7 Major Ports In Austria

Austria is a landlocked country situated in Central Europe’s southern part. It lies in the eastern Alps, which gives it a mountainous terrain. Austria is quite developed and has an industrialised economy.

It is also largely dependent on international tourism and trade with neighbouring countries, the main trading partner being Germany.

Austria has many river ports along the River Danube, the second longest river in Europe, which functions as a trade artery.

Mentioned below are 7 major ports in Austria that lie along the Danube.

1. Port of Vienna

Vienna is the capital and the biggest city in Austria. It also serves as its political, cultural and economic centre. One of the most populated cities in the EU, it is also known as one of the finest places in the world in terms of living standards.

It lies on the Danube river and has offices of several international organisations like the UN and OPEC. It was also designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2005. Over the years, it has grown into an important hub of trade and commerce.

The city is home to the Port of Vienna, which is the biggest port in Austria and also one of the largest facilities on the Danube, with a total annual handling capacity of approximately 12 million tonnes of cargo. Each year the port receives over 1300 ships.

The riverport has several areas, including the port of Freudenau, Lobau, Albert, Viennamarina and Port Vienna.

Freudenau has management and administrative offices. It also deals with bulk and general cargo, including agricultural goods, construction materials, metals, automobiles, containerised cargo, petroleum, coal, iron and steel.

Albert port has a terminal for keeping construction materials. It also contains facilities for storing grains, other agricultural products and containers.

Lobau port handles and stores mineral products. The Viennamarina boasts a picturesque landscape, seafood and multi-cuisine restaurants, boats and yachts that can be hired.

The Vienna port spans 350 hectares and has 5000 m of quayage. It also has storage areas comprising 70,000 m2 of covered storage area, 36,000 m2 of area for keeping raw materials and 200,000 m2 of open storage.

The car terminal spans 160,000 m2 and handles 72,000 vehicles annually. It has a storage area for 2600 vehicles. It is directly linked to key highways and railways, allowing quick delivery of consignments. Also, the terminal has other facilities like a car wash, halls for vehicle cleaning and installation of car accessories, a fuel station etc.

The modern container terminal covers 60,000 m2 of area, and 323,000 TEUs pass through it annually.

Vienna is an attractive tourist destination, and its cruise terminal receives more than 4000 cruise ships carrying over 300,000 people each year.

2. Port of Linz

Port of Linz is situated in one of the biggest cities, on the Danube River in Upper Austria. It is the 3rd largest river port in the country and an important centre for transporting cargo and passengers.

It deals with coal, chemicals, steel, project cargo, timber, etc. It also functions as an important transit point for goods travelling between Eastern and Western Europe. The port handles approximately 5.5 million tonnes of goods annually.

Port History

The Linz port was founded by Romans, who called it Lentia. During the time of the Holy Roman Empire, it functioned as a vital trade link between Poland, Bohemia, Italy and the Balkan region.

It became a notable city during the time of the Habsburg Empire since Friedrich III spent the last years of his life there. Famous personalities like Johannes Kepler also lived here.

Additionally, Hitler spent his childhood here and wanted to develop Linz into a major cultural centre. Hence, he took steps for the city’s growth and industrialised it during the period of the two World Wars. He dismantled or discontinued factories in Czechoslovakia and reopened them in Linz.

Hence, Linz began manufacturing chemicals and steel. When Nazi stronghold cities were bombed during the second world war, Linz did not suffer damage on a large scale.

Today Linz is a modern industrial city with many steel and chemical plants. It has transformed into Austria’s economic centre.

Port facilities

The port spans 150 hectares and boasts modern state-of-the-art facilities for handling cargo. There is a logistics service centre ad a combination traffic centre stretching 90,000 m2. It also has a container terminal and repair workshops for containers.

The port has 110,000 m2 of covered warehouse area and special storage for frozen and refrigerated items. It is well-connected to waterways, railways and roadways.

The Tanker Port transports and stores mineral oil products. It has a capacity of 300,000 m3 and has a tanker ship for supplying fuel to tankers.

3. Port of Krems

Krems Port is a relatively small facility that lies at the confluence of the Danube and the Krems river in the northeastern part of Austria.

