Rollfähre Spitz-Arnsdorf, Reaction ferry across the Danube River in Lower Austria

The Rollfähre Spitz-Arnsdorf is a reaction ferry crossing the Danube in Lower Austria, made up of two connected vessel bodies that can carry 20 tons. The ferry operates without an engine and relies instead on the natural current of the river to move across.

The ferry was built in 1928 and entered service on 17 May of that year. It is the only year-round crossing within the Wachau, since the nearest bridges are upstream at Melk and downstream at Mautern. In October 2007 a light aircraft caught in the 485-metre carrying cable and crashed into the Danube, killing all four occupants.

The ferry cabin features an artistic installation by Olafur Eliasson that works like a camera obscura, turning the crossing into an optical experience. Visitors notice how the surrounding landscape is projected and inverted through this work during the journey.

The ferry runs year-round, since it is the only crossing within the Wachau between the bridges at Melk upstream and Mautern downstream. It sits at Danube kilometre 2020, linking Spitz on the left bank with Arnsdorf on the right. Hikers on the Austrian North-South long-distance trail depend on it, as the nearest bridge means a long detour.

A 485-meter steel cable anchored in towers on both riverbanks guides the vessel across the water. This single cable alone holds and directs the ferry while the current provides all the forward motion.