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Danube Bike Ride
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Danube Bike Ride

I'm finally doing something that I thought about for 35 years. When I lived in Regensburg my colleague RK did this ride to Vienna, and I thought I should do it to. Now finally its happening Read more
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  • Trip start
    May 16, 2026
    EzyianDanube Bike RideEzyian
    1

    Getting to the starting line

    May 16–17 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C

    I drove today to the starting line of my bike ride from Regensburg to Vienna. (700 km in 8 hours)

    Well almost. In fact I stopped 30km short of Regensburg, because its a holiday weekend and everything that was affordable was full, so I have instead come to stay in the monastery of Kloster Weltenburg, one of the prettiest spots on the entire river.

    This is the 3rd stay in a monastery in recent years. The previous 2 occasions were in Japan. Of course they have very little in common other than that they are all still active and they welcome guests. Weltenburg is both stunning in it location and its magnificent baroque chapel, not forgetting that it is the worlds oldest surviving brewery.

    Today after my long drive, I took a very short walk along the Danube and then had a beer and a typical Bavarian dish of bread dumplings in mushroom sauce.

    Not much later around 8pm I was back in my modest monks room, I lay down on the bed and instantly fell asleep. Strangely tiring, sitting driving all day.    Read more

  • EzyianDanube Bike RideEzyian

    Ready, steady, ...

    May 17 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    ... not yet go. I am at the starting line of my 6 day bike ride, but I need a day before leaving to see a couple of friends.
    My old work colleague Reinhardt Kautetzky was the one who inspired the ride. I haven't seen him for over 30 years, but his ride to Vienna stuck in my mind all that time, as something I wanted to do.
    I met up with him and his wife Claudia, who I also knew well back then for a Bavarian dinner, which was really excellent as was the beer. We talked about the old days especially other colleagues, our children, and of course bike rides. Little did I know just how much Reinhardt had done. Rides to Palermo (2000km), Santiago de Compostela(2200km). Its ok Florence, cool it, I won't be trying that 😄.
    It was a truly nice evening! Not something that is guaranteed after so long.
    During the day I had already met another friend at one of Regensburgs many beer gardens. I've seen Wolfgang often over the years since he lives in Berlin and I worked there a lot. By coincidence he was passing through here yesterday.
    I am, I hope ready to go. Route checked. Mini-rucksack checked. Car parked. Let's see if I forgot something 🤔.    Read more

  • EzyianDanube Bike RideEzyian
    1

    Regensburg to Hengersberg

    May 18 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    The first day back in the saddle feels like this sport was invented by the Marquis de Sade. I did travel 104km but I could have been faster or gone further if my bottom hadn't been in agony all of the time. Poor thing was whacked by every bump on the track. And it hurt despite my "soft gel" saddle and my padded cycle shorts. Moule-bite in French. Sounds like it comes directly from Sade, because the translation is something like pussy-cock. I think they should have called it "pantalon anti-fessée peu efficace" (not very effective anti spanking pants)

    I wasn't worrying about my bottom all the time, instead I was enjoying the beautiful river scenery, and the endless succession of picturesque villages with their baroque churches. Since this river connects Germany, Austria, Slowakia, Hungary and the Balkans, it must have been a wealthy trading route. That shows in the quality and elaborate decoration of the churches.

    I rode two parts with a short break after 50km in Straubing. The first part is definitely more beautiful and interesting. The 2nd part is less attractive and at the moment the route is interupted several times by the construction of flood water defences. The diversions were twice poorly signposted and I found it hard to rejoin the route despite GPS. The meandering river confuses the brain as to whether to turn left or right. Generally the GPS is correct, but not always.

    Before I left my inner panic was checking and rechecking my tiny rucksack That was all good in the end. But I did make one major mistake, namely forgetting to fill my water bottle, and then discovering when I went to fill it, that it was full of mould inside because last time I had orange juice in it.

    Despite all those bottom bashings and the unusable water bottle I did travel a little further than planned to the little town of Hengersberg. There on the marketplace at the curiously named Gottard restaurant, I really enjoyed my tsatsiki burger and potatoes. Rarely have I eaten so voraciously . All washed down with two excellent Bavarian lagers.    Read more

  • EzyianDanube Bike RideEzyian

    Hengersberg to Engelhartszell via Passau

    May 19 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    This was a day of two halves.

