More Safety on Vienna’s Old Danube: New Rules Enter into Force in 2026

Starting 1 January 2026, new safety and navigation rules will be introduced on Vienna’s Old Danube. The city is responding to the growing number of recreational users and the rising need to ensure safe coexistence between swimmers, rowers, and motorboats.

The new legally binding “Regulation on Navigation and Safety on the Old Danube” replaces previous non-binding navigation rules and introduces:

-         speed limit of 10 km/h for motorised vessels;

-         engine power limit for combustion engines at 4.4 kW (≈ 6 hp);

-         mandatory online registration and boat identification numbers for vessels longer than 4.5 m;

-         maximum boat dimensions: up to 7 m long and 2.55 m wide;

-         applicability across Upper/Lower Old Danube, Kaiserwasser, Schisstattlake, Wasserspielplatz-Aupark.

According to Gerald Löw, head of MA 45 – Vienna Waters, the regulation is “a necessary step to increase safety and define responsibility clearly in one of Vienna’s most popular recreational areas”.

Rowing and sailing boats remain exempt from the speed limit.

Comment by the Institute of Danube Research (IDR)

Vienna’s updated regulation reflects a broader European trend toward safer, more environmentally friendly and better-governed recreational waterways. Key implications for the Danube Region include:

Modernisation of small-vessel management
Mandatory registration improves traceability and supports emergency response capabilities.

Reduced environmental impact
Speed and engine limitations help protect fragile aquatic ecosystems from noise, turbulence and emissions.

Relevance for Ukrainian and Lower Danube cities
The regulation offers an applicable model for water-recreation management in Odesa, Izmail, Vylkove and other Ukrainian communities.

Alignment with the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR)
The rules support objectives in PA4 (Water Quality), PA6 (Biodiversity) and PA3 (Tourism).

IDR sees the Vienna model as a promising best practice for balancing environmental protection with growing demand for urban water recreation.