Danube cycle path on the north bank Passau-Bratislava

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.

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.

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.

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