Danube Bike Trail: classic, Passau – Vienna

The classic of all bike tours.

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. You need have no fear of any steep inclines - 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., built in the second half of the 19th century.

1. day Arrival in 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. Alternatively, arrival in the Baroque city Schärding, possibility of free parking (17 km to Passau).

2. day Passau - Upper Danube Valley ca. 40 - 55 km

Look forward to your bike tail, as you cycle along the beautiful Danube, first directly to Engelhartszell. Here, you'll see the only Trappist monastery in Austria. Through the nature reserve Donauleiten you cycle comfortably to the famous Schlögen Danube River Bend. Here, granite stone was too hard an obstacle for the river to pass through and the water had to make a 180° bend. You take the ferry to the other side of the Danube. Here you reach your hotel and you have time to enjoy the views of this magnificent natural phenomenon. 

3. day Upper Danube Valley - Linz ca. 55 km

With pleasure you cycle through the narrow Danube valley. Take a break at the old Baroque market of Aschach and visit the pretty town of Ottensheim before you reach Linz (European Capital of Culture 2009) with its wonderful Old Town. Here, the attraction is the Old Town with many restaurants and wonderful locations for a pause.

4. day Linz - Grein /surrounding ca. 55 km

Through meadows and forests you cycle to St. Florian, visit the famous monastery and follow the beautiful bike path to Enns, the oldest city of Austria. See the main-square with the symbol of Enns – a 60 m high city tower from the 16th century. From Enns you cycle further directly along the Danube till you reach the beautiful Baroque town Grein.

5. day Grein / surrounding - Wachau ca. 50 - 60 km

Today a beautiful section of the Danube awaits you. Enjoy your trip through the wild Strudengau, once a crucial and much dreaded part by Danube skippers. Take your time to visit Nibelungengau and Maria Taferl, a popular and beautifully located pilgrim’s church, attracting thousands of pilgrims every year. Also you should explore the historic Nibelungengau and take some time for the pilgrimage Maria Taferl. This church to the Virgin Mary sits picturesquely enthroned on a hilltip 233 m above the Danube. From this perch, visitos enjoy a sweeping 300 km view extending over the Danube Valley to the hills of the Mostviertel and beyond to the Alps.

6. day Wachau - Krems / Traismauer / Tulln ca. 40 - 60 km

Look forward to the "pinnacle stage" of the tour through the Wachau. Enjoy the charming ambiance of the Wachau region (UNESCO World Heritage site) and its so typical orchards and look forward to a wine tasting. Overnight in Krems/Traismauer/Tulln.

7. day Krems / Traismauer / Tulln - Vienna ca. 45 - 65 km

Today you cycle on the Danube cycle path past Castle Greifenstein and Klosterneuburg and finally you reach the city of Vienna with its own special flair. Take your time to explore Vienna, marvel at the St. Stephen's Cathedral and treat yourself to a piece of cake in one of the so-typical coffee houses.

8. day Departure Vienna

Your bike tour ends today after breakfast in the hotel.

Worth knowing about Passau - Vienna

Below you will find specific information about the bike tour Passau-Wien. 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.

Train schedule information

Parking facilities

The most of the partner hotels in Passau provide parking facilities for the entire duration of your bike trip (for a fee, subject to availability). There are parking facilities in Passau in public garages ca. 55,00 EUR per week. Alternative you find parking facilities in Schärding at the Eurobike-ground near the bike path. 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.

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 8-speed electric bikes. For guests with a body height of 1.85 m, men's bikes can be provided on inquiry. 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.

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.

Prince Bishop Opera House Passau

The theater in the Prince Bishop opera-house, mostly simply municipal theatre Passau called, is a theatre in Passau with approx. 350 seats with redoubt hall. In 1645 a ball-room was established in the Innbrücke and was equipped in 1771/74 as a temporary opera-house. It serves for opera, operetta, musical, concert and play.

Fürstbischöfliches Opernhaus

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.

