Bicycling the Danube Plus! Czech Republic and Prague

Welcome to Passau, a beautiful German city located near the Austrian border and at the confluence of three rivers: the Danube, Inn and Ilz. Settle into your hotel and stretch your legs by walking through Old Town’s baroque architecture and paying a visit to Passau’s Saint Stephan’s Cathedral, home to the largest organ outside of the United States. This afternoon we will meet for a bike fitting and test ride. Then we will gather again for a welcome drink and our first dinner together.

The Danube River and the valley it has formed shape the central transportation artery of Austria. Today and tomorrow you’ll ride through the heartland of Austria featuring impressive castles perched above the Danube river. Take time to explore the Ars Electronica Museum in Linz, also known as the museum of the future, as it tries to bridge the gap between art, science and technology.

Distance: 60km (38mi) | Gain: 391m (1282ft) | Terrain | Day level: 1.5

You’ll leave the river valley to reach Bad Kreuzen. Those who wish can take time to visit the Mauthausen Concentration Camp. The experience is powerful and sobering as you walk up and down the 186 “death stairs.” Over 130,000 people were killed here including Jews, Italians, Russian POWs, criminals, and political prisoners.

Distance: 67km (42mi) | Gain: 442m (1450ft) | Terrain | Day level: 3.0

Enjoy a downhill coast on a smooth bike path into the town of Melk, home to the spectacular baroque Melk Abbey. Built at the beginning of the 12th century the abbey was a monastic school. Unpack your bags at our hotel just down the street from the abbey and stroll through the charming town to photograph the gold statuary adorning this domed Abbey Church. Venture inside the church to admire the ceiling fresco and its red marble walls before enjoying one of the suggested restaurants for dinner on your own this evening.

Distance: 58km (36mi) | Gain: 356m (1168ft) | Terrain | Day level: 1.5

Today you pedal into the heartland of Austrian wine country. This beautiful ride leads you through the medieval villages of the Wachau, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Upon arriving in Dürnstein you’ll visit the cellar and vineyards of one of the area’s best producers, and taste some of their traditional white wines.

Distance: 57km (36mi) | Gain: 421m (1381ft) | Terrain | Day level: 1.5

Enjoy an easy day along the Danube today. You’ll reach Vienna via a complex system of bicycle paths that lead directly to your hotel. Vienna is the largest city in Austria and one of Europe’s leading musical centers. It was first a Roman and Celtic settlement, but as the Austro-Hungarian Empire rose to prominence, magnificent Medieval and Baroque architecture became especially prevalent.

Distance: 93km (58mi) | Gain: 502m (1647ft) | Terrain | Day level: 2.5

Today we’ll enjoy an optional rest day in Austria’s capital, Vienna. This city has been home to legendary artistic and intellectual residents including Mozart, Beethoven and Sigmund Freud. Vienna is also known for its imperial palaces as well as its mix of historic and contemporary buildings. We’ll have a guided tour of this fabulous city to explore its artistic and architectural grandeur and to gain extra insight to the city’s impressive history. This afternoon, feel free to stretch your legs with a ride along the Danube.

Distance: 30km (19mi) | Gain: 61m (200ft) | Terrain | Day level: 1.0

We begin the day with a shuttle to the Austrian town of Gmünd. Pick up lunch in the charming town center before you pedal across the border into the Czech Republic! The ride takes you through gentle farmland passing through tiny Czech villages and dense forests. Our hotel tonight is located inside the ancient city walls of Trebon. Trebon is famous for its brewery which dates back to 1379. Take a spin around some of the Trebon pond system, a part of the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves, climb the 16th century clock tower, or visit the majestic Trebon Castle. Be sure to enjoy the local specialty, a sweet wafer, but save room for dinner together tonight at our favorite local restaurant.

Distance: 44km (28mi) | Gain: 219m (718ft) | Terrain | Day level: 1.0

Today we will make our way to Cesky Krumlov, one of the Czech Republic’s most beautiful cities. Cesky Krumlov is situated in a meander of the longest river in the Czech Republic, the Vltava River. Our hotel is in the main square of this historic city center, structured around the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Cesky castle. The castle was originally built in the 1200’s by the main branch of the Bohemian noble Rosenberg family, a hugely influential family in Czech medieval history from the 13th century until 1611. This evening we’ll enjoy a guided walk through town.

Distance: 61km (38mi) | Gain: 745m (2444ft) | Terrain | Day level: 2.5

Today we will leave Cesky Krumlov and enjoy pedaling through scenic rural pastures before we connect with the Vltava river. We will follow a bike path along this tranquil river to our destination for the evening, Ceske Budejovice, the capital city of Bohemia. Famous for its beer first brewed in the 13th century, brewing remains a major industry in Ceske Budejovice. We will visit the Budvar Brewery which some say Budweiser beer was brewed to imitate.

Distance: 32km (20mi) | Gain: 256m (840ft) | Terrain | Day level: 1.5

We will follow the bike path along the Vltava River out of Ceske Budejovice today and then pedal through lush green forests and small villages on our way to Tabor, which earned its notoriety as home to the most radical wing of the Hussite movement in the 15th century. Perched on a steep hillside surrounded by dense forest, the streets of Tabor are beautiful and vibrant. Take a stroll through the stunning main square. We’ll enjoy dinner together tonight.

Distance: 69km (43mi) | Gain: 741m (2430ft) | Terrain | Day level: 2.5

Today we pedal through peaceful pastureland. Take a break under the shade of wild apple trees for a quick snack or to capture a picture of the scenic back country roads leading us to our destination for the night near the Konopiste Castle. Play some golf at the largest golf resort in the Czech Republic or enjoy the many amenities of the hotel spa this evening before seeing the Konopiste Castle tomorrow, famous for having been the last residence of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, whose assassination in Sarajevo triggered World War I.  

Distance: 61km (38mi) | Gain: 675m (2214ft) | Terrain | Day level: 2.5

A stunning start to the day as we pedal through Konopiste Castle’s park where you’ll have a chance to visit this impressive castle if you wish. Then we will pedal until our route converges with the Moldau river. A riverside bike path will take us peacefully right into the Czech Republic’s capital city of Prague, and the final destination for the tour. Prague, sometimes called “the City of a Hundred Spires,” is known for its Old Town Square in the heart of its historic center. Take a stroll around the city and enjoy its colorful Baroque buildings, Gothic churches and the medieval Astronomical Clock, which gives an animated show hourly.

Distance: 63km (39mi) | Gain: 720m (2362ft) | Terrain | Day level: 3.0

We’ll say good-bye after our guided tour of Prague this morning. Stick around though because Prague deserves a few extra days to visit sites, shop, and hear some great music. No matter what you decide to do next, thanks for cycling with us!