Day-To-Day- Arrival in Salzburg.
- Salzburg – Burghausen, 34 mi.
- Burghausen – Schärding, 42 mi.
- Schärding – Schlögen, 36 mi.
- Schlögen – Linz, 33 mi.
- Linz – Grein/Ardagger, 40 mi.
- Grein/Ardagger – Melk/Emmersdorf, 34 mi.
- Melk/Emmersdorf – Krems, 25 mi. Train to Vienna.
- Departure from Vienna.
DAY 1: Arrival in Salzburg
Individual arrival in Salzburg with the rest of the day free to explore this rich city.
DAY 2: Salzburg – Burghausen, 34 miles (55 km)
After adjusting the bicycles to our personal preference, we will leave the Festspiele city of Salzburg and take the path along the bank of the Salzach River to the village of Oberndorf. It was here that the Christmas carol “Silent Night, Holy Night” was written back in 1818, as the little “Silent Night Chapel” will remind us. During the afternoon, we’ll reach our destination for the day: Burghausen. Burghausen is home of the longest castle buildings within Europe. A guided tour will acquaint us with the history and development of the town and castle.
DAY 3: Burghausen – Schärding, 42 miles (68 km)
After a cycling journey through the largest wooded region of the Inn district – Weilhart Forest – we’ll come upon the Inn-Salzach vista, where the Salzach River flows into the Inn. Next, we’ll pass through Braunau to finally reach the town of Obernberg, a thousand-year-old village with an extremely beautiful market square. Not long after that, we will arrive at Reichersberg Abbey, where the Augustine canons have lived for more than 900 years. From Reichersberg, it is only another 17 km or 11 miles to Schärding, where our hotel lies.
DAY 4: Schärding – Schlögen, 36 miles (59 km)
Leisurely, we’ll take our leave of the beautiful baroque town of Schärding with its enchanting ‘Silberzeile’ and ride via Wernstein along the Inn again to the diocesan town of Passau, which once enjoyed great prestige. The guided tour through the cathedral square is crowned by an organ concert played on the largest church organ in the world. The Inn and the Ilz flow into the Danube at Passau, which is why the town is also known as the ‘three rivers town’. Next, we’ll follow the Danube past Engelhartszell to our hotel in the upper Danube valley.
DAY 5: Schlögen – Linz, 33 miles (54 km)
Around the Schlögen-Danube loop, our journey today will take us through some of the most scenic countryside into Aschach and on to the Wilhering Abbey. Once we’ve passed through Ottensheim, we’ll enter into Linz, the capital of Upper Austria.
DAY 6: Linz – Grein/Ardagger, 40 miles (65 km)
Past an industrial area, we’ll leave Linz behind and upon reaching Asten Danube power station, we’ll steer our wheels towards the inner parts of the country as well as Mauthausen, where the Danube will again guide us as far as the next power station in Wallsee. Next is a trek through the fertile Machland region to Grein, where a guided tour will acquaint us with the old bargee town that also is home to the oldest municipal theatre still playing.
DAY 7: Grein/Ardagger – Melk/Emmersdorf, 34 miles (52 km)
At Persenbeug, we will come into the Nibelungengau, a new stretch of the Danube at the end of the Strudengau. Past Marbach, the pilgrimage center of Maria Taferl will greet us from the hills, and after passing the Danube power station, we’ll arrive in Melk, where there is the option of touring the famous monastery.
DAY 8: Melk/Emmersdorf – Krems – Vienna, 25 miles (40 km) by bike, train journey
Today will take us through the beautiful Wachau region, well known for its choice wines. Then, we’ll continue scenically through Spitz and Weißenkirchen. The best known town in the Wachau is Dürnstein, where Richard the Lion Heart was once taken captive. The destination of this cycling trip is Krems, where we shall hand over our bicycles and travel the rest of the way to Vienna by train. (This transfer is not included and costs about $20 p.p.)
DAY 9: Vienna
Departure following breakfast.
