technical and touristic site tours



As additional conference program we offer
technical and touristic site tours
on September 9, 2009.




We would like to inform you that unfortunately - due to the fact that the minimum number of participants have not been reached in advance - all touristic tours & excursions have been cancelled.

Tours - provided by Vienna Sightseeing Tours - can be booked onsite at the registration desk- Our staff will be happy to inform you about all avaiable tours.
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The technical site tours are free of charge, registration is mandatory.
Please notice that the registration for the technical tours has to be done in advance within the online registration.
The tours are offered from 20 persons.
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The touristic tours are to be booked within the online registration. They are not included in the conference package and are to be paid for separately.
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TECHNICAL SITE TOURS
The technical site tours give an overview on the utilisation of the Austrian part of the Danube.

Tour 1: Port of Vienna and Danube power plant Freudenau



The City of Vienna and its port are located in the heart of Europe at the intersection of international trade and transport routes. Thanks to its location at the Rhine-Main-Danube waterway, which connects the North Sea with the Black Sea and opens up important centers of the enlarged European Union, Wiener Hafen (Port of Vienna) is the largest goods distribution center in Eastern Austria.
Hydropower is a natural, clean and virtually infinite source of power. In Austria, the waters of the Danube have been used to generate electricity since the late fifties. Today, nine power plants operate on the Austrian Danube. Freudenau power plant was constructed from 1992-1998 employing the ‘wet construction’ method, i.e. it was built on the river bed. With a runner diameter of 7,5 meters the turbines rank among the biggest in Europe. Together with the overflow channel the ‘New Danube’, Freudenau power plant guarantees a high level of flood protection for Vienna.
Important part of the power plant Freudenau, from point of view of inland navigation, is the two-chamber lock which ensures smooth traffic in the area. Being the fourth largest lock on the Danube it is the gateway for all vessels heading towards Vienna and Austria coming from the East. Since January 2009 the lock operators have a comprehensible tool which allows seamless monitoring of all vessel positions in real-time and supports the lockmanagement and lockadministration.
Presentation of the Danube River Information Services DoRIS and the Integrated Engineering project
The implementation of River Information Services (RIS) plays an important role in increasing safety and efficiency of inland waterway transport by offering tailor-made services for all stakeholders. DoRIS is the implementation of River Information Services on the Austrian Danube, which is an important tool for the modernisation of inland navigation.
Further the "Integrated River Engineering Projet on the Danube to the East of Vienna" aims at providing a solution to the issue of river bed stabilisation and meets the nautical and ecological requirements relevant to this area.
Both projects are vital for ensuring safe and efficient navigation on the river Danube in Austria.

TIME SCHEDULE
Tour 1
08.00 Meeting at Schwedenplatz (Citycenter)
08.15 boarding bus and for Powerplant Freudenau
08.45 Visit of Power Plant Freudenau
10:30 Bus tour trough the port of Vienna
11:30 Boarding vessel “Vindobona”
12:00 Transfer to Hainburg
Lunch on board
13.30 Presentation and live demonstration of DoRIS
Presentation of the "Integrated River Engineering Project"
17.00 Return to Schwedenplatz
17.30 end of Tour 1










Tour 2: Visit at the Industry Logistics Linz
The company Industry Logistics Linz GmbH (ILL) has installed a probably European-wide unique depot in the voest harbour in Linz. ILL was founded by voestalpine AG, Division Steel and the two truck companies Schachinger and Preymesser in October 1993.
The gigantic building is 312 metres long and 14, 5 metres high. By this size and height it can offer a direct access from water, street and rails. This complex construction enables a complete air conditioning for the complete stockroom. The humidity is less than 50%. It has a storage capacity about 43´000 tons or 3´100 units. These are ideal conditions for stocking and turnover of sensitive products for example steel coils for the automotive production.

TIME SCHEDULE
Tour 2
08.15 Meeting at Schwedenplatz (Citycenter)
08.30 boarding bus and transfer to Linz
11.00 Visit at ILL Linz, presentation "ILL and Inland Navigation in Linz"
11:30 Lunch
12.00 Bur tour though port of Linz, ILL depot and port of Enns
14.00 Bus transfer to Vienna
17.00 end of the tour, Vienna Schwedenplatz





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TOURISTIC SITE TOURS

Tour 1: Signs of the time - Historical Vienna

This is the perfect tour to get an overall impression of beautiful Vienna. Get to know the many magnificent buildings along Ringstrasse, such as the State Opera, Museums of Fine Arts and Natural History, the Hofburg (Imperial Palace), Parliament, City Hall, the Burgtheater and Votivkirche. Another highlight is a guided tour through the wonderful stately rooms of Schönbrunn Palace, the former summer residence of the Habsburg family. We return via Belvedere Palace.
Duration: 3,5 hours

Price: 43,00 EUR per person (incl. bus, guide and the Highlight tour Schönbrunn)


Tour 2: Sigmund Freud - Remarkable thinker of the 20th century

In the 19th century, countless Jewish people immigrated to Vienna. Among them was the family of Sigmund Freud. Visit the place where the "Father of Psychoanalysis" lived and worked for almost half a century. Get a feeling for his social and academic environment and learn more about his impact on 20th century intellectual and scientific life. After a visit of his consulting room-turned-museum you will be guided through the oldest remaining Jewish cemetery of Vienna dating back to the late 15th century.
Meeting Point: Votiv Church

Duration: 3,5 hours

Price: 23,00 EUR per person
(incl. Guide, entrance fee Freud Museum, entrance Jewish cemetery)


Tour 3: Beautiful Danube Valley - "Wachau"

This tour will take you west of Vienna, to the beautiful part of the Danube Valley known as the "Wachau". The full day's journey includes a visit to the magnificent Benedictine Abbey of Melk, one of the finest examples of Baroque architecture in Austria and often referred to as the "cradle of Austria". The picturesque village of Dürnstein, where King Richard Lionheart was held prisoner until his faithful minstrel Blondel rescued him, is particularly worthwhile, as is the old merchants' town of Krems. Other highlights of this tour include a boat ride on the mighty Danube River and a three-course lunch menu with selected beverages.

Duration: 8 hours

Price: 110,00 EUR per person
(incl. bus, guide, entrance fee and guided visit Abbey of Melk, Lunch incl. a glass of wine and one soft drink, boat ride on the Danube)