    Part 1 Hengersberg to Passau.

    For a cyclist an all you can eat breakfast buffet is a dream. The day before just cycling I burned through 3,500 calories. On top the passive calories (sleeping, sitting, etc). So this morning I tanked up for a shorter ride than the day before 72km vs 104km. To be clear the aim of this ride is not speed, although I now realise that I planned at least two days too many. I have decided to split the difference and go slower so that I arrive one day early not two.

    The morning route took in a mixture of the Danube, ponds that were former paths of the river, and the old Danube which is actually the Danube. In some parts for barges and pleasure boats there is the canalised Danube. The weather was not as good as the day before. Grey skies. So the landscapes are not in their best light. But it was still peaceful and serene. I must check why water makes humans happy.

    Check out the frog calls in the short video.

    I reached Passau about 11:30, bought lunch in a supermarket (Wurstsalat €3.50), and walked though the old town and along the two rivers for an hour.

    Part 2. Passau to Engelhartszell

    Have I mentioned my bottom yet? No! That's because he, or is it she, is being taken better care of. For example a 15 minute break after 30km. But the most important thing for him, or her, is the smoothness of the road surface and after Passau, so far it is perfect. My bottom's favourite stretch so far.

    In addition it just happens to be a truly beautiful stretch of the river. Forrested hills either side of the river and far fewer villages combine to make this feel special. I need to add to my listvof psychological questions, why do lucious green forrests make us happy?

    The last part of the ride was special, as I took alone a cyclist ferry across the river to Engelhartszell. I could'nt pay the €3 fare, but the captain wasn't stressed. "Bring me it later". Do you want my Drivers Licence as security? Nah. Special views, special hospitality from the captain. Only strange thing. This is another monastery town. The only open restaurant is a Mexican one. No tourists in it but plenty Austrians. Eat where the locals go is generally good travel advice. In this case, not sure the result is one I can recommend. Not bad, not great.    Read more

  • EzyianDanube Bike RideEzyian

    Engelhartszell to Ashach via Schlögen

    May 20 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    This was supposed to be an easy day, but for the 1st time a long hill beat me and I had to get off and walk for a bit. 9% is nothing for regular mountain cyclists but for me the limit is 7%. On top there was a lovely walk but it was 2.8km mostly steep upwards. So much for easy. Now the bottom hurts a lot less, but the leg muscles have taken over the job of sending pain signals.

    It was despite all that a lovely day with spectacular views of one of the most famous spots on the Danube, namely the 180° bend at Schlögen. That view was the reason for the steep walk uphill. I found it curious that there wasn't an easier way up. What do the pensioners on the enormous cruise boats do? They have surely seen the view of Schlögen in their journey plan or brochure. Did anyone tell them to see it its 35 minutes steep walk? Thinking of my own parents, my dad would have done the walk, my mother would have been clear she wasn't interested. I did think at one point I heard a drone, (which you could use to show the view), but it turned out to be a big fly. The mix up was possible either because I'm stupid, or because I was alone and it was peaceful and very quiet.    Read more

  • EzyianDanube Bike RideEzyian
    1

    Idiotensicher they are not

    May 21 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Route Aschach to Ybbs an der Donau.

    English speakers are often a mixture of amused amd jealeous that the German language has a specific word that perfectly describes a thing or a feeling. The classic example is Schadenfreude.

    Step up the German word Idiotensicher, which translates to idiot proof. The trouble is that the Austrian Tourist Board or whoever does cycle path signage hasn't understood the concept. I suppose that might make them Idioten? They have surely driven on roads where texts are large and destinations are clear, but they seem to think cyclists can read tiny letters and have in inner compas . My first photo, shows one of their larger signs. Unless you stop you cant possibly take it in, and here the text is 4x the size of the some other ones. Worse are the route indicators. You arrive at the Danube cycle path. You know you are there because there is a beermat sized sign "R1". However it doesn't tell you which direction left is and which direction right is. To top this the signage where you are not on the riverbank is often non existent. Its like the guys in charge of all of this might have a deep loathing of cyclists. So they are either Idioten or pathological.

