Eurovelo 6 - Donauschingen to Vienna
This section of the Eurovelo Cycling Network begins at the source of the Danube River in Donauschingen, Germany and follows the general path of the river for about 907 km (563 miles) to Vienna, Austria. I made this trip between August 7 and 31, 2018.
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| Entire Route of Eurovelo 6 |
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| Route from SW Germany to Vienna, Austria |
I took a flight from Portland, Oregon to Frankfurt, Germany carrying my bicycle as checked luggage. Then rode a train to Donauschingen - a small town which is located at the source of the Danube River. Here I began my trek on the Eurovelo 6 cycle route toward Vienna. A note of caution in planning a route: many of the towns have the same name as other towns in Germany or Austria but have the addition of - "an der Donau" or "on the Danube". For example Neustadt (new town) may be found elsewhere, but the one on this route is Neustadt an der Donau.
Day 1
Donauschingen, Germany. The mighty Danube, the longest river in Europe, begins here as a small spring flowing out of the ground which has now been formally surrounded by a viewing enclosure and appropriate plaques. Not too far down the cycle route you can observe it as what might be called a slowly flowing creek.
 | | Spring Celebrated as the Source of the Danube River |
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The Danube just below Donauschingen - a small creek
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Day 2
The route traversed open rolling countryside north of the Danube passing through many small villages and after 35 km connected with the Danube at my destination for the day - Tuttlingen, Germany.
Day 3
The weather was unusually warm for this area during most of the trip, so I tried to begin about 8 am and get most of the cycling done in the morning. Today I cycled 55 km. The route crossed open farmland, but much of it followed the course of the winding river, passing through small riverside villages until reaching Sigmaringen, Germany.
Day 4
The route followed not far from the river through the town of Riedlingen and the villages of Bechingen and Zweifaltendorf to Obermarchtal where it crossed the river to my destination of Untermarchtal - a 55 km ride from my starting point of Sigmaringen.
Day 5
The flat trail crosses back and forth across the river as it passes through the towns of Rottenacker, Ehingen, Erbach and after a 58 km ride arrives at the larger city of Ulm. The pride of Ulm is the huge Gothic Cathedral. It is currently the tallest church in the world and will likely remain so until the eventual completion of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.
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 |  Ulm |
Pedestrian street in Ulm, Germany
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Day 6
The route follows the north side of the Danube past Ober and Unterelchingen, Gundelfingen an der Donau, Lauingen, Dillingenan, and Steinheim, and at about 60 km from the start at Ulm, reaches the town of Hochstadt an der Donau.
Day 7
The route crossed back and forth across the river. I had one of the screws holding on my rear luggage rack come lose and I had to do a temporary repair with nylon cord and zip ties to hold it in place all day. After a scenic 64 km I reached the town of Neuburg an der Donau.
Day 8
The route continued on the north side of the river until Gremheim, where it crossed to the SE side, then before Donauworth crossed back to the north side again. It continues through the villages of Altsheim, Bertoldsheim, and then larger town of Ingolstadt. There I found a huge bicycle store where I hoped to get my luggage rack repaired. I entered and saw a huge line of people waiting at the maintenance and repair section. I was not looking forward to spending the day on this little repair. I told one of the salesman the problem and he took my bike, offered me coffee and a chair, went directly into the repair area (skipping the line), and returned ten minutes later with my repaired bicycle - for no charge. He told me he dreamed of cycling the west coast of the United States someday. I continued on my way and reached my day's destination of Neuustadt an der Donau by early afternoon.
Day 9
I started early again in order to reach my destination of Regensburg before the afternoon heat set in. The route followed the river and crossed back and forth several times. At one point the crossing turned out to be aboard a small ferry barge. The river was noticeably larger and was capable of raising or lowering larger boats and barges through a series of locks. I reached the lovely town of Regensburg after a 57 km trip for the day. I had scheduled two nights here for my first break and day of rest during the trip.
Day 10
I spent the day exploring the sights of Regensburg. These included the large cathedral, and a museum dedicated largely to one of the towns most famous past residents - the astronomer Joannes Kepler. He was a key figure in the 17th-century Scientific Revolution, best known for his mathematical laws of planetary motion and the idea that the Earth and planets travel around the sun in elliptical orbits. He lived in Regensburg for some time and died there in 1630.
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 | | Johannes Kepler |
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 | | Postal Delivery by Bicycle |
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Leaving Regensburg the route crossed to the north side of
the river, entered the town of Staubing on the south side, and then continued
back on the north side to my hotel in the small town of Bogen.
Day 12
The route continues closely along on the north side of the river through the town of Degendorf and after 62 km into Windorf (population 4800), where I spent the evening.
