01 - Overview
Austria's most popular long-distance cycle route: from Passau along the Danube through the Danube Valley, the Wachau and Vienna to Hainburg and Bratislava - mostly flat and fully signposted.
The Danube Cycle Path follows the river on quiet, mostly paved paths away from car traffic. Highlights include the looping upper Danube valley, the abbeys of Melk and Göttweig, the vineyard terraces of the Wachau and the approach into Vienna. As part of EuroVelo 6 it links the Atlantic with the Black Sea; the Austrian section is considered an ideal first tour for families and beginners.
- Regions
- Upper Austria · Lower Austria · Vienna
- Start
- Passau
- Finish
- Bratislava
- Surface
- Paved
- Network
- International · EuroVelo 6
- Best season
- April - October
- Signposting
- fully signposted
- Families
- well suited
- Road-bike friendly
- Yes · Mostly pavedwell documented
99 % paved, longest unpaved stretch 477 m.
02 - Stages
6 stages · 330 km
01Passau - LinzEngelhartszell · Aschach · Ottensheim88 km
A gentle opening along the left bank through the upper Danube valley, past the broad meander of the Schlögen Loop.
- Ascent
- 120 m
- Descent
- 175 m
- Duration
- 5-6 h
- Surface
- Paved
02Linz - MelkMauthausen · Grein · Ybbs90 km
Wide floodplains and quiet side channels; the river broadens, the hills recede, and the Strudengau adds a little movement.
- Ascent
- 95 m
- Descent
- 140 m
- Duration
- 5-6 h
- Surface
- Paved
03Melk - KremsSpitz · Dürnstein · Stein33 km
The heart of the route: vineyard terraces, apricot orchards and abbeys in the UNESCO Wachau - the finest 33 kilometres.
- Ascent
- 60 m
- Descent
- 75 m
- Duration
- 2-3 h
- Surface
- Paved
04Krems - TullnHadersdorf · Grafenwörth · Zwentendorf45 km
The open Tullnerfeld, long straight dikes and fast, quiet kilometres well away from traffic.
- Ascent
- 40 m
- Descent
- 55 m
- Duration
- 2.5-3 h
- Surface
- Paved
05Tulln - ViennaGreifenstein · Klosterneuburg · Nussdorf48 km
Along the foot of the Vienna Woods into the Donaustadt, with a first glimpse of the capital's skyline.
- Ascent
- 55 m
- Descent
- 70 m
- Duration
- 3 h
- Surface
- Paved
06Vienna - BratislavaOrth · Hainburg · Wolfsthal26 km
Through the floodplain forests of Donau-Auen National Park to the Slovak border and on to Bratislava.
- Ascent
- 50 m
- Descent
- 65 m
- Duration
- 1.5-2 h
- Surface
- Paved · short gravel sections
03 - Elevation
Elevation across the full distance - move the cursor to read altitude and kilometre.
Elevation profile over 330 km. Ascent 559 m, descent 715 m. Lowest point 140 m, highest point 309 m.
Elevation from OSM geometry + Digital Terrain Model (DGM) Austria (10 m).
Hover the profile to see the point on the map - and vice versa.
04 - POIs & Services
- Schlögen Loop
- Melk Abbey
- Wachau (UNESCO)
- Krems Old Town
- Donau-Auen National Park
- Hainburg Castle
Services along the route
- Bett+Bike120+ certified hosts
- Bike serviceWorkshops in Linz, Krems, Vienna
- E-bikeCharging points along the route
- Luggage transferDay-to-day available
Service points along the route
- Drinking water455
- Repair station69
- Bike shop60
- Bike rental123
- Charging station315
Service points from OpenStreetMap. Coverage may be incomplete, some fountains are seasonal - verify before you rely on them.
05 - Impressions
The Danube Cycle Path along the river bank between the Schlögen loop and Aschach an der Donau.Photo: Donauradweg between Schlögen and Aschach · Aconcagua · CC BY-SA 3.0 The green steel truss bridge at Mautern over the Danube, with the old town of Krems-Stein behind, on the Danube Cycle Path in the Wachau.Photo: Mautern Danube bridge with Krems old town in the Wachau · Karl Gruber · CC BY-SA 4.0 The Schlögen loop, the dramatic Danube bend the cycle path follows in Upper Austria.Photo: The Schlögen Danube loop the route follows · Thomas Ledl · CC BY-SA 4.0 The Danube Cycle Path through the fields near Ybbs an der Donau in the NibelungengauPhoto: Danube Cycle Path through fields near Ybbs an der Donau · Matthias Leihs · © Matthias Leihs
06 - Public transit
- ÖBB WestbahnPassau · Linz · St. Pölten · Vienna
- Franz-Josefs-BahnKrems · Tulln · Vienna
- WachaubahnKrems · Emmersdorf (seasonal)
- Twin City LinerVienna ↔ Bratislava (boat)
Bikes carried on regional and long-distance services; a bike space reservation is required on long-distance trains.
07 - GPX & TCX download
Download for GPS devices & apps
Clean track with elevation - imports as a single tour, compatible with Komoot, Garmin, Wahoo, Strava, RideWithGPS, OsmAnd.
Route derived from OpenStreetMap geometry - may differ slightly from on-the-ground signage. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0) · Elevation © DGM Austria (CC BY 3.0 AT). Redistribute with attribution.