Donau cycle trip from Vienna to Beverwijk

Travel story of a cycle trip along Donau, Neckar and Rhine from Vienna to Beverwijk

Gerda and Theo Kroon

2nd july 2001 until 19th july 2001

Distance 1.601 km.

Table of contents





A view on the Donau at Au

Inleiding

After a number of eight bicycle holidays through the Netherlands, of 6 holidays with our children, Kim, Sil and Doke and the last one a trip of 1400 km, along coast and borderline of Holland, it looked us a nice idea to make a cycle holiday in an other country.
After we had read a couple of travel stories, we decided to follow the rivers, Donau, Neckar and Rhine from Vienna to Nijmegen. A distance of more than 1600 kilometres, along the Donau-Radweg, the Neckar-Radweg and two parts of the Rhein-Radweg. (Radweg is German for Bicyclepath)
At the bicycle holiday shop in Woerden we bought all the necesarry road map we needed. bikeline-donau fietspad
Five books of Bikeline and a separate map to map the passage from Ulm to Stuttgart, were enough to cover the complete trip.
(next)

To get into Vienna with our bikes, we ordered the bustrip from Amsterdam to Vienna by the 'fietsvakantie winkel' (bicycle holiday shop), in Woerden. We started in Vienna, so we didn't have to be in Vienna on a special time to get a bus back home. Now we could cycle home in our own tempo.
Because we like to cycle and especially were looking for the challenge of cycling all the way between Vienna and Nijmegen we should cycle a day average of 100 km. Rather heavy. Cycling along the Donau can be done in either tempo and in different distances per day. There are a lot of possibilities to start on different locations. It is even possible to book a special trip, where your luggage will be brought to your hotel of that night. We decided to camp on camping sites along the route.

Busreis

To get at the departure place of the bus, railway station Amsterdam Amstel, we should take the train from our home place in Beverwijk. The journey started with a delay of half an hour.
After we arrived at the busstation at Amstel Station, we reported ourselves at the busdriver and stuffed our luggage into the bus. Next, we had to remove our front luggage carrier. You must be carefull with your luggage. Inspite of the fact the bus stands behind barriers, your luggage can be stolen in seconds.
After a long lasting ride through Holland and an eating break we passed the Dutch border after four hours. (next)

At half past twelve in the night, the bus stopped at a 'Raststette' (parkingpace), there the busdrivers made beds from our chairs. Small, noicy, and not to comfortable.
The next morning at about 7:00 o'clock we arrived in Passau. Here a couple of persons left the bus. It was a strange idea that we should pass Passau on our bikes a couple of days later.
Broken and a bit yealous on the persons, who slept comfortable during the nigh in the bus, we arrived at 13:00 o'clock in Vienna. After a short stop the bus would drive to Budapest with the last 10 persons.

Vienna to Tulln

After remounting our front luggage carrier on our bikes, two Koga Miyata's Adventure, we hang our luggage on our bikes. Ten minutes later we started our trip and cycled to the Donau. Because of the very busy traffic we decided not to visit the centre of Vienna, but to start to cycle along the Donau right away.
When we arrived at the Donau we cycled with Jaap and Door, who also decided not to visit the busy centre, along the Donau towards Tulln. A distance of roughly 35 kilometres. (next)

Tulln After a long ride with the bus enough for the first day. In a drizzly rain we picked up our first impression. And those were good. A nice piece of nature at Korneuburg and from an impressive Krafwerk (a factory where electricity is made by use of the Donau stream) Greifenstein we had an nice view at Castle Greifenstein.
Camping Tulln is a neat camping. In the city of Tulln we have done our first shopping, we alse bought some campinggaz. You are not allowed to take campinggaz with you on the bus.

Tulln to Willersbach

From Tull we started we a nice wind in our back. A bit of luck that we last four days. Normally the wind blows 200 days per year from the west along the Donau. The day started a bit clowded but very soon the sun shined and it became comfortably warm.
Stift Göttweg The next four days it would become warmer and warmer. A couple of days later Herr Meier told us that it was 30° in the shadow. The first kilometres, where we cycled across country roads were a bit further of from the Donau. Later at Zwentendorf we cycled along the Donau for kilometres. At Krems we stayed on the southside until the bridge of Stein. Owing to this we had a nice view at Stift Göttweg. (next)

Benediktinerstift During the ride we passed along a beautiful village Weissenkirchen and later we arrived at Melk. In Melk stands a wonderful cloister, The Benediktinerstift had been build in a baroque style from 1702 until 1747 and can be visited.
We slept at a guesthouse/camping along the Donau. In the evening we enjoyed the setting sun and the passing ships, sitting on a bench. We talked to an elder gentlemen, about 70 years of age, who was cycling from Passau to Vienna, just alone, sleeping in a very small tent.
We stopped after 110 kilometres.

