Days
Destination
Austria & Germany
The Danube to Vienna
overview
European culture is revealed as you cycle from Germany’s eastern border across Austria to sumptuous Vienna, following the Danube River through two thousand years of history. Along the way, baroque castles and historic abbeys provide inviting diversions, while the landscape offers a changing panorama of gorges, forests, and marshland. Acres of peach and apricot orchards beckon with cool, scented shade. Following the old river towpath, the easy cycling surface leaves you plenty of energy to explore farms, villages, and market stands. Or take a break, and hoist your wheels aboard a local boat or train. Highlights include bustling Linz, filled with medieval treasures; the baroque abbey at Melk; and Krems, a UNESCO site. Upon reaching the Viennese woods, the “City of Dreams” and waltz capital of Europe rises. A delightful variety of accommodations bring special pleasure to your adventure—from a 15th-century convent to a four-star luxury hotel.
tour includes
- Continental breakfast and 6 dinners - nights 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, and 8 (lunches, 4 dinners, and beverages are not included)
- All accommodations (with private bathrooms) while on tour
- Arrival and departure transfers as noted in the itinerary (valid only for established transfer times)
- Luggage transfers between the hotels
- Detailed route notes and maps
- High quality bicycle with 21-speed Shimano gears (helmet not provided), tire repair kit, lock, map/route note holder, and panniers
- Basic travel insurance coverage
- 24-hour emergency service
- The exclusive ease of a mobile phone rental with our Cellhire partnership. Receive preferred calling rates, free phone rental, and complimentary shipping of mobile phones
- The unbeatable and cumulative experience of the CW staff
Details
Length
11 days, 10 nights
Activity Level
Easy to moderate; 13-24 miles daily
Meet
Passau, Germany
Depart
Vienna, Austria
Itinerary and Accommodations
Day 1
Passau
Arrive in Passau
Upon arrival in Passau on Germany’s eastern border, it’s just a 5-minute taxi from the station to your riverfront hotel. You will be tempted to step out and enjoy dinner in the heart of Passau’s old town tonight.
Hotel Residenz Passau
Passau, Germany
Set right on the Danube River in Passau, this 400-year-old former merchant's house has been renovated with contemporary décor while incorporating the structure’s original barrel-vaulted ceilings and tile floors. Modern guest rooms have light wooden furnishings, and common rooms include a guest lounge and library, and an outdoor breakfast terrace for a drink, from where you can watch the Danube passenger boats come and go on the dock below.
Day 2
Donau
Passau to Schlögen 23km/14mi or 47km/29mi
After a welcome briefing and being fitted to your bike, you pedal east to Obernzell, famous for its pottery, before peeking into the Keramic Museum in a riverside castle. The scent of wood smoke and grilled trout may tempt you for lunch as you cross into Austria, where the valley slopes are steeper and cloaked with oak forests. On reaching the hotel, you can relax in its pool before dinner on the terrace watching passenger boats sparkling with fairy lights cruise past.
Hotel Donauschlinge
Schlögen (Haibach), Austria
Situated right on the landmark Schlögen meander bend on the Danube River, this waterfront hotel is a favorite stop for cyclists riding between Passau and Vienna. With its privileged riverside location, there are river views from most of the guest rooms and its lovely panoramic dining terrace; also with an indoor swimming pool.
Day 3
Linz
Schlögen to Aschach (Linz) 27km/17mi or 46km/29mi
You may spot kingfisher today in the Donauschlinge nature reserve. Picnic tables dot the waterfront below weeping willows before you reach Aschach’s frescoed waterfront. You can catch the Linz ferry, or follow the towpath through reed marshes to Ottensheim beach for a swim. From here you hop on the train and you soon arrive at your hotel—an ancient convent—in Linz’s extravagant town square. Its many lively restaurants offer wonderful dinner options for the next two nights here.
Hotel Wolfinger
Linz, Austria
In the center of Linz's spectacular historic heart, this townhouse hotel blends in with its grand façade and historic charm. A former convent, inviting common rooms, including the lounge and breakfast room overlooking the town square, are decorated with antiques and chandeliers. Guest rooms, while slightly more contemporary in décor, also have antiques and warm colors.
Day 4
Linz
Free day in Linz
Linz’s ornate Baroque architecture in the Hauptplatz leads to boutique shops on Landstrasse, and to the old castle Schloss Museum, creaking with ancient armor. You can browse the all-glass Lentos Art Gallery—its bright artwork are lit up in spectacular colors at night. Or, perhaps you can catch the train to explore tiny 12th-century Enns, Austria’s oldest city. Or, you are also close to the World War II Nazi camp at Mauthausen, to visit this important and sober place.
Hotel Wolfinger
Linz, Austria
In the center of Linz's spectacular historic heart, this townhouse hotel blends in with its grand façade and historic charm. A former convent, inviting common rooms, including the lounge and breakfast room overlooking the town square, are decorated with antiques and chandeliers. Guest rooms, while slightly more contemporary in décor, also have antiques and warm colors.
