harbour in Vienna, because the existing natural landing points were sufficient for the level of trade on the Danube. It was only when steamships began to arrive in great numbers that a harbour offering safe berths became essential. Even then however, goods were for the most part loaded and unloaded at an unenclosed river harbour that was established at the end of the 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hydrology of Hungary</span>

The hydrology of Hungary, is mostly determined by Hungary's lying in the middle of the Carpathian Basin, half surrounded by the Carpathian Mountains. All parts of the country have some outflow. All surface water gravitates towards its southern center, and from there, is united in the Danube, which flows into the Black Sea. The whole of Hungary lies within the Danube drainage basin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Schwarza (Leitha)</span> River in Lower Austria, Austria

The Schwarza is a river in Lower Austria. It is the left headstream of the Leitha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ablach (Danube)</span> River in Germany

The Ablach is a right tributary of the Danube. It rises on the European Watershed, which is only a hint in this area, from the Mindersdorfer Aach in the municipality of Hohenfels in the Landkreis of Konstanz. It is about 32 kilometres (20 mi) long.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gießenbach (Danube)</span> River in Upper Austria, Austria

The Gießenbach is a river of Austria. Its drainage basin is 64 km2 (25 sq mi).

References

  1. "Flächenverzeichnis der Flussgebiete: Donaugebiet von der Enns bis zur Leitha" (PDF). Beiträge zur Hydrografie Österreichs Heft 62. December 2014. p. 120.
  2. Kadinsky, Sergey "Wienfluss, Vienna" Hidden Waters Blog August 22, 2016
  3. Wien river to get a terrace, Austrian Times
  4. New leisure areas along the River Wien valley, Vienna City Administration