The Danube bicycle route between Passau and Vienna ranks as Europe’s best-known and most-loved bike route – and for good reason. No other section of the river offers as diverse a range of landscapes and cultures or as many historical sites. Tranquil valleys, fertile plains, and steep vineyards line the banks of one of Europe’s great rivers, where pretty farms and glorious abbeys stand side-by-side. The loop of the Danube at Schlögen, the abbey at Melk, and the romantic Wachau wine-producing area are just some of the highlights along the 350 kilometer route.
This bicycle touring atlas includes detailed maps of the countryside and of
many cities and towns, precise route descriptions, information about historic
and cultural sites as well as background information and a comprehensive list
of overnight accommodations. The one thing this atlas cannot provide is fine
cycling weather, but we hope you encounter nothing but sunshine and gentle tailwinds.
The total distance from the start in Passau to the final destination, Vienna, is 326 kilometers. This figure does not include possible side-trips and alternative routes.
see Route profile
In the last ten years the Danube bike Route has emerged as Europe’s most important long-distance bicycle touring route. Its popularity is due primarily to the Danube’s natural beauty and the wealth of cultural and historical sites that line its banks. But the large numbers of bicycle tourists visiting the Danube would not be possible without a well-developed infrastructure and services. The Danube bike route has benefited from well-built posted bike trails and an extensive network of services oriented to meeting the needs of bicycle tourists. The following pages provide a few practical notes about how to use the book, and some tips on getting ready for the tour.
The Danube bicycle route is very comfortable to ride. Virtually the entire distance follows paved bicycle trails or lightly traveled public roads. For most of the distance, a bicycle route is present on both sides of the river.
The Danube Bicycle Route is thoroughly posted with signs that show the way. However, it does occasionally happen that signs are missing or turned in the wrong direction. In Austria, rectangular green signs are posted along the route and in most places the route is clearly named the “Donau-Radweg.” Other regional bicycle trails branch off from the main route. Excursions and alternative routes often follow their own signs, and are also described in this book.
The descriptions of the 326-kilometer tour follow the river downstream, from
west to east. This allows cyclists to take advantage of the prevailing winds
and the river’s downward slope (minimal though it may be).
The Danube usually has bicycle trails on both sides of the river. All of these
trails are marked as parts of the Danube bicycle route. This book describes
the routes on both sides of the river: the route on the northern, or left bank
is described first, followed by the route on the southern, or right bank. The
entire tour is divided into three sections: Passau to Linz, Linz to Melk, and
Melk to Vienna.
The two sides of the river are identified as the left and the right sides, as seen when looking downstream. To simplify orientation, towns and cities are given with their kilometer number on the Danube (ex. Passau km 2226 or Vienna km 1929) and the side of the river they occupy (L or R). The Danube’s kilometers are also shown in the maps (|1925).
The division of the tour into six sections is intended to aid tourists’
general orientation and does not necessarily suggest one-day stages. If you
intend to include museum visits and swimming pauses along the way, we recommend
planning at least a week for the entire distance. The book also includes descriptions
of short side-trips which offer riders opportunities to expand the ride according
to their desires.
If the tour turns out to take longer than expected, there are taxi companies
along the first stage that will transport bicycles if the need arises. The telephone
numbers of these companies are listed in the information about individual towns.
Rail lines also run along much of the Danube, giving riders the option of boarding
a train to complete a stretch.
Germany 0049
Austria 0043
Departing the three-rivers city Passau, the Danube flows through the densely-wooded slopes of the narrow valley between the Bavarian Wald (forest) and the Sauwald until it reaches the Danube’s loop at Schlögen. Here the river does something unexpected: Blocked by a granite mountain, the Danube does a U-turn around a sharp curve and flows back towards the west in the first part of a tight S-curve. The valley begins to widen at Aschach as the Danube enters the fertile plains of the Eferdinger Basin. Our destination for this stage is the steel-making city of Linz, with cultural offerings that belie the city’s industrial reputation.