Willersbach to Kaiser

Today we left early from Willersbach, so we didn't had much trouble of the traffic along this part of the route. The first kilometres we cycling along wonderful pieces of nature, lovely woods and so now and than a nice village. Because we wanted to visit the Freilichtmuseum in Lehen we decided to cycle along the north bank of the river. The trip to the prehistoric museum was varying. The museum itself is small but nice. After the Donaukraftwerk Wallsee-Mitterkirchen we cycled for more than 10 kilometres along the Donau. We didn't visit camp Mauthausen. We had to choose between the Freilichtmuseum and Mauthausen. After a part less interesting we came to cycle along the Donau starting from Abwinden. (next)

The view at the industry at Linz wasn't nice, but after rounding the city the view became more and more nicer. From a terrace at Ottensheim we had a nice view on a peculiar ferry, the roller ferry of Ottenheim
About 5 kilometres after the very nice town Aschach, with a lot of terraces at the Donau, we put up our tent on a camping across the village Neuhaus. Schloss Neuhaus The nice and clean Camping Kaiser, with 'Gasthaus', (bar, restaurant), is beautiful sited along the Donau across 'Schloss Neuhaus'. On the mountain stands a ruin, a museum and a castle of a more recent date. In the evening the baron had a barbecue. I don' know why he didn't invited us.
The picture shows the view out of our tent.
This day we cycled about 110 kilometres also.

Kaiser to Rossenhof

Today we left early again. Nature looks wonderful so early in the morning. After Kaiser the Donau meanders through the woody hills. veer Schlögen At Schlögen we crossed the Donau from the south to the northside with a funny ferry, with two enourmous outboard motor. Necessary for the strong flow of the river. Sitting on the terrace of the 'gasthaus' at the ferry we enjoyed the nice view at passing ships, drinking a cup of coffee. The Donau takes a turn of 180° here. They think it comes of the very solid condition of the soil.
From the ferry we cycled further along the northside of the Donau. At Jochenstein we crossed the Austrian/German border. The road from Schlögen to Passau is very nice. We cycled along beautiful farm houses, houses, meadows and wooddy hills.
In Passau we sat for awhile on a terrace on square before the very beautiful town hall. Passau has quit a number of cloisters and churches. It is worthwhile to walk through the centref of this place. The 'St. Stephan's Dom', with the largest organ of the world with 17.774 pipes and 231 organ stops is a visit more than worthwhile. (next)

At Steinbach we crossed the Donau again. The first kilometres along a very busy road, later traffic became a bit calmer. In Vilshofen, which has a nice city centry, we mist some of the signs. But with the help of a gentlement, smelling heavily after liquor, we found the right way again.
It took us some trouble to find our sleeping place of that night. The signs to the camping (farm) were only place in the official direction of the route. We cycled the route the other way.
St. Stephan's dom Between the apple treas on the orchard of farm 'Meierhof' of 'Herr Meier' we put up our tent. The old farmer, with a pair of glasses out of the 70's, came along with his old bike with on the carrier his administration, to fill in the administration forms. The bathroom wasn't clean, but the quietness of the farm made a lot good.
After 105 kilometres sitting under the appletrease we enjoyed the shadow.

Rossenhof to Regensburg

The next part of the route lies mainly behind the dike of the Donau. Therefor you only has sight on the hinterland. At Mariaposching we drank a cup of coffee in oldfashioned beaker at the local 'gasthaus'. A group of tourbikers ate a bit of bread and drank some bear (or two). It was just past ten in the morning and already pretty warm.
The first days were warm, today it became hot. That hot, we left our route to cycle a bit less, but we couldn't find a supermarket in the first place so we had to cycle a bit further. In Germany the supermarkets close rather soon on saterday, the mostly close about 14:00 o'clock.
After Sulzbach we passed Walhalla. This temple of honour, a copy of the 'Panthenon on the Akropolis', was build in order of Ludwig I. When this building was opened in 1842, 162 statues of different well known persons were exhibitioned.
When we entered Regensburg, it started to rain. The warm weather of the passed 4 days broke at once. (next)

