On 21 April 2026, the LIFE WILDisland project welcomed its CINEA Project Advisor, Ms. Illenia Babetto, and external monitor Mr. Felix Bergmann (ELMEN) for an on-site visit along the Austrian and Hungarian Danube. These visits are an important part of the LIFE programme, offering the European Commission an opportunity to experience project implementation first-hand and engage directly with the teams behind it.
The day began in Austria with a visit to the newly opened exhibition of Donau-Auen National Park, just ahead of its official launch as part of the Park’s 30-year anniversary celebrations. From there, the group continued to the Schwalbeninsel island complex as one of the project’s flagship sites, where large-scale restoration measures are already transforming the river landscape.
At Schwalbeninsel, Donau-Auen National Park and viadonau are implementing one of the most ambitious restoration efforts along the Danube. The project includes the removal of approximately 2.8 km of embankment and the adaptation of groynes to restore natural river dynamics, improve hydrological connectivity, and support adjacent floodplain forests. With construction works ongoing since autumn 2025, around half of the section has already been restored. Nature is responding quickly and beavers have begun to settle along the newly reconnected banks, while White-tailed Eagles remain in the area.
The visit then continued to Hungary, to the Erebe side-arm restoration site in Fertő-Hanság National Park as a completed measure showcasing the tangible results of the WILDisland approach. Here, a 3-km side channel has been reactivated through targeted dredging and the opening of groynes, ensuring flowing water for more than 300 days per year.
Just one year after completion, the ecological response is already remarkable: beavers have colonised the banks, gravel-nesting bird species have returned, and the restored channel supports a high biomass and diversity of juvenile fish. These calmer, sheltered waters provide essential habitat, protected from strong currents and wave disturbance as a key contribution to restoring the Danube’s ecological functionality.
The visit was joined by project partners from Kopački Rit Nature Park (Croatia) and Duna-Ipoly National Park (Hungary), highlighting the strong transboundary cooperation at the heart of the WILDisland initiative.
The on-site visit provided a valuable opportunity to demonstrate how large-scale restoration measures are being successfully implemented in a highly regulated river system, delivering visible results and setting a benchmark for future actions along the Danube.
The visit left us inspired and motivated to continue this remarkable project, and we sincerely thank CINEA and the LIFE Programme for their continued trust and support.
