Danube Cycle Way – Passau to Budapest

Arrive in the three rivers city of Passau and collect your rental bikes. Once in your hotel visit the old town of Passau. If you arrive earlier enough why not take a river trip or city tour to explore this wonderful city. Later in the evening explore the old city at night and enjoy a cold beer while watching the evening pass.

There is a bike handover between 4-7 pm or for late arrivals the next morning.

Today your adventure begins, first you cycle passing Obernzell and onto Engelhartszell. Cycling through deep gorges which have been cut out of the Bavarian woodland. You shall see many castles towards Kramesau on the German/Austria border. Now you enter the Donouleiten a nature preserve which runs mostly on the left bank of the Danube. Its south facing direction has created an environment which is loved by wildlife and fauna.

This part of the Danube called the “ Schogener Schlinge”, with a massive granite rock in its path the Danube loops around it. You then cycle through an area of outstanding natural beauty to Aschach and further onto Linz. With its many museums, a castle and a great medieval main square Linz is a lovely compact city to explore. A recommendation is to take the cable car ride to Postlingberg a baroque pilgrimage church, a fairyland and grotto which is great for young and old alike.

Today if you wish, take a short detour you can take a visit to the St Florian Monastery, a pilgrimage site where Anton Bruckner is buried beneath the famous Bruckner Organ. Then you cycle towards Enns, which is the oldest town in Austria. Here you shall see Roman, Baroque and Renaissance heritage within the town’s architecture. The cycle tour then passes through Mauthasusen and if you wish to visit the old German concentration camp from the second world war.  Soon you will reach the gorgeous Baroque village of Grein where there is the oldest theatre in Austria.

Today’s cycle tour takes you through a fascinating landscape. Full of tall and densely wooded rock formations on both sides of the Danube. Then high above the River Danube, you can find the Pilgrimage Church of Maria Taferl. Later you reach Melk, with its marvellous Benedictine Monastery.

Today you enter the magnificent Wachau Valley, the garden of Austria. Here you will find terraced vineyards, many apricot groves mixed with many castles, monasteries and even palaces. Today you have the possibility to take a break off your bike and travel by boat for some of the way (pay on the spot). As you cycle towards Krems, you will cycle through Spitz, Weißenkirchen and Dürnstein which are famous for their wine production. The town of Krems is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Today you leave the Krems region by train. After arriving in Tulln, you can then cycle directly through the Vienna Woods (Wiener Wald) and pass-through “The Gates of Vienna”. Please remember to stop and visit the impressive monastery in Klosterneuburg before you continue to the City of Music, Vienna.

Not far from Vienna an untouched alluvial landscape and a Nature Reserve of stunning and diverse Flora and Fauna begin. Enjoy the wonderful peace and quiet, only interrupted by the twittering chirps of birds. The ancient Romans have left their footprints and also have relaxed in the nice warm water of Bad Deutsch Altenburg. The Archaeological Park of Carnuntum is waiting to take you into an exciting journey of the past.

Today you continue along the Danube cycleway between the hills of Hainburg and the Carpathian Mountains. Today’s ride is shorter to allow you time to arrive early to explore the Slovakian capital, Bratislava. Its, old town is for certain worth a visit.

Today you can first explore Bratislava before continuing along the Danube cycleway on the very beautiful riparian cycle path to the border of Slovakia and Hungary near Kunovo. Then you continue in Hungary through Donasziget which was in the past actually located on an island on the Danube, then onto Mosonmagyarovar, and then onto Gyor.

You can shorten the day by taking a short train ride to Györ which has a beautiful Baroque style old town to explore.

Today you have a chance to visit an Arabian horse breeding farm known as the National Stud of Babolna. Here there is a Stud Museum where you can learn about Hungarian horse breeding techniques and methods. Now you continue by bike through lush rolling hills and into the village of Komarom, you will find your accommodation in the favourite village of the renowned King Matthias.

Today you cycle along the Slovakian side of the Danube passing quaint villages along the way. Soon you will reach Esztergom known as the Town of Bishops and Kings. A highlight here will be to visit the Basilica of Esztergom, the largest Catholic cathedral in Hungary. Then you pass the Roman fort of Kelemantia.  

Amidst the hilly landscape, the river Danube splits, dividing itself to create Szentendre Island. On this island, you cycle through typical Hungarian villages. Szentendre is famous for its numerous handicraft shops and the museum of Skanzen, an open-air museum showing Hungarian life through the ages. Once in Budapest, you can start to enjoy the many sites and historic attractions.

Departure from Budapest today unless you have booked extra nights. If you want you can go back to Vienna by bus, departures by scheduled bus every 2 hours.