Day 5
Melk
Linz to Melk 31km/19mi or 49km/31mi
After a short 30-minute train ride to 16th-century Grein, you are spinning through orchards as the Danube valley becomes more fertile. This is where you can view the statuette of the “Venus of Willendorf,” dating to 23,000 BC. A short while later, you can have lunch in Ybbs. The hilltop twin towers of Maria Taferl appear and Melk’s monastery looms high above as you pedal towards your welcoming family hotel in Melk.
Hotel Restaurant Zur Post
Melk, Austria
Located just off a tiny cobbled square below the giant and world-famous monastery that towers above the town of Melk, this charming hotel has a welcoming front garden terrace with views of the monastery, and a larger back terrace for breakfast and dinner. Public rooms include Austrian “stube”-style lounge and bar. Spacious bedrooms are stylish and modern with neutral colors and plush fabrics.
Day 6
Melk
Free day in Melk
Melk’s massive Benedictine monastery was rebuilt in 1683 and the interior abbey is as breathtaking as the countryside views from the rooftop terrace. For a day trip, you may choose to cycle to Schloss Schallaburg (~5 miles round-trip), one of the finest Renaissance castles north of the Alps, to stroll in magnificent rose gardens and enjoy acclaimed cultural exhibitions. After dinner this evening, you can relax by wandering Melk’s atmospheric cobbled streets.
Hotel Restaurant Zur Post
Melk, Austria
Located just off a tiny cobbled square below the giant and world-famous monastery that towers above the town of Melk, this charming hotel has a welcoming front garden terrace with views of the monastery, and a larger back terrace for breakfast and dinner. Public rooms include Austrian “stube”-style lounge and bar. Spacious bedrooms are stylish and modern with neutral colors and plush fabrics.
Day 7
Wachau
Melk to Krems 39km/24mi
Today you coast along a necklace of villages afloat on acres of vines, anchored by pretty churches along the north bank. Each is charming as the next, although Durnstein especially stands out, as this is where Richard the Lionheart was held for ransom in its craggy hilltop castle. You can taste wine along the way, and buy cherries and peaches from locals’ roadside gardens! Upon arriving in Krems, you may choose to splash in the pool before a candlelit dinner on the terrace overlooking the valley.
Steigenberger Hotel and Spa
Krems, Austria
This luxurious country-house style resort and spa boasts a gorgeous world-class spa, with both an outdoor and an indoor pool, stunning dining room spilling over into a panoramic terrace with views of the surrounding vineyards and over the spires of the old city of Krems. Bedrooms are modern and beautifully decorated with exposed wood and deluxe fabrics.
Day 8
Wachau
Free day in Krems
Krems has one of the most beautiful historic centers in Europe, and it is packed with interesting places to visit—from the wine museum housed in a restored Dominican monastery to the 13th-century abbey exhibiting paintings of Martin Johann Schmidt. You can cycle out to Schloss Grafenegg (~10 miles away), a gargoyle-encrusted Gothic castle set in 85 acres of parkland, which is perfect for picnics, or you may choose to simply relax in your hotel’s fabulous spa and pool!
Steigenberger Hotel and Spa
Krems, Austria
This luxurious country-house style resort and spa boasts a gorgeous world-class spa, with both an outdoor and an indoor pool, stunning dining room spilling over into a panoramic terrace with views of the surrounding vineyards and over the spires of the old city of Krems. Bedrooms are modern and beautifully decorated with exposed wood and deluxe fabrics.
Day 9
Donau
Krems to Tulln 39km/24mi
Today you delight in a freewheel, downriver to Tulln—known as the “Town of Roses.” Among its attractions are the Roman museum, packed with artifacts. Later, you dine out amid the fountains, statues, and ornate buildings that make up the pretty center before returning to your waterfront hotel.
Hotel Nibelungenhof
Tullin, Austria
An inviting four-star hotel set in gardens just 100 feet from the riverside, it feels immediately welcoming as you enter its cozy lounge area with central fireplace. Guest rooms are equally enveloping with warm fabrics and carpets, antiques, and wood floors. The historic center of Tulln with its many restaurants, churches, and museums is a short walk away.
Day 10
Vienna
Tulln to Vienna 21km/13mi
On your last full day, you coast along the final stretch to relax over lunch in imperial Klosterneuburg. You may choose to drop into the Essl Art Gallery, a contemporary collection. You can take your bicycle on the train for 15 minutes for the last stretch into Vienna, then roll it off and follow the Donaukanal cycle path to your hotel—right in the heart of the city. Dinner out in Vienna’s lively center—breathtakingly floodlit at night—is a superb ending.
Hotel Austria
Vienna, Austria
A short walk from the Fleischmarkt, the Vienna State Opera, and the Hofburg, this centrally located hotel is also quiet on a pedestrian side street. The ground-floor public rooms and reception area are traditionally furnished with high ceilings, antiques, and plush crimson. Spacious and quiet guest rooms also have classic décor with antique-style furniture and red-accented colors.