Sandra Grünewald

This was my first summer cycling trip lasting several weeks. After boarding the Paris-Munich night train, I disembarked in July in Bavaria, to follow the Danube to the Austrian capital, Vienna. My objective? To try my hand at adventure on one of the best stretches of the famous Eurovélo 6 😜

🛣 On the road

DAY 1 🚲 Munich to Landshut 🚲

78 km

En route to Freising (37 km)

©Ian Kelsall

After spending a day or two in Munich to discover Bavaria's capital, it's time to set off through the countryside. I discover a good cycling infrastructure in the city. Heading north, I follow the Isar on the D11 route. The dirt track reserved for cyclists is pleasant, as it's isolated from the road, so you feel perfectly safe. It runs alongside the river. Little effort and plenty of shade, it's really perfect. I take time for lunch at Freising and get a taste of the romantic architecture typical of Central Europe.

to Landshut (43 kms)

After a beer on the terrace to accompany the famous knödel, potato dumplings rather like gnocchi, I'm ready to set off again, still effortlessly and in the shade of the foliage, for Landshut in south-eastern Bavaria. If you didn't take German in high school and ask "Land-chute" as I did, you'll get a strange look until you're corrected to say "landse-houte" 🤣.

I then realize that Freising was just an amuse-bouche... At the end of the day, I stroll through the huge historic town center reserved for pedestrians and cyclists. The atmosphere is soft and pleasant. I take the opportunity to enjoy a good ice cream in a biergarten, an open-air brewery, to reward myself for my first day's cycling, before pushing on out of town to find my campsite.

DAY 2 🚲 Direction Vilshofen an der Donau 🚲

88 km

This morning, I'm keen to see the Danube, at last! Today's stage takes me to Europe's largest river, always without too much effort, thanks to stages that follow the terrain.

Through the countryside, I cross a few pastures and a few harvested fields or no. In the villages, you can still see the white and blue mast typical of Bavaria, the Maibaumstehlen, with its coats of arms, storks and signs.

In Vilshofen, I camp on the banks of the Danube, always arriving via a dedicated, safe cycle path. This break gives me a bit of freshness, especially as its no stagnant waters bring no mosquitoes 🦟. A real treat!

JOUR 3 🚲 Dans les méandres du Danube 🚲

68 kms

Yesterday evening, I noticed some relief starting to appear to the east, where I'm heading. Not to worry. I'm still moving along the river. The stage is shorter, as I'll be enjoying a variety of landscapes where the river weaves its way through the hills.

This is particularly the case after Passau, nicknamed Dreiflüssestadt, i.e. "the city of three rivers". This confluence means that you have to be more careful when crossing the Danube. In fact, bridges are rarer.

As a sign that the terrain is more rugged, a landslide had occurred on the road. As a result, just after entering Austria, we had to cross back into Germany at the Schleuse Jochenstein dam.

This was** one of the few cases where the cycling facilities left a little to be desired**, as climbing the dam's stairs was a bit arduous.

On the other hand, what a delight to ride through the wooded meanders! Accommodation, campsites or zimmer are quite limited, due to the ** narrowness of the space ** to build in these gorges, so you really need to think about booking in advance. The Schlögener meander was my favorite 💙.

DAY 4 🚲 The meanders to Linz 🚲

57 kms

Today, there's no question of leaving the banks to climb through the forest. I'm staying on the riverbank to enjoy a road with no relief, but surrounded by majestic scenery .

Then it's time to take the left bank as soon as possible near Obermühl an der Donau. Even if the road is unobstructed, as it was for us, this will be an opportunity to take the ferry between the two banks, which adds a little picturesque to the escapade. The cost is modest, around €5 per person.

The route takes you to Linz, where you've earned a day's rest. You can spend it **visiting Mozart's house **or the **Museum of Modern Art **, built on the banks of the river. Gourmets can enjoy a redcurrant Linzertorte on the terrace. It's a tart made from redcurrant jam (for Austrians) or raspberry jam (for Germans) with a braid on top.

DAY 6 🚲 A bit of plain 🚲

60 kms

This day out of Linz will undoubtedly be** one of the least interesting**. The romantic meanders give way to a *large plain*. I note, however, that this is precisely a reservoir for the *flood regulation of the Danube* since all the villages are equipped with dikes, the gates of which can be closed during floods. The best place to stop is Grein, where you'll find a landscape of hills.

DAY 7🚲 The castle route 🚲

70 kms

To control the Danube, medieval lordships had the good idea of erecting a few fortresses! You really must see them. I take a break at Schönbühel Castle while waiting to see a few **Kaiserin Sissi ** boats pass by. If you're keen, you can also take a long detour up toAggstein Castle (we were content to admire it from below 😇.

The vineyards are starting to take up space when the terrain allows some hillsides. Don't go too far and sleep on the **Rossatz-Arnsdorf **side to indulge in just a little white wine, replacing the usual beer.🍺

DAY 8 🚲 Vineyards and abbey🚲

50 kms

Early in the morning, we're only a short distance from Krems. We turn right, heading south, and discover a huge Benedictine abbey, Göttweig, overlooking immense vineyards. Here, too, you'll need a bit of motivation to climb the 200 m ascent and admire the **view over the Danube and Lower Austria. **It's a good thing it's not the end of the day 😅. Then it's time to turn away from the river and glide down to **Tulln an der Donau. **

DAY 9 🚲 Arrival in Vienna!!🚲

40 kms

Small stage to finish, which normally allows you to **enjoy a quiet arrival **in Austria's capital. Stay on the right bank and don't cut to the quick unless you're looking for some hills! The surrounding area is home to beaches and rowing ponds, making a refreshing break with a good swim. The **pistes are still top-notch **with giant turnstiles that allow you to climb onto bridges to cross the river. The best thing to do is to stroll through the city center and discover the St. Stephen's Cathedral, the Hofburg, theopera and the streets of the capital Habsburg, which will transport you back to the time of theempress Sissi. The next day, we took the time to visit Schönbrunn and Belvédère to complete our visit. For the return journey, ÖBB Nightjet offers very comfortable trains that I didn't have the chance to try out. This is, I think, the best way to back to France.

💫 Final lap

This stretch of the Danube is all comfort! The tracks are independent of the road, well signposted, with ferries to cross the river. Enjoy a landscape combining **green, hills, castles and vineyards **in the heart of romantic Europe . Ideal for a quiet getaway for couples or families.

🚴🏻‍♀️ Our mounts

**No need for the latest equipment for this trip. **

➡️ My partner had a B-twin on which we mounted a good luggage rack and two lightly-filled Ortlieb panniers.

➡️ I had my Kalkhoff bike with 28-inch wheels, which offered me more development. No front panniers either, as we'd chosen to carry very little kitchen equipment. The tent fitted flat on the luggage rack.

🧦 Cyclist's dressing room

We used to ride without shorts, but that's really up to the individual! ➡️ 2 shorts ➡️ 4 boxer shorts ➡️ 4 t-shirts ➡️ 1 shirt ➡️ 1 tee-long-sleeved shirts ➡️ 1 pair of shoes ➡️ 1 pair of sandals ➡️ 2 pairs of socks that aren't much use because we're pedaling in sandals ➡️ 1 evening wear ➡️ 1 fleece ➡️ 1 k-way that hasn't been used This means we only have to do two loads of washing at the campsites we come across.

🍔 Miamer en bon cyclo

Our option was to set off without a stove, so it was sandwiches at lunchtime and often a stop at an Augustiner (Munich brewery) in the evening, for dinner 😍.