Danube Cycle Path: Passau - Budapest

The Danube Cycle Path from Passau to Budapest is one of the most famous cycle routes in Europe and leads through four countries. The route begins in the three-river city of Passau, where the Danube, Inn and Ilz rivers meet. Visitors cycle downstream through the Upper Austrian Danube valley to the Schlögener Schlinge, where the river makes a spectacular bend. Along the way, the Wachau with its vineyards and the baroque Melk Abbey invites to linger. Grey herons, beavers and, with a bit of luck, the rare white-tailed eagle can be spotted in the Danube floodplains. The route is largely flat and well developed, although a windbreaker is useful for the cooler sections by the water. Historically, the route follows old trade routes that were used by the Romans and Crusaders.