Danube Cycling: Passau to Vienna through the Wachau

1. Day 1: Arrive in Passau, the city of three rivers

   Munich Airport (MUC) or Passau station to your hotel in Passau's old town

   • Drive about 2 h
   • Dinner
   • Stay in Passau
   Day 1 details

   Most guests would fly into Munich Airport (MUC), roughly 190 km and two hours from Passau by road. A group transfer, with the vehicle appointed at quoting, would leave around midday, with the exact time set in the final itinerary. If you come by train, meet us at Passau's main station and check the timetable for the change of trains. Passau sits on a narrow tongue of land where the Inn from the south and the small dark Ilz from the north run into the Danube, and the hotel is planned for the old town between them. In the late afternoon we fit your bike: saddle height, handlebars, a helmet and a short test ride along the river, so tomorrow starts on a bike that already feels like yours. Your guide then briefs the group on the week, how the riding days work and where the support vehicle meets us. Dinner is a welcome meal in the old town.

   Included

   • Group transfer from Munich Airport (MUC), or meeting at Passau main station
   • Bike fitting and a short test ride
   • Welcome briefing with your guide
   • Welcome dinner in the old town

   Free time: Free until the bike fitting in the late afternoon

   Activity: Land at Munich by about 11 am for the group transfer; later arrivals can take the train to Passau and we meet you at the station.

2. Day 2: Into Austria and the Schlögen loop

   Passau old town, then by bike to Engelhartszell and Schlögen

   • By ferry
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Schlögen
   Day 2 details

   We start on foot while Passau is quiet: St. Stephen's Cathedral, rebuilt in Baroque style after a fire in 1662 and home to one of the largest church organs in the world, then the narrow lanes down to the Dreiflüsseeck, the point where the three rivers meet and their different colours show in the water. The cathedral closes for a short period in the late morning and during organ concerts, so we time the visit around them. Mid-morning we ride out along the Danube and cross from Germany into Austria within the first hour. The valley narrows between wooded slopes and the path is mostly flat and quiet. Lunch is at an inn by the river. At Engelhartszell we stop at the abbey church of Stift Engelszell, a Rococo church built in the 1750s and 1760s. The official stage to Schlögen is about 43 km. Near the end, depending on which bank the route follows, the Au to Schlögen cyclists' ferry may be used (the operator lists 1 April to 26 October, shorter hours in April and October). The exact bank for each stretch is set when we quote. The evening is yours.

   Included

   • Guided walk in Passau's old town, St. Stephen's Cathedral and the Dreiflüsseeck
   • Guided ride from Passau to Schlögen, about 43 km
   • Lunch at a riverside inn
   • Stop at the Engelszell abbey church
   • Cyclists' ferry crossing at Schlögen when the route uses it (fare quoted)

   Easier option: Ride the first stretch to Engelhartszell, then ride with the support vehicle to Schlögen.

   More active option: Climb the footpath from Schlögen to the viewpoint above the loop; the climb is measured when we quote.

   Free time: Late afternoon and evening free in Schlögen

   Activity: About 43 km on flat, mostly paved riverside paths, about 3 hours in the saddle with stops. The Au to Schlögen ferry takes one ride at a time and runs on its own hours.

   

3. Day 3: Round the loop to Linz

   Schlögen, then by bike through Aschach and Wilhering to Linz

   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Linz
   Day 3 details

   From Schlögen we ride east on which on the official stage needs no ferry. The valley stays wild and wooded for the first hour, with the water slow and wide, then opens at Aschach, where houses face the river, into the flat farmland of the Eferding basin. Lunch is in the basin. In the afternoon we stop at Wilhering, a Cistercian abbey whose church is known for its Rococo interior; visiting depends on services and is confirmed when we quote. Then comes the last stretch into Linz, about 57 km in all on the official Schlögen to Linz stage. Linz is the capital of Upper Austria. Your guide walks the group from the hotel to the Hauptplatz and its Trinity Column, and the evening is free for the riverside Lentos art museum, the Ars Electronica Center across the bridge, or dinner in the old town. Opening days and ticket prices for these are checked when we quote.

   Included

   • Guided ride from Schlögen to Linz, about 57 km
   • Lunch in the Eferding basin
   • Stop at Wilhering Abbey
   • Short walk to Linz's Hauptplatz with your guide

   Optional experiences

   • The Pöstlingbergbahn tram up to the Pöstlingberg for the view over Linz (fare paid locally)
   • The Ars Electronica Center or the Lentos art museum

   Easier option: Stop at Ottensheim, a short way before Linz, and ride the last stretch with the support vehicle.

