Named after the Alte Donau, the ‘Old Danube’, a former arm of the river.
The Alte Donau was once the main arm of the Danube. During the great Danube regulation of 1870–1875 a new riverbed was dug and this arm was cut off; since then it has been a standing body of water fed by groundwater. From the early 20th century it was gradually turned into a recreation area, with bathing places such as the Gänsehäufel.