Self-guided cycling along the Danube - Passau to Vienna

Cycle the beautiful Danube river on this one-week self-guided bike trip as it wends its way from Passau in Germany to Vienna, the capital of Austria and once the seat of an imperial dynasty.
Start your trip in Passau, a historic market town at the confluence of three rivers. Cycle into Austria past thickly-wooded slopes, perhaps stopping for a beer at the only Trappist brewery in the country, and enjoy the stupendous views from surrounding hills as the Danube works its way through the bends of the Schlögener Loop.
Continue on past one of the many castles you will find along the river, Schloß Ottensheim. Rumour has it that a tunnel under the Danube links to a castle on the opposite bank but we have not been able to find it yet. Cyclng along quite country lanes you soon reach the historic Cistercian Abbey at Wilhering, dating back to 1146, before reaching Linz with its famous Old Town.
Next you leave the river momentarily to ride to the Augustinian abbey of Florian one of several Baroque jewels in this part of the country. After exploring Enns, with its Renaissance and Baroque facades, tower and fortified walls, you will reach the beautiful baroque town of Grein where an old theatre, time-honored cafes and Greinburg castle await discovery.
After Grein your route wends its way past forested rock formations on both sides of the river, before ending in Melk, home to one of the most impressive abbeys in Central Europe.
It is at Melk that you enter the Wachau, a UNESCO-world heritage wine growing region, known for its terraced vineyards. Castles dominate the landscape here too with Schloss Durnstein among the most famous. It was here that King Richard the Lionheart was held captive for ransom on his way home from his crusade. You however will be sure to experience Austrian hospitality of your own choosing as you visit small taverns for local food and drink.
From the 1000-year old town of Krems-an-der-Donau you take a train to Tulln. Here you get back on your bike to ride through villages like Greifenstein and Klosterneuburg and past Kreuzenstein Castle into Vienna, where you have one night before your trip ends.