It became dark, green, it stormed, flashlightning, thunder, it rained, it was really heavey weather.
The rain poured down. Trees flew across the Donau, treas of 15 metres came were blown down. We couldn't see the other bank of the river. The firedepartment, ambulances, police cars, drove trough the city. We have been waiting for more than 1 hour looking for shelter under a large bridge. Regensburg The camping, just outside the city, suffered a lot. Everywhere were lying branches of the trees. Luckaly the damage was limited to some dents in campers. Later, we heard that the storm was very heavy. In Strassbourg 11 persons died because of the storm.
The lady on duty in the reception wasn't awake at 18:00 o'clock. What a bitch. The service of the Italian restaurant was much friendlier.
After 100 kilometres the Lasagne tasted good.

Regensburg to Ingolstadt

The next morning it appeared that the storm had made a lot of damage. Tree branches lie everywhere. Large trees were blown down. In the beginning of the day we hardly could speak of cycling. We hade to stop several times to remove the branches. Sometimes we had to walk through muddy fields to pass large trees, which I couldn't remove on my own. Meanwhile weather had cooled down a lot. At Kelheim we could take three different ways. We took the cycleroute. At the end of a 6 kilometres long cyclepath our roadmap promissed us we could take a fast, small boat ('schnelle kano'). Weltenburger Enge When we arrived, after 6 kilometres of hard work on a track whick got worse and worse with every metre, at the place where the fast boat should land, it soon appeared that the 'schnelle kano' shouldn't land there. We had to cycle back to Kelheim to get onboard on one of the larger passenger ships, which sail from Kelheim to Weltenburg (one of the three alternative ways).
But oke, we sat dry for a while and we good have some food. After half an hour we passed the former landing place of the 'schnelle kano'. The place where we stood more that an hour before. (next)

The boad passes here a wonderful part of the Donau, namely the 'Weltenburger Enge'. The Donau is getting small here and runs its way through walls of 100 metres high. After passing the Enge the boat lands at the cloister 'Weltenburg'. An impressive and wealthy decorated building and certainly worthwhile a visit. On the inner court of the cloister you can have some dinner.
After Staubing we had to cycle with wind against through heavy rain. A bit further in we could dry a little at a local baker and we could enjoy a lovey piece of bread with some hot coffee. After an hour of drying up, while weather was improving fast, we went on the road again heading for the camping in Vohburg. That became a disappointment. The camping was real shit. We decided to cycle further to Ingolstadt. Because of the heavy rainfall and the bad surface, miles of gravel, the last part of the day became rather heavy. A second disappointment was the camping in Ingolstadt. We were send to a small area, which was already full of tents. A last we put up our tent between twee cars. The doors couldn't be opened. Until midnight the camping owner send campers to small camping pitch. Besides, he showed us the most dirty shower of this holiday and asked us the highest amount of money for one night of this vacation. Later, other campers showed us the way to clean batchrooms, probably meant to be for the regular campers.
This day we ended after 90 kilometres.

Ingolstadt to Donauwörth

Because of our early departure of the camping it was to early to visit the many visibilities of the city of Ingolstadt. But we did cycle through the wonderfull centre of this town. Here we had our first and only flat tyre. hunting castle Grünau On our way to Neuburg we came to a close railwaybarrier. After pushing a button and our kindly request the remote controled barriers opened. A other couple on the other side of the railway barrier were very happy, they had been standing there for more then 10 minutes. 7 Kilometres further we passed the enormous hunting lodge 'Grünau'. This impressive lodge, unfortenatelly cann't be visited.
(next)

In the centre of Neuburg, with wonderfull painted houses, people were busy breaking down some funfair attractions. These attractions were all build in a middleage style. It is a pitty we missed these festivities. The next part of our route along Riedensheim, Stepperg, Rennersthofen, Marxheim, along the alternative way at Altisheim until Donauwörth was quiet heavy because of the wind and the rain.
When we arrived in Donauwörth, sun came through the clouds. The weather was improving. Just outside the nice town, with lovely houses, we could put up our tent at the 'Kanu-club'. The showers were not clean, but the lovely camping site, with a view on the old town and the very frienly people of the kanu-club made the difference.
This day our counter stopped at 70 kilometres.

