Description of the attraction
The Baden Aqueduct is part of the first Viennese aqueduct, built at the end of the 19th century. The aqueduct crosses the local river Schwechat. It is located quite far from the center of the Austrian city of Baden - two kilometers west of its main train station.
The first aqueduct in Vienna was built between 1869 and 1873. The mayor of the city, the famous Baron Caetan von Felder, who was remembered not only as a successful statesman and administrative figure, but also as a passionate entomologist, was responsible for its construction. The length of the water supply system almost reached 100 kilometers. 62 million cubic meters of fresh water passed through canals and underground tunnels annually. The first Viennese water supply system served for more than 30 years, but already in 1908-1909 the city needed to build new canals and tunnels.
As for the Baden Aqueduct, it was completed already in 1872. This 28-meter-high structure consists of several dozen high arches with a maximum radius of 16 meters. The height of the largest arch was 20 meters. The aqueduct is located in the romantic natural region of the Helenental Valley, where the Schwechat River features particularly turbulent waves and dangerous ravines. By the way, the name of this river comes from the Slavic languages and is translated as "stinking river", which, however, may be associated with the healing sulfuric hot springs common in Baden.
The total length of the aqueduct does not even reach one kilometer - it is about 788 meters. Almost immediately after its construction, the city authorities wanted to equip a promenade on the upper tier of the aqueduct, but the company responsible for the construction of the entire water supply network in Vienna refused. Now the aqueduct is considered a kind of symbol of the Austrian city of Baden and is protected by the state.