    Why have I gone on this mega digression? Because today I cycled 106 km on a 100 km route. Reason see above.

    On the positive side the poor signage helped me achieve my longest ever non stop ride of 106km. Think positive 🤔

    The ride started with a beautiful slightly misty morning, with the birds extremely active and songful. My photo doesn't really capture the wonderful atmosphere. I tried!

     Then losts of different river landscapes, somtimes with hills on both sides, sometimes with fields of barley and other crops. Unfortunately I didn't take pictures of all of these.

    What is suprising and nice is that although since this morning I am in a far more populous region , there are still large sections of the river that are natural with no housing or industry. That's even true around the regional capital of Linz.

    Health Update: Bottom pain becoming less. No leg pain. Hands start to hurt after 80km. Very tired.    Read more

  • EzyianDanube Bike RideEzyian
    1

    God is looking after me

    May 22 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Route: short journey from Ybbs to Melk

    Either the monastery stays , or subsidising the church by drinking beer has paid off today. ( The church gets rent from many beer gardens and pubs, as well as in some cases the profits on beer from its own breweries).

     Had what happened today happened on either of the previous two days, I would have been as they say in the finest English, in deep shit or worse.

    I had a tyre rip which allowed the inner tube to misshape the tyre and make the bike uncyclable. It happened at about 5km per hour and in the town of Ybbs which has muliple bike shops. So my little mishap took a grand total of only 7 minutes to buy a new tyre and have a profi put it on.

    Its not pleasant to think of it happening downhill at 40km/h or on a remoter part of the ride. I am pretty sure it would have been bad and/or taken hours to replace. I carry a spare inner tube, but of course not a tyre.

    Other than the non drama, its been a quiet day, with only 32km of cycling. I went to the impressive old town of Melk with its pretty streets and its humongously large Abbey set on a rocky hilltop. It made me think about what impression this would have made on ordinary people back in 1700 when it was built. It felt to me at least that this was a massive projection of power.

    I think that this evening I'll make my usual contribution to the churches finances after being so blessed today.    Read more

  • EzyianDanube Bike RideEzyian

    Melk to Tulln via Dürnstein

    May 23 in Austria ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Today I travelled through the Wachau region. More than one person told me this was the most beautiful part but I would say I preferred the quieter serene parts such as Passau to Engelhartszell. Don't get me wrong its still pretty just not the prettiest.

    The area is different as the towns have weĺl preserved old houses and streets, and there are a lot of castles, monasteries and churches. Really a lot on the strech from Melk to Krems.

    Whats also different is the number of tourists . Here I begin to see a lot of river cruise boats. One every 10 minutes at St Lorenz where I cross the river on a ferry.

    Since on Sunday temperatures will be above 30C, I decided to continue 45km further to Tulln, so that I avoid cycling on Sunday afternoon. It was rarher tough because it was already 26C in the shade and cycling there is no shade, so who knows what the temperature was. I survived by stopping briefly when there was an occasional tree that offered some shade.

    So I made it, had some food, and slept from 2100 onwards despite the fact that the youth hostel had 50 12 year old scouts running through the corridors screaming. My body and brain simply shut down and ignored the noise.    Read more

  • EzyianDanube Bike RideEzyian

    Tulln to the finish line in Vienna

    May 24 in Austria ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Early morning to avoid the heat, for the last 45km to Vienna. More precisely 35km to Vienna then 10km to Max's appartement .

    And of course those two parts could hardly be more different. The river continues its way as before, but as I approach the capital, the number of cyclists increases more than 10 fold. At some point I caught my first glimpses of the city. But my joy was a little constrained by the heat at already 26C at 10am, and the GPS telling me I still had 20km to go. Oh well, I am not going to stop now!

    That determination certainly helped over the final stretch as it got hotter and the road went from silky smooth to very bumpy. My bottom was frustrated with this development.

    Finally after almost exactly 500km I arrived, and a hungover Max was there to greet me. I am very excited to wash my things and have clean clothes. No more moulebite! Then I think once I gather the energy I shall award myself with an ice-cream.    Read more

    Trip end
    May 28, 2026
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