   More active option: Ride up to the Pöstlingberg in the evening instead of taking the tram; the climb is measured when we quote.

   Free time: Evening free in Linz

   Activity: About 57 km on flat paths and quiet lanes, about 4 hours in the saddle with stops.

   

4. Day 4: Mauthausen and the river to Grein

   Linz to Mauthausen, then along the north bank to Grein

   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Grein
   Day 4 details

   We leave Linz on the north bank and ride east through river meadows to the old market town of Mauthausen, roughly 20 to 25 km on, with its painted houses on the waterfront. Above the town is the Mauthausen Memorial, the site of a Nazi concentration camp. Entry is free. The memorial publishes seasonal opening hours (daily in the main season, with last entry at 4:45 pm); we check them for your date. The memorial gives its own age guidance for visitors. Group guided tours last about two hours and must be booked ahead through the memorial, so a visit is optional and arranged only if the date allows. Lunch is in Mauthausen. In the afternoon the river widens behind the Wallsee dam, and the path runs past orchards and small villages to Grein, about 61 km from Linz on the official stage, where the hills close in again. Grein is a small town below the Greinburg castle. Its historic town theatre dates from 1791 and is open to visitors Monday to Saturday from 1 May to 30 September, so we show you in if the day and time allow.

   Included

   • Guided ride from Linz to Grein, about 61 km
   • Lunch in Mauthausen
   • Grein old town, and the historic town theatre when open

   Optional experiences

   • Visit to the Mauthausen Memorial (entry is free; a guided group tour must be booked ahead and is priced at quoting)
   • The Upper Austrian Maritime Museum in the Greinburg

   Easier option: Ride as far as Mauthausen, roughly 20 to 25 km, then ride with the support vehicle to Grein.

   More active option: Detour to the old town of Enns on the south bank; the extra distance is measured when we quote.

   Free time: Evening free in Grein

   Activity: The longest riding day: about 61 km, flat, about 4.5 hours in the saddle with stops.

5. Day 5: Through the Strudengau to Melk

   Grein through the Strudengau to Ybbs, Pöchlarn and Melk

   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Melk
   Day 5 details

   Just below Grein the Danube runs through the Strudengau, a short gorge between wooded hills that was long the most feared stretch on the river for its rocks and whirlpools, until they were blasted and then drowned behind a dam. We ride it early, when mist can sit on the water. Past the castle of Persenbeug we reach Ybbs for a coffee in the old town, then ride through flat farmland to Pöchlarn and lunch on the way. The official Grein to Melk stage is about 51 km, so we arrive in the middle or late afternoon, when the yellow towers and dome of Melk Abbey appear on the rock above the river. Melk Abbey is open to visitors until 5:30 pm from April to October, with last admission at 5 pm, so a tired group may prefer to save it for the morning. Walk the small town under the abbey, sit in the main square, or rest before dinner. Tomorrow we see the abbey when it opens.

   Included

   • Guided ride from Grein to Melk through the Strudengau, about 51 km
   • Coffee stop in Ybbs
   • Lunch on the way

   Easier option: Skip the morning gorge and ride with the support vehicle to Ybbs, then cycle the last stretch to Melk.

   More active option: Climb by e-bike to the pilgrimage church of Maria Taferl on its hill above the river for the view down the valley; the climb is measured when we quote.

   Free time: Afternoon and evening free in Melk

   Activity: About 51 km, flat, about 4 hours in the saddle with stops.

   

6. Day 6: Melk Abbey at opening and the Wachau

   Melk Abbey, then by bike through Willendorf, Spitz and Weissenkirchen to Dürnstein

   • Breakfast, lunch and dinner
   • Stay in Dürnstein
   Day 6 details

   We are at Melk Abbey when it opens at 9 am between April and October. Public tours in English run about 50 minutes at set times, listed as 10:55 am from April to October (other times are listed in season) with a small surcharge, so the visit will follow the abbey's calendar and may be booked as a group when we quote. Inside are the imperial rooms, the marble hall, the library of painted ceilings and old books, and the Baroque church. After the visit, around midday, we cross to the north bank and ride into the Wachau, the 36 km valley between Melk and Krems listed by UNESCO in 2000. The path runs past apricot orchards and vineyard terraces through Willendorf, where the Venus figurine, about 30,000 years old, was found, to Spitz, where we stop for lunch. In the afternoon we plan a tasting of the valley's wines at a winery near Weissenkirchen, then ride the last stretch, about 30 km in all, to Dürnstein. Its blue and white abbey tower rises below the ruined castle where Richard the Lionheart is said to have been held in 1192 and 1193. Dinner is at a wine tavern.