The route along the left bank from Passau to Linz is almost completely marked with signs. It follows bicycle trails and paths as well as minor public roads. There are no significant inclines. From Schlögen to Inzell the route is present only on the right bank.
The bicycle route along the right, or southern, bank of the Danube begins in Passau, the city at the confluence of the rivers Inn, Danube and Ilz. After a short distance the route enters Austria and skirts the edge of the Sauwald, through Engelhartszell to Schlögen, where the river winds through an extreme S-curve, the Schlögener Schlinge (loop). At Aschach the Danube then enters the fertile Eferdinger Basin, where it passes through vegetable gardens and imposing old farms. This stage of the Danube cycle tour ends in Linz.
Good bicycle trails are available only for parts of the route along the right bank. Several sections, especially between Engelhartszell and Schlögen, and the final kilometers into Linz, share the heavily-traveled main road with motorized traffic. There are frequent opportunities to cross the river to the quieter left bank route. This stage is completely flat, with no hills worthy of mention.
Downstream from Linz, the Danube bicycle trail returns to the green and fertile Austrian countryside, bringing the bicycle tourist through pretty towns like Steyregg and Grein, past cultural attractions like the open-air museum in Metterkirchen, and historical sites, including the Mauthausen concentration camp, a remnant of Germany and Austria’s Nazi past. The bicycle tour crosses the fascinatingly melancholy Strudengau, the much-feared narrows where the Danube churns and races, to the gentle Nibelungengau that the river passes to reach Melk.
From Linz to Abwinden the Danube bicycle route can be found only on the northern, or left, bank of the river. The route guides riders along quiet country lanes and cycle paths to Melk. The section between Grein and Persenburg is routed on public roads - traffic is somewhat heavier. The only climbs are for the excursion to Mauthausen.
The Danube bicycle route on the southern side of the river leaves the capital of Upper Austria, Linz, and proceeds into the fertile Machland. Especially noteworthy here are the St. Florian monastery and, of course, Enns – Austria’s oldest city. The route then passes through the enchanting “most” region with its distinctive farms. The Danube becomes narrower and faster before reaching Grein and then rushes through the thrilling Strudengau. The crowning conclusion to this stage is the town of Melk and its world-famous Benedictine abbey.
Between Linz and Abwinden there is no Danube bicycle route on the right, or southern, bank. In Abwinden you can cross to the right bank and proceed along quiet country lanes, farming roads and bicycle trails. This stage has no serious climbs and no stretches along busy roads.
Many bicycle tourists will regard the final stage to Vienna as the highlight of the tour. The Wachau – one of Austria’s best-known wine-growing regions – offers some of the most beautiful landscapes along the entire Danube River. A centuries-old tradition of producing wines has turned the steep south-facing slopes into terraced “stairs to the heavens,” and give the valley its distinctive appearance. Downstream from Krems, the Danube valley then spreads into the expansive flood plains of the Tullner meadows, before reaching the Wiener Pforte. A few kilometers later the tour ends in Vienna, Austria’s charming capital city.
The route from Melk to Altenwörth follows quiet country lanes and bicycle trails. Between Altenwörth and Tulln the Danube bicycle route exists only on the southern bank, before returning to the northern side at Tulln.
Turning downstream from the Benedictine Abbey at Melk, the Danube bicycle route enters Austria’s best-know wine producing region, the Wachau. The river valley is especially beautiful in the spring, when the apricot orchards blossom. The route passes under the ruins of the castle at Aggstein and past the valley’s little jewels: Spitz, Weißenkirchen and Dürnstein. The Wachau region ends just before the old city of Krems, where the Danube enters the expansive flatlands of the Tulln plain. The river narrows again once more upstream from Vienna, where it passes the “Wiener Pforte” (gate) at the feet of the Viennese woods before flowing past Klosterneuburg and into Austria’s capital city, Vienna.
The route down the southern, or right, bank mostly follows bicycle trails and
quiet country lanes and side streets. The only stretch on more heavily trafficked
roads, without bicycle lanes, is between Melk and Arnsdorf. The only steep climbs
are on the side-trips to the ruins at Aggstein and to the Göttweig monastery.
