Cycle path along the Danube from Passau to Vienna
Cycling along the north bank of the Danube is a pleasure for the whole family. Together with the river, you travel, always supported by a gentle downhill gradient, from Passau via Vienna to the state border near Hainburg. A route with unforgettable experiences.
Directions:The varied scenic charms, historic sites, picturesque and historically rich cities and towns are the unique mix that makes the Danube cycle path so special. The bishopric city of Passau, the Bavarian Venice, provides a magnificent start to your cycling route. Soon you enter the Donauleiten nature reserve, whose steep slopes mark the southern edge of the Bavarian Forest. At the Jochenstein power plant, the Danube—and naturally the cycle path with it—reaches Austria. Here, the Danube valley is framed by wooded hills, and the Schlögener Loop—where the Danube changes its direction twice—is the first highlight of the route.
A little further downstream, the cycle path leads you through Feldkirchen an der Donau, and a dive into one of the four bathing lakes provides refreshment. Passing by Ottensheim Castle, you head into the Upper Austrian state capital Linz (European Capital of Culture 2009), which invites you on a discovery journey with its exciting blend of tradition and modernity.
Before the pedal riders head into the fertile Machland plain, they pass the "toll station" Mauthausen, once founded by the Babenbergs. Leisurely, the river guides you through the Machland into the Strudengau. Shortly before Grein, the Danube valley narrows, and the banks rise steeply. Strudengau was once feared by boatmen because of its whirlpools. Trade and the services of pilots made Grein the picturesque "golden town" of today.
At Persenbeug, the Nibelung valley begins, marking the Lower Austrian section of the Danube cycle path. Shortly after, the pilgrimage church Maria Taferl greets from a hill. Soon you reach Emmersdorf with a view of the majestic Melk Abbey, the gateway to the Wachau. Terraced vineyards laid out in gentle terraces, idyllic places with well-known names such as Spitz and Dürnstein—the Wachau extends about 40 kilometers downstream to Krems, a UNESCO World Heritage site and internationally renowned wine region.
Soon after Krems, you gain a new companion: the Wagram region. In the Wagram wine-growing area, excellent white wines grow on fertile loess soils. Now you cycle through the Tulln Danube area before entering the extensive Stockerau floodplains and arriving in the federal capital Vienna, where nothing stands in the way of an extensive city tour of the Danube metropolis.
When you leave the city on the north bank, you reach the Lobau—part of the Donau-Auen National Park—and after a short stage, the medieval town of Hainburg is reached. At the small municipality of Wolfsthal, you finally cross the state border, and soon the first suburbs of the Slovak capital Bratislava appear.
SUITABILITY FOR FAMILIES: Very well suited for families with children.
Tip:The temporary route goes from Au / Donau (bike and walk) on Perg (local road) along the Naarn and the Wagra trade road to Mitterkirchen. Continues past the power plant Wallsee along the Lower Austrian side of the Danube Bike Tour past Ardagger and in Grein across the bridge and back.
Additional information:
DANUBE UPPER AUSTRIA
4040 Linz, Lindengasse 9
Tel.: +43(0)732/7277-888
Fax: +43(0)732/7277-804
E-Mail: info@donauregion.at
https://www.donauregion.at
DANUBE LOWER AUSTRIA
3620 Spitz/Donau, Schlossgasse 3
Tel.: +43(0)2713/300 60-60
Fax: +43(0)2713/300 60-30
E-Mail: urlaub@donau.com
https://www.donau.com
Use of the crossings of the Danube power stations of VERBUND in Upper Austria
VERBUND, Austria’s leading energy provider and operator of the Danube power stations, has adopted a regulation for the use of the Danube power station crossings of Abwinden-Asten and Ottensheim-Wilhering, in association with the State of Upper Austria’s Department for Comprehensive Traffic Planning and Public Transport, Upper Austrian Tourism and the mayors of Ottensheim and Luftenberg. It is guaranteed that the crossings are open from 1 April to 31 October, from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM. If temperatures are sufficiently warm in November and March, the crossings are also open. From early December to late February, though, the crossings are closed to bikers and pedestrians for liability reasons.
The municipalities do not assume liability for the use of the crossings during the other months. Distributing gravel and salt along the crossings leads to damage to the buildings of the power station and the offices that are located below. It is therefore not possible to guarantee that the crossings are free of snow and ice. For this reason, the power station crossings are closed in December, January and February.
The State of Upper Austria’s Department for Comprehensive Traffic Planning and Public Transport gives users of the cross-regional network of bike paths advance notice regarding the opening times by means of signs along the bike paths. “Notice boards along the bike paths will inform bikers in due time of the opening times,” states Johann Froschauer, who is responsible for the network of bike paths in Upper Austria.
More flexible opening times in November and March
As it is possible for the weather to be warm for prolonged periods of time in November and March and therefore to use the crossings without the risk of snow and ice, VERBUND is willing in the interest of the public to open the power station crossings to bikers and pedestrians if the weather is warm in the future. For this reason, the regulations, in particular at weekends and round Easter, are less complicated. Nevertheless, it is VERBUND’s decision whether to open the crossings.
Guaranteed opening times:
Daily from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM, from 1 April to 31 October
Shuttle service
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Further information for people with disabilities
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