tour description
Passau - Vienna: sportive tour
Along the “Beautiful blue Danube” there is the most popular cycle path in Europe: the cycling classic from Passau to Vienna offers magical river valleys with steep, wooded slopes, vineyards and orchards and a legendary land of culture, with countless monuments from the Roman era, Nibelungen and Crusaders. Whether Schlogener Loop, Strudengau, Nibelungengau or Wachau - each region has its own special charm. And everywhere, wine taverns and inns invite you to relax and pamper you with the Austrian cuisine. You cycle mostly on the banks of the Danube on excellent bike paths. The route is not only beautiful but also almost continuously flat. Look forward to Vienna and the numerous monumental buildings, such as the State Opera, the town hall, the Burgtheater, etc.
1. day Arrival Passau
We recommend to arrive early in the three-river town of Passau, so you can visit the Old Town and the cathedral with the largest church organ in the world. Passau's centre has been completely redesigned and now offers a wonderful car-free pedestrian zone. We recommend a short visit to the cathedral with a concert on the largest church organ in the world (except on Sundays and public holidays).
2. day Passau – Aschach/ Brandstatt ca. 70 - 80 km
Today you cycle along the Danube via Obernzell to Engelhartszell. Admire the only Trappist monastery in Austria. Look forward to the following cycle route. You cycle through the Nature Reserve Donauleiten to the famous Schlögener Schlinge. Here the granite proved to be an insurmountable opponent of the Danube and forced the river to change direction of 180 degrees. Marvel at this natural phenomenon while taking the ferry to the other shore. Now your hotel is quickly reached.
3. day Aschach/ Brandstatt - Ardagger/ Grein ca. 80 km
Today you cycle through the green of the Eferdinger Basin via the Danube market Aschach, Ottensheim and Wilhering to the Upper Austrian capital Linz. In Linz the numerous restaurants in the historic old town offer a stopover. Enjoy Europe's Capital of Culture 2009. Look forward to the magnificent view from the Pöstlingberg or a leisurely walk along the Danube. After a worthwhile break, continue cycling towards Struden- and Nibelungengau to Grein/ surroundings.
4. day Ardagger/ Grein – Krems ca. 85 km
Look forward to the Wachau. Marvel at the pretty baroque town of Grein with the oldest municipal theatre in Austria before you cycle further downstream. Make a short stop in Melk and look up high, otherwise you will miss the beauty of the Melks Abbey, which towers high and imposingly above the Danube. Via the wine towns of Spitz, Weißenkirchen and past the ruins of the castle Dürnstein, you cycle to your booked hotel in Krems. Don`t miss a wine tasting in the Wachau, which is already organized and included.
5. day Krems – Wien ca. 80 km
Behind Krems you finally leave the lovely Wachau and the landscape changes completely. Today you will ride through the wide flat plain of the Tullnerfeld to the flower town of Tulln. On the way, a break in the historic town of Traismauer beckons. Afterwards you cycle fast towards the beautiful Vienna. In Vienna, crown the end of your cycling trip and treat yourself to an "extended" and a piece of the well-known Sachertorte in one of the typical coffee houses. Admire Vienna by bike or explore the main sights of the city comfortably while driving in one of the famous "Fiakers". On the most beautiful boulevard in the world, the Vienna Ringstrasse, you will not only encounter many sights, but also magnificent palaces line the "showcase" of the former Danube monarchy.
6. day Wien departure
Today your beautiful cycling trip ends after breakfast at the hotel in Vienna. If you want to return to Passau, we recommend our practical return transfer service (duration approx. 4 hours), which will take you from Vienna in direct travel back to Passau (departure daily 15:00, payable on spot, reservation required).
prices & services

Individual tours: Here you decide when and with whom you would like to travel. We provide you with detailed tour documents and practical planning tips, and you enjoy our all-in, worry-free package with separate luggage transport throughout your tour.
Guided tours: You can simply get on your bike and enjoy a group holiday (8–20 participants). Your tour guide will take care of everything, and your luggage will be transported separately.

This overview shows you the grade of difficulty for our tours:

In the case of our original Velociped tours, we are the tour operator. We organise and accompany these tours personally.
So that you have an even bigger selection to choose from, we also cover additional routes in collaboration with long-standing partners. With these Velociped partner tours, we are the tour broker.

