Vienna extends opening hours of city pools due to heatwave

Extended Opening Hours at a Glance

Czernohorszky described the municipal pools as an important component of heat protection in the city. „Wiens Bäder sind wichtige Hitzeschutzpartner und für viele Menschen eine gute Möglichkeit, den hohen Temperaturen zu entkommen. Das haben die hohen Gästezahlen während der vergangenen Hitzewelle bewiesen", the councillor said.

The extended opening hours are intended to better distribute the large influx of visitors during the hot days. „Die verlängerten Öffnungszeiten sollen den großen Besucherandrang während der heißen Tage besser verteilen", the city explained. In addition, the situation will be continuously monitored in order to be able to take further measures if necessary („Die Lage wird laufend beobachtet, um bei Bedarf weitere Maßnahmen setzen zu können").

Drinking Fountains and "Coole Zonen"

In addition to the pools, Vienna is also expanding its network of drinking water stations in public spaces. „Rund 1.800 öffentliche Trinkbrunnen stehen im gesamten Stadtgebiet bereit", the city announced. Since 2021 alone, more than 700 new locations have been created („allein seit 2021 wurden mehr als 700 neue Standorte geschaffen"). This is intended to ensure that residents and visitors can supply themselves with fresh water at any time during the heatwave.

In addition to the pool offerings, the city is providing 37 so-called "Coole Zonen". „Ergänzt wird das städtische Angebot durch 37 ‚Coole Zonen', in denen man sich indoor und ohne Konsumzwang vor der Hitze schützen kann", the statement said. These spaces offer a place to retreat, especially for people who do not have an apartment with sufficient cooling.

Danube Banks and Air-Conditioned Public Transport

The approximately 63 kilometers of freely accessible banks along the Old and New Danube are also available for cooling off during the heatwave. „Insgesamt bieten rund 63 Kilometer frei zugängliche Ufer Möglichkeiten zur Abkühlung", the city said. The bank areas are freely accessible and thus one of the lowest-threshold points of contact during high temperatures.

In local public transport, the city has also upgraded according to its own statements: „Denn knapp 80 Prozent der Wiener Linien sind bereits klimatisiert." This is intended to ensure that passengers are not left unprotected from the heat in buses and trains. The level of equipment will be further increased according to the city.

Further Measures if Needed

With the package of extended pool opening hours, drinking fountains, "Coole Zonen", Danube banks, and air-conditioned public transport, Vienna is responding to the upcoming heatwave. The city announced that it would continue to monitor the situation and take additional measures if necessary in order to protect the population as best as possible.

With the expected rise in temperatures from Wednesday, the heatwave is considered the next stress test for the municipal infrastructure. Czernohorszky pointed out that the high utilization of the pools during the previous heatwave had underscored the importance of the facilities as "Hitzeschutzpartner". The city is therefore relying on a combination of utilization control through longer opening hours and a dense network of free cooling options throughout the entire city area.