   Included

   • Melk Abbey visit, with the abbey's guided tour booked when the date allows
   • Guided ride from Melk through the Wachau to Dürnstein, about 30 km
   • Lunch in Spitz
   • Wine tasting at a Wachau winery
   • Dinner at a wine tavern in the Wachau

   Optional experiences

   • Wachau roll ferries between the banks, such as Spitz to Arnsdorf (fares paid locally)

   Easier option: Ride as far as Spitz, then ride with the support vehicle to the winery and Dürnstein.

   More active option: Climb the footpath from Dürnstein to the castle ruin in the evening light; the climb is measured when we quote.

   Free time: Late afternoon free in Dürnstein

   Activity: About 1.5 hours on foot in the abbey, with stairs, then about 30 km of flat riding. The Spitz to Arnsdorf roll ferry runs without a fixed timetable and can stop at high or low water.

   

7. Day 7: Krems, Klosterneuburg and into Vienna

   Dürnstein to Krems by bike, van to Tulln, then by bike past Klosterneuburg into Vienna

   • Drive about 45 min
   • Breakfast, lunch and dinner
   • Stay in Vienna
   Day 7 details

   A short ride along the vines takes us to Krems, about 7 km, where the valley opens and the old town of Stein begins at its gate tower. From Krems the official stage to Tulln is about 47 km through flat country with the least to see, so the support vehicle carries the group and the bikes to Tulln and the riding goes to the approach to Vienna. Tulln is the birthplace of the painter Egon Schiele, and its riverside promenade is where we set off. The official Tulln to Vienna stage is about 38 km: the path runs past Greifenstein castle on its rock and through river woods to Klosterneuburg, where we stop for lunch beside the Augustinian abbey. Then the city edges closer, and we ride along the Danube Canal into the centre of Vienna. The afternoon is free, and in the evening we meet for a farewell dinner. Göttweig Abbey, on its hill above the river near Krems, is an option if you prefer a longer morning.

   Included

   • Guided ride from Dürnstein to Krems, about 7 km
   • Support vehicle with bikes from Krems to Tulln
   • Guided ride from Tulln past Greifenstein and Klosterneuburg into Vienna, about 38 km
   • Lunch in Klosterneuburg
   • Farewell dinner in Vienna

   Optional experiences

   • Klosterneuburg Abbey guided tour (price quoted)
   • Göttweig Abbey above the Danube near Krems: the abbey lists its church as open daily 8 am to 6 pm and its museum 10 am to 5 pm; confirm for your date

   Easier option: Ride with the support vehicle from Klosterneuburg into the centre of Vienna, skipping the city streets.

   More active option: Ride the whole way from Krems to Tulln instead of taking the support vehicle, about 47 km more on the flat.

   Free time: Afternoon free in Vienna

   Activity: About 45 km of riding in total, flat, with the last few kilometres on city bike lanes.

8. Day 8: Vienna's old town and home

   Vienna old town walk, then Vienna International Airport (VIE)

   • Drive about 30 min
   • Breakfast
   Day 8 details

   After breakfast your guide leads a morning walk through the old town for anyone with a later flight: St. Stephen's Cathedral, the Graben and Kohlmarkt, and the Hofburg, the Habsburgs' winter palace, with the statue of Prince Eugene on the Heldenplatz and the ring of museums beyond. We finish around 11 am near a coffee house for a last slice of cake. Vienna International Airport (VIE) is about 20 km and half an hour from the centre, and a transfer, with the vehicle appointed at quoting, takes you there at a time set by your flight; for an early flight we take you straight from the hotel after breakfast. If you are staying on in Vienna, we help you move to a new hotel instead. Vienna rewards more time: Schönbrunn, the Belvedere and the Kunsthistorisches Museum each need half a day.

   Included

   • Guided morning walk of Vienna's old town and the Hofburg
   • Transfer to Vienna International Airport (VIE)

   Activity: Book a flight leaving Vienna after about 2:30 pm to join the morning walk.

   

Wildlife and weather: The riding season runs from April to October. April and October can be cool and wet, and July and August can be hot enough that we start early and ride the longer days before midday. Heavy rain can lift river levels, which can close the small Danube ferries and flood stretches of the path, and the route then follows the other bank or the support vehicle takes over. Apricot orchards typically blossom in spring and fruit in summer, and the grape harvest falls in early autumn; the exact timing varies each year.

• Passau1 night
• Schlögen1 night
• Linz1 night
• Grein1 night
• Melk1 night
• Dürnstein1 night
• Vienna1 night