Prices are per person.
Season 1
01.04. – 14.04.2023
30.09. – 07.10.2023
Season 2
15.04. – 05.05.2023
09.09. – 29.09.2023
Season 3
06.05. – 08.09.2023
cycles
bookable additional nights
bookable additional services
- Personal tour informaton
- Ferry from Au-Schlögen incl. bikes
- Wine tasting at the Wachau
- accommodation incl. breakfast
- room with shower/bath/WC
- luggage transport
- map of bike trails with marked route
- detailed route description
- GPS tracks on request
- tips for tour preparation
- touristic information
- 7 days hotline service
map

worth knowing
Worth knowing about Passau - Wien sporty tour
Below you will find specific information about the bike tour Passau-Wien sporty tour. If you have any further questions please feel free to contact us by phone: 0049 - (0)6421-886890.
Arrival by train
Passau is easily accessible from all major cities in Germany by train. We recommend to take a taxi from the station to get to our partner hotels in Passau. Current schedule information and price information can be found at: www.bahn.de.
Parking facilities
There are parking facilities in Passau in public garages ca. 35.00 EUR per week. Alternative you find parking facilities in Schärding at the Eurobike-ground. Detailed information on parking you will receive together with the detailed travel documents two weeks prior to departure
Condition of cycle paths
You cycle mostly on bike paths or quiet roads. The mostly flat route and the well-developed infrastructure makes the Danube Cycle Route one of the most family-friendly long-distance routes. It often runs in the immediate vicinity of rivers sometimes also on an Danube embankment from where you have a great view of the river.
On your way to Vienna, the Danube is lined by wooded slopes, vineyards, orchards and romantic pasture landscape. Schlögener loop, the pilgrimage town of Maria Taferl, Melk and picturesque towns with well-preserved old towns like Krems or Grein and numerous castles, palaces and other monuments and romantic vineyards of the Wachau region (UNESCO World Heritage Site) will accompany the river until Vienna.
Available rental bikes
You can choose between 7-speed unisex bicycles with gear shift and coaster brake or 21-speed gear shift and freewheel or electric bikes. For guests taller than 1.85 m, men's bikes can also be provided on request. An early reservation is recommended to guarantee availability. You simply specify your wishes at time of booking.
Transfer back to the starting point
Daily in the afternoon there is the possibility to transfer back to Passau with a small bus (with bike trailer). The driver comes to pick you up at your hotel and has enough space for you, your luggage and (when required) your own bicycle. The bus takes you back to your first hotel, thus ensuring a perfect return service without transfer and the hassle of hauling luggage.
Weather Guarantee / Spring and Autumn Special
In the season 1 we will give you the possibility to rebook your booking till 5 workdays before arrival in case of bad weather forecast.
Additional nights during the cycling trip
The booking of additional nights is possible in every regular accommodation place. Please contact us for more information.
Costs which are not included in the travel price
A possibly resulting tourist tax is not part of the travel price and therefore it has to be paid locally in the Hotel.
7 day hotline service
Just in case the bike chain breaks, flooding makes it impossibe to continue your tour or any other nasty surprise: You can reach us seven days a week and we will do anything to help you as fast as possible.
Passport and visa requirements, health regulations
For EU citizens, there are no special passport or visa requirements and no health formalities to be considered for this trip.
Corona travel information:
Before booking your trip, please inform yourself about the measures in place to contain the Corona pandemic.
An up-to-date overview of applicable measures and travel and safety advice regarding Covid-19 for all countries in the EU and Switzerland can be found here:
https://reopen.europa.eu/en/
You can also find more information on our website at:
Corona virus and holiday planning
Travel insurance
The tour price already includes the statutory insolvency insurance. In addition, we recommend that you take out travel cancellation insurance upon receipt of your travel confirmation in order to protect yourself against financial disadvantages in the event of travel cancellation, interruption of travel, illness or accident.
tour highlights
Passau
Passau is located in southeast Germany and borders directly on Austria. Because of the confluence of the three rivers Danube, Inn and Ilz, Passau is nicknamed "Three River City". For four hundred years Passau belonged to the Roman Empire. In 739 AD Passau became the seat of a bishopric. The three-river city was an independent episcopal principality for over six hundred years until it was incorporated into Bavaria in 1803. The baroque cityscape with high towers, picturesque squares, romantic promenades and winding streets was created by Italian baroque masters in the 17th century.
St. Stephen's Cathedral, Passau