Day 13
Windorf to Passau. In the morning, I continued along the north side of the river to Maierhof and then crossed a bridge to the south side and shortly reached the beautiful city of Passau (population 53,0000). Passau lies at the confluence of the Danube, Inn and Ilz rivers. Known as the Three Rivers City, it's overlooked by the Veste Oberhaus, a 13th-century hilltop fortress housing a city museum and observation tower.
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 | Passau view from the hill across the river
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History Museum
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 | History Museum
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Day 14
I spent a second day exploring and enjoying the sights of Passau including the Neo-Gothic town hall, built from 1889 to 1892.
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 | Clock tower of old Town Hall
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 | Interior of old Town Hall
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Day 15
I left Passau in the morning, crossed the bridge, and followed closely along the south side of the river. At some point I passed a beautiful mermaid statue overlooking the river in a rural area not really close to any town. The route crossed the river - no bridge here, but a small ferry boat which loaded me and another bicyclist and sped us across to the other side. At the tiny village of Schlogen, I took a short-cut avoiding several large bends in the river and into my destination - the small village of Aschach an der Donau. My accommodation here was a pleasant surprise. Secluded a few km outside of town was a history museum. The museum not only housed 18th and 19th century treasures, but also included a few rooms for overnight guests. I was very surprised that to reach my second floor room I actually had to go through the open museum. I wondered around and explored the museum collections, had a wonderful bowl of goulash soup at the attached café, and finally turned in for the evening.
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 | | Bicycle or single car ferry boat |
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 | | History Museum and B & B |
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 | | Museum |
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Day 16
From Aschach to Ottenscheim excellent bikeways can be found on either side of the river. I took the south side route and then crossed back north at Ottenscheim and continued into Linz, Austria (population 201,000). Linz is a very old and historic city. It was founded by the Romans. Adolph Hitler spent most of his youth in the Linz area, from 1898 until 1907, when he left for Vienna.
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 | | Bicycle campground on the way to Linz |
 | | Museum photo - American soldiers entering Linz in WW II |
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 | | Roman Aqueduct near Linz, Austria |
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Day 17
About 13 miles east of Linz I encountered a signpost pointing up a road to the town of Mauthausen - site of the notorious Nazi death camp and now a museum. The death toll at Mauthausen and its sub-camps remains unknown, although most sources place it between 122,766 and 320,000. I was curious, but not wanting to follow the uphill road, I cycled on to the town of Grein, Austria (population 3,000).
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 | | Mauthausen Nazi death camp museum. |
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 | | Entering Grein |
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Day 18
From Grein good cycleways run on both sides of the river. I took the north bank through Persenbeug and past large fields of wine grapes near Groisbach, then crossed by ferry to the south bank to the village of Hofarnsdorf, and then on to the town of Spitz (population 1,700).
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 | | Village of Persenbeug |
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 | | Vineyards near Groisbach |
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 | | Small Ferry |
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Day 19
From Sptiz, I followed the bikeway along the south side of the river. I passed through vineyards (the source of some very good Austrian wines), and stopped at a nice riverside coffee shop for a mid-morning break. By early afternoon I reached my destination - the town of Tulln (population 16,197). It first gained importance as the Roman fort of Comagen, and was one of the important Roman strongholds along the Danube defending them against the "barbarians" to the north. The town, in fact, houses a Roman History Museum.
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 | | Mid-morning Coffee Break |
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 | | Statue of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius |
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 | | Riverside Amphitheater, Tulln |
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Days 20 and 21
From Tulln the Eurovelo 6 continues along the south and west side of the river for about 23 miles more, finally reaching the city of Vienna (population 2 million+). The history and culture of Vienna can fill volumes. It is one of the highest ranking cities in the world in terms of quality of life indicators. I thoroughly enjoyed two days exploring the museums, shops, and restaurants of this amazing city.
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 | | Bikeway entering Vienna |
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 | | Vienna, Austria |
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 | | Natural History Museum |
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 | | Natural History Museum |
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Day 22
I left Vienna by train to Salzburg and then on to Frankfurt, Germany, packed up my bicycle, and checked it on the plane for the flight back to Portland, Oregon.
Summary
I rode about 562 miles (904 km) in 17 days of cycling, or about 33 miles (53 km) per day - a slow pace for many cyclists, but oh so much to see! It was an awesome experience in scenery, culture, and history. I can't wait to do it again.
RESOURCES
The following two volumes are extremely useful and an absolute must for anyone planning a trip on this route.
Mike Wells. 2015, The Danube Cycleway Volume 1: From the source in the Black Forest to Budapest. Cicerone Press. Cumbria, UK. 266 pp.
Mike Wells. 2016, The Danube Cycleway Volume 2: From Budapest to the Black Sea. Cicerone Press. Cumbria, UK. 282 pp.