Donauwörth to Günzburg

After a small part along the Donau the route leaves the Donau just after the weir of Donauwörth. Towards Blindheim the road doesn't follow the original route all the time. Just behind Blindheim, in Sonderheim, we choose for the alternative route. In Höchstädt we drank a cup of coffee. In Steinheim we took the alternative way again. This path goes through the Spitalholz just beside the Donau. Because we mist the alternative route at Faimingen we entered the wood at Echenbrunn. At the end of this small path and after a small climb against the dike we picked up the alternative route again. We cycled more than 10 kilometres through the woods very close to the Donau. (next)

At 'Einlaufwerk Gundelfingen' we stopped and sat for awhile along the benche of the Donau. We enjoyed the silence. Gundelfingen In Günzburg we had to look for awhile before we find our sleeping place of that night. We would sleep at the 'Zeltplatz' of a 'Naturfreundehaus', which is besided at the edge of Birket Wood. The showers of this 'friend of Naturehouse' are really magnificent. It was a pitty we arrived at the only resting day of the owner. So we couldn't use the 'biergarten'.
Even this day we were troubled by the storm of a couple of days ago. Somewhere on our route we had to carry our bikes through the crown of a tree, which was still lying across the road.

Günzburg to Neckarwimmersbach

It was our intention to cycle from Günzburg via Oberelchingen through the 'Schweibische Alb' to Stuttgart. Radhaus Ulm But different people, also the nice gentlemen who we met in Willersbach, told us not to follow this route. Besides the front gear of Gerda's bike didn't work correct.
Because of these reasons we decided to pass Günzburg and to cycle to Ulm. In Ulm we would take the train to Heilbron.
For this reason we could visit the wonderful painted former court house and the highest churchtower in the world. This churchtower reaches for 161,5 meters Radhaus Ulm The piece of Donau along the borders of Ulm was the last part of Donau for us of this cycletour. The railway trip to Heilbronn, including the passage in Stuttgart, went well. The railway persons were very friendly, and the trains clean and in time. (next)

In Heilbronn we had to look for the Neckar-radweg, but with the help of a friendly gentlemen, who cycled along with us for a short while, we were bike on the road very soon. Neckarzimmern The hills along the Neckar has a different character than the hills of the Donau. Along the Donau the hills are more woody with a church, castle, or ruin so now and then, along the Neckar the hills are often used for the vineculture. At Neckarzimmern we crossed the Donau. Our roadmap told us we had to take some 'Treppen!' (Steps!), yes, we had to carry our bicycles. But the reward was a very nice view from the weir. We wanted to sleep at the 'Zwingenberger Hof' in Zwingenberg but we couldn't find anybody. After we waited for a quarter of an hour we cycled to Neckarwimmersbach just opposite Eberbach. Eberbach. Very clean washing rooms, a very friendly owner and endly a washing machine.

Neckarwimmersbach to Biebesheim

After Neckarwimmersbach we cycled along a beautiful route. To our left and right hills with wood, vineculture, castles, ruins, churches and nice villages. At Neckarsteinnach even four castles and ruins close to each other. After Neckargemünd until Heidelberg the road became more busier and we had to cycle very close to the cars.
Heidelberg is a beautiful town with magnificient buildings, for instance the 'Heidelberger Schloss', several churches, museums and a very old bridge made of stone, already be seen on a old drawing of 1526. Neckar
In the mainstreet of Heidelberg we sat on a teracce drinking a nice cup of coffee. The belonging guesthouse is worthwile visiting. Especially the urinals of before world war II. After Heidelberg the route became less attractive. (next)

We entered an industrial area. Also the route to Mannheim wasn't attractive. After this place, meanwhile along the 'Rhein-radweg', industry again. After crossing a very small lock, 6 kilometres further we had to ask the captain of the ferry if we could cross. Well we could, but it was a mirracle the ferry didn't exploid....., but the captain was very friendly.
The last 30 kilometres of this day were a bit varying. We cycled through some agriculture fields, and some modern villages. In Gernsheim we did our shopping for that day. At Camping Baggersee it took us some time to get on the camping pitch. The camping was complete closed. All fenches were locked and we couldn't see anybody first. Eventually a lady, leading our her children, was so friendly to take us to the lady who is in charge. Unfortunately the camping was very quiet. The showers were very old, but we were glad we could go to sleep, after this long day.
Our counter stopped this day on 112 kilometres.

