Monasteries, castles and charming Vienna
Of course, Vienna alone is worth a trip of several days: So you could go by bike and boat without interruption to Austria’s capital and then stay, stay and stay . . .
Vienna’s blend of the charm of history and an equally exciting modernity is unique. The early period, Baroque and Art Nouveau characterize much of the city’s architecture. A single day of sightseeing is hardly enough for outstanding buildings such as the Art Nouveau Church am Steinhof, the Baroque Charles Church, the Baroque palaces Schönbrunn and Belvedere as well as the Vienna Hundertwasserhaus.
And then there are parks such as the Vienna Prater, the famous Viennese coffeehouse culture, the Heurigen of the city, where you can enjoy excellent wines, and restaurants with local specialities such as Wiener Schnitzel, Tafelspitz, goulash, strudel and palate ham.
Vienna offers attractions for many days of holiday, and yet it would be a shame to focus on Vienna alone on a trip on the Danube and the Danube Cycle Trail. There are far too many other sights. Cycling and boat trips through Austria take you to Linz, for example. Here you will find the Linz Palace and the Linz Cathedral as well as impressive squares such as the Hauptplatz, which is one of the largest converted squares in Austria. You want some candy? Try the famous Linzer Torte.
Even away from the big cities, the Danube and Danube Cycle Path lead you to impressive buildings. These include the abbeys of Engelhartszell and Klosterneuburg as well as the Baroque Benedictine Abbey Melk, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Magnificent scenery. Excellent wine.
Here you will find cozy wine cellars, where excellent wines are poured out. Try Grünen Veltliner, Riesling or Neuburger. But the region does not only grow grapes for good wines. The soils around the Danube in Austria are fertile. Here the Wachau apricot grows, asparagus and saffron grow. Fish and game from the region complete the ingredients for excellent local dishes. One of the most famous natural spectacles on the Danube in Austria is the romantic Schlögen Danube loop between Passau and Linz. The Danube makes a 180-degree turn here.
Also very worth seeing: the Wachau cultural landscape and the Donau-Auen National Park. The Wachau is a UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage Site. The hills covered with vines, a mild climate and many historical buildings such as the aforementioned Melk Abbey make the region an experience.
The Danube-Auen National Park begins in Vienna and runs to the border with Slovakia in Austria. It is home to beavers, Marten, deer and wild boar as well as kingfisher, eagles and many other animals.
A journey - four countries
Our cycling and boat trips on the Danube often start in the German city of Passau. The three-river city (Inn, Danube, Ilz) is sometimes called the Venice of Bavaria. Particularly attractive is the baroque old town with the majestic St. Stephan Cathedral and the Veste Oberhaus.
Via Austria we follow the river on some trips on the Danube by bike and boat to Slovakia and Hungary. In addition to Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest are two other European capitals in the focus. A wealth of beautiful buildings are worth visiting in Bratislava. These include Bratislava Castle, Grassalkovich Palace and St. Martin’s Cathedral.
Budapest is well worth a visit, not least because of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Budapest with Danube banks, Buda Castle District and Andrássy Street. ” World Heritage sites in Budapest include the Buda Castle, the Gellert Bath, the Budapest Chain Bridge, charming Baroque churches and Turkish baths, the Parliament Building and the Grisham Palace.
Away from the capital, Hungary’s largest cathedral, the Basilica of Esztergom, is located on the picturesque Danube bend. The river flows through the Visegrad Mountains on the Danube bend. Here you can experience a unique natural landscape with forests and meadows. Animals such as salamanders and otters live in nature, and protected plant species such as blackcurrant grow.
In all travel countries on the Danube the following applies: Most of the day’s stages are very easy to ride by bike. So you don’t have to be a sporty cyclist to enjoy them. In addition, you can always decide on a bike or boat trip to do without a tour and prefer to stay on board.
The MS Prinzessin Katahrina is an attractive ship with a personal and friendly atmosphere. It is just over 110 metres long and offers hundret-forty cabins. In addition, the ship offers its guests a special ambience and let yourself be spoiled by the good cuisine. Spread over two passengers decks are a panoramic restaurant, a cosy lounge, two bars and an inviting Foyer.
Slightly longer than the MS Prinzessin Katharina is the 113. 5 metre long MS Primadonna. It is one of the largest cruise ships on the Danube and is one of the few real river catamarans in the world. In its 60-metre-long hotel lobby, visitors can enjoy the panoramic restaurant “Primagusto”, as well as the panoramic bar “Primaaperitivo. ” In addition, there is an on-board theatre and a sun deck.
In total, the ship offers its guests 81 air-conditioned cabins. A delightful detail is the six-metre-high bow glazing and a glass floor at the reception, which allow unusual views of the river. In addition to these two ships, there are still others for Rückenwind trips on the Danube. They all have one goal: to offer the guests dreamlike experiences and an unforgettable journey on their bike and boat trips in Austria and in the other Danube countries. This objective will be fully achieved on all vessels without exception. See for yourself.
