The Danube Bike Trail
The most prominent of all bike routes in Austria, this tour will take you to some of Austria's most impressive cultural sites.
Starting at the historic German border town of Passau, the trail follows the Danube (Europe's second-largest river) through the beautiful landscape of the Upper-Danube Valley to Vienna. The journey takes you past towns from Roman times, Baroque monasteries, and churches to the wild romance of the Strudengau and to Grein. Along the way, you'll see the city of Linz, the Baroque abbey of St. Florian, many nearby castles, and of course the famous "Wachau" region with its charming villages, vineyards, and romantic fruit orchards. Don't miss a visit to the Baroque Abbey of Melk overlooking the Danube.
Other must-see stops on the tour include Dürnstein, with its ruins where King Richard the Lionhearted was captured on his way back from the Crusades, and the 1,000-year-old town of Krems. For those wishing to cycle further along past Vienna, the Hainburg area close to the border with Slovakia is the end of the marked bike trail.
- Distance: 317 km (197 mi)
- Start: Passau
- Finish: Hainburg
- Features: 90% traffic-free bike trails along the Danube River, practically flat or slightly downhill. Some points of interest will require short uphill battles.