St. Stephen's Cathedral is a baroque church built in 1688. Since 730, there have been many churches built on the site of the current cathedral. The current church, a baroque building around 100 metres long, was built from 1668 to 1693 after a fire in 1662 destroyed its predecessor, of which only the late gothic eastern side remains. The cathedral's overall plan was made by Carlo Lurago, its interior decoration by Giovanni Battista Carlone, and its frescos by Carpoforo Tencalla.
Organ of St. Stephen's Cathedral
Aschach
Aschach has a historic town center with town houses from the Middle Ages, with facades and beautiful courtyards from the Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque periods.
Aschach Castle is the former seat of the Counts of Harrach. The main wing of the castle from the 16th century is provided with arcades on the courtyard side on all three floors. The east wing was built by Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt in 1709, as well as the high altar of the palace chapel. The castle is privately owned.
Ardagger
The market town of Ardagger - also called the gateway to the Strudengau - is nestled between the Danube and the hills of the Mostviertel or on Moststrasse. The four cadastral communities are: Ardagger Markt, Ardagger Stift, Kollmitzberg and Stephanshart. The individual cadastral regions have developed and maintained their own local culture over hundreds of years. This diversity characterizes the community and sets it apart from many other communities. Although the four cadastral groups have been grouped together since 1971, they have their own club life. In the market town of Ardagger there are 4 fire brigades, 4 music bands, 4 parishes etc.
Grein
The idyllic situation of Grein discloses to the visitor already with the journey. Here the mighty, historically significant Danube stream with the ancient, gentle Mühlviertler hill scenery combines. The pearl of the Strudengau with her nostalgic charm has to offer a lot - Greinburg Castle, Hist. Municipal theatre Grein.
Historical theater Grein
There are many old monasteries, castles and ruins, but the town theater of Grein is absolutely unique and a sight of European significance. It was built into the former granary of the town hall by the citizens of Grein in 1791. It is regarded as the oldest town theater of Austria that is still in its original condition and it can be visited every day of the week. There are still regular performances in the theatre.
Krems
At the exit of the Wachau, one of the most beautiful sections of the Danube Valley, lies the lovely twin town of Krems-Stein. Krems an der Donau is worth a visit at any time of the year! Immerse yourself in the land on the Nibelungen.
Vienna Ringstraße
Vienna's Ringstrasse is 5.3 kilometers long. Long enough to provide space for numerous monumental buildings, which were built during the period of Historicism in the 1860s to 1890s. Today, the buildings that stand there – from the Vienna State Opera to the Museum of Fine Arts – are among the most important sights in the city of Vienna.
St. Stephen's Cathedral Vienna
St. Stephen's Cathedral is the symbol of Vienna. Construction commenced in the 12th century. Today, it is one of the most important Gothic structures in Austria. In addition to valuable altars and side chapels, the impressive cathedral treasure can also be seen, including relics decorated with gold and precious stones, monstrances, liturgical texts and books as well as vestments. Numerous important people were also given their final resting place in St. Stephen's Cathedral.
Albertina Vienna
Located in Vienna, the Albertina is the largest Habsburg residential palace. It blends an imperial flair with unrivalled masterpieces of art. The historical setting of this internationally acclaimed modern museum makes a visit to the Albertina an unforgettable experience. The city’s largest residential Habsburg palace boasts 21 beautifully furnished staterooms, making it one of the most exquisite classical palaces in the whole of Europe.
Since it reopened in 2003, the Albertina has presented an impressive number of exhibitions, showing foremost works of art dating from the 15th century to the present day. With its special “Albrecht Dürer”, “Picasso” and “Van Gogh” exhibitions, the Albertina has drawn a record number of visitors during the past few years. The Albertina is one of Austria’s most popular museums, making it a major attraction for city visitors and cultural travelers from all over the world.
Natural History Museum
With its 30 million collection objects, the Natural History Museum Vienna is one of the best in the world: highlights such as the Venus von Willendorf, the huge meteorite collection, preparations of extinct animals, models of terrifying dinosaurs and a digital planetarium attract visitors to the Haus am Ring every year.
Residence Schönbrunn
Schönbrunn is Sissi's former summer residence. The baroque complex attracts with a magical park landscape, palm house, Gloriette and a zoo. Spend a day in Schönbrunn: Visit the showrooms on a "Grand Tour with Audio Guide", take a look at the magnificent ceremonial rooms and lavishly furnished salons, wander through the maze. Schönbrunn, the former summer residence of the imperial family, is one of them the most beautiful baroque castles in Europe.