Radatlas Österreich

ROE

Roman Cycle Path

Upper Austria

Distance
234km
Ascent
1,007m
Descent
1,051m
ModeratePavedTouring / gravelROE

01 - Overview

Following Rome's traces from the Inn to the Enns: the Roman Cycle Path links the ancient fort and town sites of Boiodurum (Passau), Ovilava (Wels) and Lauriacum (Enns/Lorch) - via the baroque town of Schärding, the quiet Innviertel and the Hausruck hills.

The Roman Cycle Path starts at the Inn-Danube corner near Passau - Roman Boiodurum with its Boiotro fort - and runs downstream along the Inn to the baroque town of Schärding, then out into the wide, gently rolling Innviertel. Crossing the Hausruck hills it reaches the Traun valley and the old Roman town of Wels (Ovilava), before arriving at Enns/Lorch - ancient Lauriacum, home to the Museum Lauriacum, one of Austria's foremost Roman museums. A calm, scenic route on side roads and farm tracks, mostly paved with some gravel sections, with moderate gradients in the Innviertel and the Hausruck. The measured length (just over 233.7 km) falls short of the catalogue distance (~271 km) because the OpenStreetMap-derived geometry runs more directly than the signposted route.

Regions
Upper Austria
Start
Passau
Finish
Enns / Lorch
Surface
Paved
Network
Regional
Best season
April - October
Signposting
fully signposted
Road-bike friendly
Partly · Mixed surfacewell documented
Surface (measured) · based on 96 % surveyed surface

96 % comfortably ridable, but a 5.4 km gravel stretch - nicer on a gravel or touring bike.

  • Paved87 % · 203 km
  • Paving stones0 % · 0.7 km
  • Fine gravel5 % · 12 km
  • Gravel4 % · 9.5 km
  • Unknown4 % · 8.5 km

02 - Stages

5 stages · 234 km

01Passau - SchärdingPassau · Wernstein · Schärding16 km

Start at Roman Boiodurum (the Boiotro fort) at the Inn-Danube corner. Along the Inn via Wernstein to the baroque town of Schärding with its Silberzeile and plague column - a short, scenic opening stage.

Ascent
33 m
Descent
26 m
Duration
1-1.5 h
Surface
mostly asphalt

Surface (measured): fine gravel 54 % · paved 46 %

02Schärding - Ried im InnkreisSchärding · Obernberg · Altheim · Ried74 km

Onward along the Inn via Obernberg, then inland into the wide, gently rolling Innviertel to the district capital Ried im Innkreis (rail link). A long, calm cruising stage on quiet side roads.

Ascent
282 m
Descent
72 m
Duration
4.5-5.5 h
Surface
asphalt, some fine gravel

Surface (measured): paved

03Ried im Innkreis - LambachRied · Hausruck · Lambach76 km

The rolling core section through the Hausruck hills with moderate climbs, down into the Traun valley to the Benedictine abbey of Lambach. Long and lonely - easily split over two days if needed.

Ascent
491 m
Descent
638 m
Duration
4.5-5.5 h
Surface
asphalt, gravel in the Hausruck

Surface (measured): paved 90 % · gravel 10 %

04Lambach - WelsLambach · Stadl-Paura · Marchtrenk · Wels17 km

An easy run down the Traun valley into the old Roman town of Wels (Ovilava), once one of the foremost towns of Noricum.

Ascent
7 m
Descent
51 m
Duration
1-1.5 h
Surface
asphalt

Surface (measured): paved

05Wels - Enns / LorchWels · Marchtrenk · Asten · St. Florian · Enns51 km

Final stage towards Enns: past St. Florian Abbey to the finish at Enns/Lorch - ancient Lauriacum with the Museum Lauriacum, where the Enns meets the Danube.

Ascent
194 m
Descent
264 m
Duration
3-4 h
Surface
mostly asphalt

Surface (measured): paved

03 - Elevation

Elevation across the full distance - move the cursor to read altitude and kilometre.

Elevation profile over 234 km. Ascent 1007 m, descent 1051 m. Lowest point 243 m, highest point 644 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.

Stay hydrated - a shoutout to r/HydroHomies

04 - POIs & Services

  • Boiotro Roman Fort MuseumRoman site · Passau (Boiodurum)
  • Baroque town of SchärdingOld town · Schärding
  • InnviertelLandscape · Oberösterreich
  • Hausruck hillsLandscape · Oberösterreich
  • Roman town of Wels (Ovilava)Roman site · Wels
  • St. Florian AbbeyAbbey · St. Florian
  • Museum LauriacumRoman site · Enns / Lorch

Services along the route

  • Bike & e-bike rentalRental outlets and e-bike charging points in Schärding, Ried im Innkreis and Wels.
  • Bike repairBike repair shops in the larger towns along the route (Schärding, Ried, Wels, Enns).
  • Bed & BikeCyclist-friendly accommodation across the Innviertel and Traun valley.
  • Drinking waterPublic fountains and drinking-water points in the market towns.

Service points along the route

  • Drinking water61
  • Repair station14
  • Bike shop21
  • Bike rental10
  • Charging station127

Service points from OpenStreetMap. Coverage may be incomplete, some fountains are seasonal - verify before you rely on them.

05 - Impressions

06 - Public transit

  • Passau Hbf (DB/ÖBB)Start station with long-distance trains; access from Germany and Linz/Vienna.
  • ÖBB InnkreisbahnSchärding - Ried im Innkreis - Wels: serves the Inn and Innviertel sections.
  • Wels HauptbahnhofHub on the Western Railway (Salzburg - Linz - Vienna); connections to Lambach/Stadl-Paura.
  • Bahnhof EnnsFinish station near Lauriacum/Lorch; Western Railway connection towards Linz.

Bikes can be carried on ÖBB regional trains (Innkreisbahn, Western Railway) with a ticket - handy for getting to/from the route or shortening the long Innviertel section.

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.

GPXTCX
Download GPXTCX course5 stages · 234 km
Download stages individually (5)
  1. Stage 1Passau → Schärding16 km
  2. Stage 2Schärding → Ried im Innkreis74 km
  3. Stage 3Ried im Innkreis → Lambach76 km
  4. Stage 4Lambach → Wels17 km
  5. Stage 5Wels → Enns / Lorch51 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.

08 - Related routes