Passau

Spitz

The well-known town Spitz lies on the left bank of the Danube in the heart of the Wachau. Built around the so-called "Thousand-Buck Mountain", in Spitz, the wine grows in the middle of the village. The old winegrowing town with its Renaissance and Baroque houses, the wonderful square in front of the late Gothic three-aisled church from the 15th century invites you to linger. The vineyards rise up terraced around the village.

Spitz

Basilica Maria Taferl

The town of Maria Taferl is on the north bank of the Danube. The pilgrimage church of the same name is a holy shrine in Lower Austria dedicated to the Dolorous Mother of God.

This church to the Virgin Mary sits picturesquely enthroned on a hilltop 233 m above the Danube. From this perch, visitors enjoy a sweeping, 300 km view extending over the Danube Valley to the hills of the Mostviertel and beyond to the Alps. 

The cornerstone of the church was laid on April 25, 1660. The site had been a shrine with devotional images of the Virgin Mary on a panel, hence the name ("Maria Taferl", i.e. Mary Panel). 

Basilica Maria Taferl

Lentos Art Museum

The Lentos art museum counts with his international collection to the most important museums of modern art in Austria. Today the collection encloses nearly 1500 works from the area of paintings, sculpture and object art, about 10.000 works on paper and 1200 examples of artistic photograph.

Lentos Kunstmuseum

The Charnel House in Tulln

The charnel house reflects the wealth of the town in the 13th century. It is considered one of the most significant structures of its kind in Europe. Given the artistic parallels, the master builders here were presumably also active in the Hungarian town of Jak. The structure is Late Romanesque. This highly developed style of architecture had a late golden age under the Babenberg dynasty in Austria at a time when Gothic was spreading throughout Western Europe. It was erected around 1240 probably by order of the last Babenberg ruler Duke Friederich II. 

The Charnel House in Tulln

Academy of Fine Arts Vienna

The Academy of Fine Arts was built from 1872 to 1876 draught by Theophil Hansen and today has university status. The picture of the academy owns beside excellent works of Dutch and Flemish painters of 17th century (under it Rubens and van Dyck), for example, also the Last Judgement altar of Hieronymus Bosch, Murillos "craps end of boys" and Ventian Veduten of Francesco Guardi.

Academy of Fine Arts Vienna

Burgtheater Vienna

The Mount Olympus of Vienna’s theater landscape is the Burgtheater (known locally as the Burg).

As an institution, the Burg transcends its role as a mere stage. It’s part of the Viennese consciousness; a place to be seen and to see, a one-time plaything of political intrigue and a symbol of Vienna’s rise, fall and rise again from the ashes of war.

The theater traces its roots back to 1741 when an enterprising entrepreneur sought permission to convert a disused building on the Michaelerplatz into a stage. Despite the initial blessing of the Empress Maria Theresia, the new theater struggled to establish itself.

Burgtheater Vienna

Burgtheater Vienna

Schönbrunn Palace

The former summer residence of the Habsburgs impresses with imperial ceremonial rooms and magnificent gardens. Maria Theresa, Emperor Franz Joseph, Empress Elisabeth and others once resided here.

Schönbrunn Palace is one of Europe's most beautiful Baroque complexes and has been in the possession of the Habsburgs since 1569. The wife of Emperor Ferdinand II, Eleonore von Gonzaga, had a pleasure palace built on the site in 1642 and called the property "Schönbrunn" for the first time. The palace and garden complex created from 1696 onwards following the siege of Vienna was complete redesigned under Maria Theresa after 1743. Today, due to its historical significance, its unique layout and magnificent furnishings, the palace is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Schönbrunn Palace

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.

Albertina Vienna

Cafe Landtmann

Take a seat on original Thonet chairs from the imperial age, or in one of the snug heritage-protected booths. You gaze will no doubt fall on the historical inlay work on the walls and the mirrors from the Golden 1920s. These fine jewels stand testament to the great history of the Landtmann.

Franz Landtmann created a coffeehouse institution when he opened Vienna’s largest “café locality” in the year 1873. His patrons have included Sigmund Freud, Marlene Dietrich, Romy Schneider, Paul McCartney and Hillary Clinton.

Cafe Landtmann Vienna