Bicycling the Danube - 2 - Passau, Germany to Vienna, Austria

Tuesday, 25 August through Sunday, 30 August 2026

Traveling by bicycle allows a much closer view of the country than traveling the Danube on a cruise ship. They both have their plusses and minuses, but the bike brings you closer to places tourists rarely visit.

Tuesday, Passau to Schlögen

The Danube bridge at Passau - the starting point of the ride.

We weren't too far out of Passau where the road along the cycle path was closed for slope stabilization work.

A barge coming out of the lock at the Jochenstein dam and power plant. The river is exceptionally low this year, so the barges are lightly loaded.

I was surprised by how much corn (maize) is grown along the Danube - mostly for livestock feed.

At the end of the day we took a "bike ferry" across the Danube to our night's lodging. These small boats shuttle bicyclists, bicycles, and pedestrians back and forth across the river.

Lon and our bikes on the ferry.

Dogs are welcome everywhere in this part of Europe. This snack and water station for dogs was at reception at our hotel. It was not unusual to find similar water bowls for dogs at hotels, cafés, and restaurants as we traveled.

Wednesday, Schlögen to Linz

The Schlögener Schlinge ("Schlögen Sling") section of the Danube has one 180° curve, followed (downriver) by more tight turns over about 20 km. It's beautiful, but tricky navigation for barges and cruise ships.

Fields of pumpkins were frequently seen.

Much of the Danube Cycle Path (Donauradweg) is on a levee along the river.

Thursday, Linz to Grein & Bad Kreuzen

The ride from Linz to Grein started with a few bicycle problems (resolved in a bike shop in Linz) and was one of the most difficult days because of heat, sun, and distance. Fortunately, we were able to take a shuttle for the 8 km climb up to our night's lodging in Bad Kreuzen.    

The view from our hotel room balcony in Bad Kreuzen looked like a painting.

Friday, Bad Kreuzen to Emmersdorf

We took a bike ferry across the Danube to Weisen. This is a view of Grein from Weisen.

A railroad bridge at the eastern end of Grein, as seen from the cycle bath across the river.

The barges on the Danube are lightly loaded this year because the river is at an historic low. This photo was taken as we crossed the lock and dam on the Danube at Personbeug/Ypps.

Emmersdorf - a lovely town for a night's rest.

Memories of "Hochwasser" (high water) in Emmersdorf - ironic considering that this year the river is at an historically low level.

Saturday, Emmersdorf to Krems - Wachau Valley

The Wachau region is one of Austria's premier wine locations.

Steinertor - one of Krems' original city gates.

Another manhole cover - one of those things I can't pass up.

Sunday, Krems to Wien (Vienna)

Our day started with a train ride from Krems to Tulln. Negotiating the stairs to get to the proper track platform could be a challenge. Putting bikes on a train works well as long as you use the door marked with a bicycle.

Vienna marked the end of the first half of our ride.