The town is home to the 13th-century Stadtburg fortress and has a long history of producing wine. The place is known for its old wineries and attracts wine connoisseurs from across the world.

It is also a centre of trade and commerce, with numerous chemical and metal factories and industries.

The port has a fertiliser terminal which deals with fertilisers, wood pellets etc. and provides automatic bagging services as well. The grain terminal has a silo with 60 cells capable of keeping 20,000 tonnes of grains.

A laboratory is also attached to this terminal. The container terminal spans 50,000 m2 of area and provides container stuffing and stripping services. Also, the port has 23,000 m2 of warehouse area and 60,000 m2 of open storage.

4. Port of Enns

The Port of Enns, also called Ennshafen, is situated on the River Enns, where it meets the Danube River around 18 km southeast of the city of Linz in Austria. Enns is crucial for the nation’s economy and has many glassware units, jewellery manufacturers, and breweries.

Strategically located in Austria’s main industrial hub, the port functions as a trimodal transhipment centre covering 3.5 million m2. It is connected to important inland ports also seaports of the continent.

It has a 2500 m long quayside and offers services such as transhipment, warehousing, packing, bunkering and logistics.

Port of Enns started operations in 1993 and handled 30,000 tonnes of cargo at that time. Since then, the cargo handled has increased manifold and is now over 5 million tonnes. It also has two business parks which make Enns the biggest industry-related port on the upper part of the Danube.

Port terminals

Enns Port has a modern container terminal which is also the largest in the region. It has the capacity to deal with 500,000 TEUs and has 70,000 m2 of container storage area. It is a multimodal logistics hub and covers 275,000 m2.

The RORO terminal has over-the-top services for heavy lift and project cargo, automobiles, agricultural machines etc. Additionally, there is an 8500 m2 of storage space which is directly connected to the RORO ramp.

5. Port of Melk

Melk is a small river port situated on the Danube River, an important waterway in Europe. It functions as a major centre for shipping and transporting goods and other cargo like grains, timber and oil. It is also a famous port of call for cruise vessels, passenger vessels and tourist boats plying along the river Danube.

The port is comparatively small than the other Austrian ports and does not have elaborate facilities for handling cargo and passengers. However, it lies amidst the historic town with the Benedictine abbey nearby, making it a much-visited place. Melk town is known for its intricate and beautiful Baroque architectural style.

Melk is a crucial facility serving the economy and tourism sector of Lower Austria. It has several berths for ships and boats and also mooring equipment like bollards and fenders.

The port also has storage facilities like warehouses, open storage yards etc. and also fueling stations. It also has provisions for fresh water and electricity.

6. Port of Tulln

The river port lies in the town of Tulln, which lies on the southern bank of the Danube in Lower Austria. It is mainly used for the transportation of people and goods along the Danube.

It has many quays which can take in both small and large ships. It has designated facilities for loading and unloading cargo and also passenger terminals for welcoming river cruises.

Tulln is a famous tourist spot, and people flock to the nearby Tulln Gardens and Egon Schiele Museum. The port also hosts several exciting events all year round, one such being the Tulln Boat Show, one of the biggest and quite grand shows in Austria.

7. Ybbs Port

Ybbs an der Donau is a small picturesque town in Lower Austria, lying on the banks of the Danube. It is home to only 5000 people and is around 100 km west of the capital city of Vienna.

It is famous for its historic old town that has intricate medieval architecture and narrow streets. It also has many churches, like the Parish Church of St Laurenz, which was built in the 12th century.

Ybbs Port — Image for representation purposes only

The town is visited by tourists who are intrigued by the historic sites and its peaceful countryside views. It also hosts many cultural events throughout the year, including a summer music festival and a special Christmas market in winter.

The town does not have a very big port but rather a small riverport that accommodates boats and small ships. It mainly deals with timber, construction material, agricultural goods, and passenger ships.

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Zahra is an alumna of Miranda House, University of Delhi. She is an avid writer, possessing immaculate research and editing skills. Author of several academic papers, she has also worked as a freelance writer, producing many technical, creative and marketing pieces. A true aesthete at heart, she loves books a little more than anything else.