01 - Overview
A grand loop through the Waldviertel and Weinviertel: from the Danube at Krems up the Kamp, across northern Lower Austria to the Thaya on the Czech border, then down the March back to the Danube.
The Kamp-Thaya-March Cycle Path threads three river landscapes of north-eastern Lower Austria into one long, varied loop. It begins among the wine terraces of the lower Kamp valley, follows the river into the quiet forests and reservoirs of the upper Waldviertel, and crosses gentle ridges to the Thaya, which here traces the Czech border. Out in the broad Weinviertel the route rolls past cellar lanes and fields to the March, accompanying the border river to its confluence with the Danube. At more than 420 kilometres over consistently rolling terrain, it is a multi-day tour for those after calm, history and a borderland mood - mostly paved, with short gravel stretches in between.
- Regions
- Lower Austria
- Start
- Krems an der Donau
- Finish
- Hainburg an der Donau
- Surface
- Paved · Gravel
- Network
- Regional
- Best season
- April - October
- Signposting
- fully signposted
- Road-bike friendly
- Partly · Mixed surfacewell documented
92 % comfortably ridable, but a 3.1 km gravel stretch - nicer on a gravel or touring bike.
02 - Stages
8 stages · 422 km
01Krems an der Donau - Gars am KampLangenlois · Schönberg am Kamp · Stiefern36 km
From the Danube into the lower Kamp valley: through vineyards and wine taverns below the terraced slopes, past Langenlois into the narrow, castle-topped valley at Gars.
- Ascent
- 387 m
- Descent
- 287 m
- Duration
- 3-4 h
- Surface
- Paved
Surface (measured): paved
02Gars am Kamp - RastenfeldRosenburg · Horn · Ottenstein reservoir42 km
The Kamp leads deeper into the Waldviertel - past Rosenburg castle, through quiet forests and along the turquoise Ottenstein reservoir to Rastenfeld. Rolling and calm.
- Ascent
- 743 m
- Descent
- 255 m
- Duration
- 3-4 h
- Surface
- Paved · gravel
Surface (measured): paved 91 % · gravel 9 %
03Rastenfeld - Waidhofen an der ThayaPölla · upper Waldviertel59 km
Over the gentle granite heights and plateaus of the upper Waldviertel - forests, ponds and broad fields - across to the Thaya valley at Waidhofen.
- Ascent
- 630 m
- Descent
- 686 m
- Duration
- 5-7 h
- Surface
- Paved · gravel
Surface (measured): paved
04Waidhofen an der Thaya - Raabs an der Thayaupper Thaya valley44 km
Following the young Thaya through its upper valley - granite country and small border villages, before the river drops into its narrow, castle-guarded gorge at Raabs.
- Ascent
- 404 m
- Descent
- 527 m
- Duration
- 3-4 h
- Surface
- Paved
Surface (measured): paved
05Raabs an der Thaya - RetzDrosendorf · Hardegg · Pulkau valley56 km
Along the Thaya, which here forms the Czech border - through medieval Drosendorf and the Thayatal National Park at Hardegg, then out into the Weinviertel to Retz.
- Ascent
- 662 m
- Descent
- 973 m
- Duration
- 5-6 h
- Surface
- Paved · gravel
Surface (measured): paved
06Retz - Laa an der ThayaPulkau valley · wine-cellar lanes46 km
Across the western Weinviertel: cellar lanes, vine rows and open fields under wind turbines, from the wine town of Retz over to the Thaya at Laa.
- Ascent
- 81 m
- Descent
- 176 m
- Duration
- 3-4 h
- Surface
- Paved
Surface (measured): paved
07Laa an der Thaya - Hohenau an der MarchHerrnbaumgarten · Bernhardsthal · March-Thaya wetlands68 km
On through the eastern Weinviertel to the March, the border river with Slovakia - through cellar-lane villages and the broad March-Thaya wetlands to Hohenau.
- Ascent
- 387 m
- Descent
- 431 m
- Duration
- 4-5 h
- Surface
- Paved
Surface (measured): paved
08Hohenau an der March - Hainburg an der DonauDürnkrut · Marchegg · Schloss Hof71 km
South along the March through flat floodplain meadows - past the stork village of Marchegg and the baroque Schloss Hof - until the river meets the Danube at Hainburg.
- Ascent
- 48 m
- Descent
- 64 m
- Duration
- 5-7 h
- Surface
- Paved · gravel
Surface (measured): paved 70 % · gravel 30 %
03 - Elevation
Elevation across the full distance - move the cursor to read altitude and kilometre.
Elevation profile over 422 km. Ascent 3342 m, descent 3399 m. Lowest point 142 m, highest point 607 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
- Rosenburg Castle
- Ottenstein Reservoir
- Confluence of the German and Moravian Thaya
- Waidhofen an der Thaya town museum
- Thayatal National Park & Hardegg
- Nonseum - museum of useless inventions
- Marchegg stork colony & castle
- Schloss Hof palace
Services along the route
- Bett+BikeCyclist-friendly hosts across the Waldviertel and Weinviertel stage towns
- Luggage transferBag transfer via regional operators, useful for planning the multi-day stages
- E-bikeCharging points in many villages and cellar lanes; rental in Krems and the larger stage towns
Service points along the route
- Drinking water60
- Repair station16
- Bike shop8
- Bike rental18
- Charging station104
Service points from OpenStreetMap. Coverage may be incomplete, some fountains are seasonal - verify before you rely on them.
05 - Impressions
Footbridge over the Kamp near Rosenburg, on the Kamp valley leg of the route.Photo: Steg über den Kamp bei Rosenburg · Linie29 · CC BY-SA 4.0 Cyclists on the path below Raabs castle on the Thaya in the Waldviertel.Photo: Radfahrer am Weg unterhalb von Schloss Raabs an der Thaya · Andrea Asinger · CC BY-SA 4.0 Bridge over the March river near Marchegg, on the eastern river section of the route.Photo: Brücke über die March bei Marchegg · Rosso Robot · CC BY-SA 4.0
06 - Public transit
- Franz-Josefs-Bahn (Vienna - Krems - Gmünd)ÖBB line carrying bikes; board at the Danube end in Krems and in the Waldviertel
- Kamp Valley Railway (Krems - Horn)Regional line through the Kamp valley with bike carriage along the early stages
- Reblaus-Express (Retz - Drosendorf)Seasonal excursion train with a bike wagon, linking the Weinviertel and the Thaya valley
- Eastern Railway (Vienna - Marchegg)Board at the March end with bike carriage; onward connection towards Bratislava
The main stage towns are reachable by rail; in summer the Reblaus-Express links Retz and Drosendorf with bike carriage, so the long loop can comfortably be ridden in sections.
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.
Download stages individually (8)
- Stage 1Krems an der Donau → Gars am Kamp36 km
- Stage 2Gars am Kamp → Rastenfeld42 km
- Stage 3Rastenfeld → Waidhofen an der Thaya59 km
- Stage 4Waidhofen an der Thaya → Raabs an der Thaya44 km
- Stage 5Raabs an der Thaya → Retz56 km
- Stage 6Retz → Laa an der Thaya46 km
- Stage 7Laa an der Thaya → Hohenau an der March68 km
- Stage 8Hohenau an der March → Hainburg an der Donau71 km
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.