Danube Cycle Path Stage 4 South Bank: Ardagger - Melk

The market town of Ardagger is considered one of the main places of the Mostviertel region. Culture enthusiasts visit the church in the former monastery, which houses Austria's oldest figurative stained glass, the Margareten window from the 13th century. Sports fans, on the other hand, use the many water sports opportunities as well as the offer of the "Donauwellenpark" directly on the cycle path (beach volleyball, climbing wall, etc.).

Then you go through the Strudengau. This narrow Danube valley is bordered by high, densely wooded hills. Repeatedly you will find inviting sandy beaches directly on the river, and small villages like Hößgang and Freyenstein enliven your ride.

Soon after the Ybbs-Persenbeug visitor power plant (tours by appointment) you reach the small town of Ybbs, where you should stay just for the bicycle museum: from the wooden running bike to the weapon bike from the Emperor's times, the history of your favorite vehicle is documented here. The Renaissance townhouses in the old town are charming, and the St. Lorenz parish church has an impressive rib vault and an organ that Mozart signed during his visit in 1767.

Passing the villages of Sarling, Säusenstein, and Krummnußbaum, you reach the "Nibelungen City" Pöchlarn, which houses, among other things, the birthplace of the painter Oskar Kokoschka (exhibitions) and a carpentry museum. The Nibelungen monument reminds that this small town is a setting in that ancient epic which partly takes place on the Danube. Whoever still has desire, mood, and time can make a short detour to Erlauf and visit the local Peace Museum ERLAUF ERINNERT (about 3.5 km from Pöchlarn to Erlauf). From Pöchlarn you reach the town of Melk, the "Gateway to the Wachau", in no more than three quarters of an hour.

Ardagger Markt - Hößgang - Ybbs an der Donau - Krummnußbaum - Pöchlarn - Melk

Route description:

You start the route in Ardagger Markt and immediately look for the path to the Danube. There you join the Danube Cycle Path. With a beautiful view of the river, you cycle through the cultural landscape of Strudengau. It owes its name to the many dangerous whirlpools and shallows. It was therefore once considered by boatmen to be one of the most dangerous sections of the Danube. Today, this landscape section belongs to the reservoir area of the subsequent power plant and is easily navigable for shipping.

It continues on the Danube Cycle Path without major settlement contact to Ybbs an der Donau. You have plenty of time to enjoy the flora and fauna in the Strudengau, which impresses with its large number of protected trees alone. In Ybbs an der Donau, it is time again for some culture. Here, the old town of Ybbs, with its restored Renaissance townhouses, and the St. Lorenz parish church stand out. The organ in the church bears the initials of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart since his visit in 1767. Also located here is Austria's largest run-of-river power plant, the Ybbs-Persenbeug power plant. You pass through the town and then cross the Ybbs.

A stretch along the river follows back to Sarling on the Danube. Your next stop is the town with the peculiar name Krummnußbaum, whose origin most likely lies with the nut trees that once grew by the river. Directly afterwards is the municipality of Pöchlarn. In the early Middle Ages, it was known as Bechelaren and is mentioned in the Nibelungenlied as the ancestral castle of Rüdiger of Bechelaren. It is also the last larger town that separates us from our destination, the town of Melk. After a lonely but relaxing ride along the Danube, you finally reach the end of today's stage.

Melk is a beautiful conclusion to this route, as it can be called a real "cultural highlight". Parts of the town, such as Melk Abbey, are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Wachau. The abbey has been described as the "most symbolic and dominant Baroque building"; it also houses the Melk Abbey Secondary School, Austria's oldest still existing school. Since the well-known landscape section "Wachau" begins here, the hills get higher and steep vineyards accumulate on all sides. An ideal panorama to end today's bike tour.