A fact for parents planning a trip to Vienna with a child: the water in the Austrian capital is so pure that it can be drunk straight from the tap. The Viennese make no secret of the fact that their water needs no treatment and tastes so good. On the contrary, Vienna has built a water playground, the Wasserturm, to tell the story of where the city gets its water from. It combines relaxation, entertainment and educational activities, making it the perfect place for a family outing.
The 15,000 square metre playground is located around the old Favoriten water tower. The tower was built in 1898 to supply the town with water from the mountain glaciers. Favouriten is now a tourist attraction (you have to book in advance), but the area around it is busier than it was 100 years ago. That's because the Water Play Park, or Wasserturm as it's called in German, is also a field for experimenting with water. Of course, children love splashing around in pools, stirring up mud and even causing a deluge.
In fact, children learn important things from these games. Every child has to wonder why a tree holds water, why objects in water are lighter than on land, why the surface of a lake is like a mirror, which areas of life need water and how to use this important liquid wisely. At the same time, it all seems like an ordinary game: children slide into swimming pools, raft across the lake, dig channels on the beach, look into the water from a bridge, wash cars in a children's car wash...
Adults who want a break from the noise of the playground can go for a walk in the neighbourhood. The greenery of the woods and meadows alternates with rivers, lakes and waterfalls — all part of the water park. You can also walk the 'water trail'. This trail shows how high mountain springs, several hundred kilometres from Vienna, supply the city with water.
And yet, after a refreshing walk, especially if it's a hot day, everyone wants to return to the playground. There, the water curtain offers a pleasant refreshment. And after a visit to the water park, you're likely to spot stands on the streets of Vienna offering free samples of the purest and tastiest glacier water.
