Travel report: Danube Cycle Path

From the three-river town of Passau through the Danube loop to Schlögen

Passau itself is well worth a look. The cityscape has something southern about it with bright and colourful houses. Additionally, the city is very much influenced by the three rivers: the Danube, Inn and Ilz. It’s also worth while visiting the excellent restaurants here.

Leave Passau via the imposing Prinzregent-Luitpold-Brücke and admire the city from afar. Then you cycle along a well-developed asphalt path back along the Danube to Austria!

After Jochenstein you finally cross the German-Austrian border. Arriving in Austria, for most of the time you pass through small villages, which is convenient. There was very little traffic and the tour progressed nicely, and with good weather.

After the border you travel first on a path between the forest and the Danube, it’s very nice. Finally you meet the small towns of Kramesau and Niederranna. As the Danube Cycle Path as also sign posted in Austria, you can’t get lost.

The next destination is Au, where you have to take the Danube ferry to Schlögen to follow the official Danube cycle path. The bike ferry is a small wooden boat that constantly goes back and forth. It doesn’t cost much, but is included in the Eurobike package anyway.

This part of the Danube cycle path is a real spectacle. One passes the Schlögener Schlinge, which is considered a natural wonder. Here the Danube has eaten right into the mountains and changes direction twice by nearly 180 °.

Behind Schlögen, after a short distance, you come to Inzell. Then you go directly to the Danube, where you are surrounded by lots of forest. There’s good asphalt roads, as well as a beautiful view of the Danube. The next destination is Aschach an der Donau. From there it is only 28 kilometres to my destination of Linz.

Aschach is characterized by its shipping tradition, which you can see as soon as you arrive. There is a traditional old wooden ship on the Danube, which was once used for transporting salt. Right by this there is also the Schopper- and Fischermuseum in Aschach. The place itself is similar to Passau, with its beautiful coloured facades and has a kind of Mediterranean holiday feel in the summer.

After this, there is no village except a bike kiosk near Brandstatt. The Danube Cycle Path in Austria is simply geared towards cycling tourism. It gets interesting again at Ottensheim. Here you have the chance to change river side, before you travel the next 9 kilometres.

In Linz the cycle path is very well sign posted. But I left it already to get over the Nibelungen Bridge to my hotel. From here I had a very nice view of the Danube. Linz was once considered a pure industrial and steel city, but it has also made a name for itself as a cultural city – really worth seeing. In the evening sun it looks particularly impressive.

My second leg of the Austrian Danube cycle path took me from Linz to Emmersdorf in the Wachau. I looked over beautiful Linz before I continued on the cycle path. After Mathausen you cycle directly along the Danube. The path is great here and you get really get going. I wanted to gain time, and above all, have fun.

Between Au and Mitterkirchen I got a flat in the rear wheel. Of course I could have called Eurobike, but there was a bike station at Mitterkirchen in Machland anyway. If I had needed to travel longer, I would have been grateful for the service of Eurobike. The infrastructure on the Danube Cycle Path in Austria is just great! I was able to inflate my tyre and continue my cycling smoothly.

From Emmersdorf we cycled through the Wachau. Now you are really in the Wachau and can enjoy a view of the vineyards. This is probably the most beautiful part of the Austrian Danube Cycle Path.

My first destination was Spitz, where I took part in a wine tasting at the Klosterhof Wachau. This was paid for by a voucher from Eurobike. There were three kinds of white wine to taste, and all were excellent.

Wachau has been part of UNESCO World Heritage since 2000. The climate here is mild and, in addition to the landscape, it is fun to cycle through the small villages with their narrow streets – even if you can’t travel so fast. Besides wine, a lot of fruit is grown here. The Wachau apricots are especially well-known and are used for juice and jam.

After Spitz comes Weißkirchen in the Wachau, and after another Danube curve comes Dürnstein. It’s noticeable from afar, before you cycle directly past it.

The Wachau finally ends in Krems. After the Danube bridge behind Krems you have a wonderful view of the Danube – I could hardly get enough of it. The Wachau is now over and the landscape is changing, but it remains very attractive.

The Danube slowly gets wider and wider here. After Krems you cycle once more through a wooded area. On the one side the Danube, on the other the forest. Finally, I arrive at the nuclear power plant in Zwentendorf. A historical and important place for Austrians. Because the nuclear power plant never went into action after persistent protests by the population.

It is very idyllic here on the path. Sometimes you cycle through the forest before the next destination of beautiful Grein. At Grein I was allowed to cross the Danube with a bicycle ferry. Although you can continue straight ahead at this point, the better path seemed to be on the other side.
After changing side, the path continues through a heavily forested area. The path is still great. There are now only small places to pass through as you make your way to the next destination of Ybbs on the Danube, here there is also an interesting bicycle museum.

After the Niebelungenstadt Pöchlarn the cycle path continues over the asphalt to Melk. Here the Wachau begins, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The region is known for its world-famous wine and wonderful landscape. The impressive Melk Abbey can also be admired here.

A bridge connects Melt with the stage destination of Emmersdorf. From the bridge it was easy to get to my hotel. I was happy and satisfied and looking forward to the last stage which would lead me to Vienna!

After Zwentendorf it is quiet and beautiful as you make your way to Tulln along the Danube. Tulln is a slightly larger city and is known as a garden and flower city.

After Tulln we noticed more people on the cycle path. We would reach Vienna soon. Road cyclists, tour riders, bike tourists like me – everyone was on the path. And the route was really great, and really fast.

Arriving at St. Andrä-Wördern you have several options: you can either continue straight on to drive over Klosterneuburg, or you can cross the bridge to reach the Danube island in Vienna.

I decided to take the second option and arrived at the Danube Tower near my hotel and had reached by destination. I looked at Vienna the following day, but my cycle tour was over.

I had done it. 310 kilometres in three days. The Danube cycle path in Austria is certainly not the most difficult of cycle paths. But it was a challenge that was made easier for me by Eurobike!