Itinerary Expand all Passau to Vienna Day 1 Arrive in Passau Arrive at your riverfront hotel and then enjoy dinner in the heart of the old town tonight. Comfortable Hotel Meals included: Breakfast Day 2 Passau to Schlogen After receiving your bike and welcome brief, pedal east to Obernzell, famous for pottery, before popping into the Keramicmuseum in a riverside castle. The scent of wood smoke and grilled trout may tempt you into lunch as you cross into Austria where the valley is steeper and cloaked with oak woods. On reaching the hotel, relax in the pool before dinner on the terrace watching passenger boats sparkling with fairy lights cruise past. Cycling distance either 23km/14.5mi or 47km/29.5mi Comfortable Hotel Meals included: Breakfast Day 3 Schlogen to Aschach (Linz) Spot kingfishers today in the Donauschlinge Nature Reserve. Stop and enjoy the views at the picnic tables that dot the waterfront before you reach Aschach's frescoed waterfront. Catch the Linz ferry, or follow the towpath through reed marshes to Ottensheim beach for a swim. Hop on the train here and in no time you'll arrive at your hotel, an ancient convent, in Linz's extravagant town square. Cycling disctance either 27km/17mi or 46km/29mi Comfortable Hotel Meals included: Breakfast Day 4 At Linz The route leads you away from the Danube to 12th Century Enns. Austria's oldest city, before returning to the Danube and your overnight stop in the beautiful little village of Ardagger. Comfortable Hotel Meals included: Breakfast Day 5 Linz to Melk Explore the small baroque town of Grein before cycling through the fertile Danube Valley for a lunch stop in Ybbs, home to a quirky collection of penny-farthings bicycles. The hilltop twin towers of Maria Taferl appear and Melk's monastery looms high above as you pedal towards Margaret Ebner's welcoming family hotel in Melk. Cycling distance either 27km/17mi or 46km/29mi Comfortable Hotel Meals included: Breakfast Day 6 At Melk Melk's massive Benedictine monastery was rebuilt in 1683 and the interior abbey is as breathtaking as the countryside views from the rooftop terrace. For a day trip, cycle to Schloss Schallaburg (8km return), one of the finest Renaissance castles north of the Alps, where you can stroll in the magnificent rose gardens and enjoy acclaimed cultural exhibitions. After dinner, enjoy wandering Melk's atmospheric cobbled streets. Comfortable Hotel Meals included: Breakfast Dinner Day 7 Melk to Krems Today you coast along the UNESCO Wachau Valley, a necklace of villages and vineyards, anchored by pretty churches along the north bank. Each is charming, especially Durnstein where Richard the Lionheart was held for ransom in the craggy hilltop castle. Admire the statuette, Venus of Willendorf, dating back to 23,000BC, before arriving in Krems for a splash in the pool, and candlelit dinner on the terrace overlooking the valley. Comfortable Hotel Meals included: Breakfast Dinner Day 8 At Krems Krems has one of the most beautiful historic centres in Europe and is packed with interest, from the Wine Museum housed in a restored Dominican monastery to the 13th century abbey that exhibits paintings of Martin Johann Schmidt. You can cycle out to Schloss Grafenegg (14km away), a gargoyle-encrusted Gothic castle set in 85 acres of parkland, perfect for picnics, or just relax in the fabulous hotel spa and pool. Comfortable Hotel Meals included: Breakfast Dinner Day 9 Krems to Tulln Freewheel down river to Tulln, known as the 'Town of Roses'. Pop into the Roman museum which is packed with artefacts, and dine out tonight amid the fountains, statues and ornate buildings that crowd the pretty centre before returning to your waterfront hotel. Comfortable Hotel Meals included: Breakfast Day 10 Tulln to Vienna Coast along the last stretch and relax over lunch in imperial Klosterneuburg. Then cycle along Danube Island before continuing to your hotel, right in the heart of the city. Enjoy dinner out in Vienna's lively centre which is breathtakingly floodlit at night! Cycling distance either 22km/13.5mi or 41km/26mi Comfortable Hotel Meals included: Breakfast Day 11 Leave Vienna Leave Vienna Meals included: Breakfast
Germany No visa required for British passport holders. For further Brexit travel advice please visit https://www.abta.com/tips-and-advice/brexit-advice-for-travellers
Austria No visa required for British passport holders. For further Brexit travel advice please visit https://www.abta.com/tips-and-advice/brexit-advice-for-travellers
Hotels Our hotels are all individually charming with those at Passau, Schlogen and Tulln on the riverbank, and range from a quirky, 15th century convent in Linz, to magnificent 4-star luxury in Krems, with two pools and a world-class spa! We have included two nights in Linz, Melk and Krems to allow time to explore at leisure. It's easy to add nights before or after the tour to enjoy time in Passau and Vienna. Room upgrades available on request
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