Biebesheim to St. Goar

The first parts, through the nature area of 'Kûhkopf' (cow head) were very bad and longlasting. At Nierstein we crossed the Rine we a ferry and on the other side of the Rine we drank some coffee at a local Hotel. After the coffee we cycled to Schloss Kaub Mainz on the western side of the Rine. The road to Mainz and also the road after Mainz is very busy and the cyclepaths were in very bad condition.
After Bingen the road became more beautiful. The industry made place for the hills with so now and then a ruin or castle on top of it. At Kaub we took a picture of a very nice castle made in the Rine itself. 'Slot Kaub'. The read part is build in the shape of a bow of a ship. (next)

Ten kilometres further we found the camping. After a clowdy day with some rain at the end we finally stopped tired after 108 kilometers. The camping is lying opposite the Loreley and was a disaster. The bathroom was bad, very bad, cold showers, smelling toilets, fields with Het sanitair was slecht, koude douches, stinkende toilets, fields with bricklayer sand and a small waste processing industry on the camping itself.
During the fall of the night it kept raining, until midnight. We slept very bad. On both sides of the river traintrack has been build. The trains pass very regurarly and the hills itensified the rumours of the trains.

St. Goar to Mehlem

A view at the Rhine Early in the morning we left camping Lorelei with dull, drizzly weather. Clouds hang between the hills. For quit a while we cycling together with an enourmous rhinebarge sailing downstream. In spite of a part of our route we had to walk at Boppard, where the road was made to a walking boulevard, we keep good times with the rhinbarge. In Spay we lost our companion. We liked a cup of coffee. 40 Kilometres further we passed the 'Kurfurstliches Schloss' in Koblenz. Along the borders of Koblenz there are a lot of passengersships. Here we cycled along a very small part of the Mosel.
(next)

The area before and after Koblenz cann't be called very nice. From St Sebastian, a small town along the Rhine, the route improved. This day we ended with wind and with a lot of rain in our back. Across Drachenfels we put up our tent. A simple but clean Siebengebirge and nice camping with a flat grassfield. From our place we had a nice view at Drachenburg. In the evening we used all our pegs, to tighten up our tent. The wind started to blew very hard and after our experience in Regensburg, we thought it was necessary. Luckaly the bad weather passed our camping.

Mehlem to Langs-kierst

After a warm shower we left Mehlem. Because we followed the Rhine downstream, we cycled rather fast. Soon we entered Bonn, there we had to take good care, along the boulevard is was rather busy (it could be come more busier as it appeared later). The wanderers just stepped in front of our bikes. Even our special hard sounding bicyclebells weren't enough.
In the surrounding of Hahnwald we had to look for a short while. Towards Koln we rode along a nice route. In Koln we had to be very careful. The boulevard had been made to a kind of a funfair. Planks and thick cables were lying everywhere. The people stepped just in front of our bikes, without looking. We walkad around the magnificient and impressive 'Dom of Koln'. After Koln we get in to an industrial area. A bit further at Zons we crossed the Rhine from the westside to the eastside with the ferry.
After Hamm two surprises were lying ahead of us. The first surprise was that in Düsseldorf and surround all kind of festivities were held. For this reason from Hamm until far behind Düsseldorf the boulevard had become a skatetrack and a pedistrian area. (next)

It was very cosy but we had to very carefull. People crossed the street without looking. Especially the skaters gave us a lot of trouble. In Düsseldorf itself a procession was going on and on the other side of the Rhine a funfair had been build. Düsseldorf The second surprise we faces in Kaiserswerth. There we should take the ferry at Langst-Kierst. On the other side of the Rhine we could see the camping. But an anxious suspicion came true. Thanks to the festivities the ferry didn't sail. So we had to cycle back to Düsseldorf, a distance of 10 kilometres. There we could take a bridge to the other side of the Rhine. This would be our longest day. Because of this obstruction we stopped after 135 kilometres. To make things right and because of the fact it was Sunday and we couldn't do some shopping we ate at a local restaurant. Dinner was good. Unfortunately we couldn't go to the former Reichstadt, Kaiserwerth to visit this town.
The camping, with a small cantine, was simple, neat and clean.

Langs-Kierst to Oberdorf

The next day we left with some rain. In the neighbourhoud of Hockfeld we got lost, but with the help a very, friendly gentlement, we came back on our route. A couple of kilometres after Moers, where we had to turn a lot at the bridge, we enjoyed a 'Kännchen Kaffee'. We cycled along rural roads more and more. The landscape became a bit 'dutch'. The churches could be standing in Holland. (next)

The route was signed in two different directions and we took a quess. Ofcourse we took the wrong one. In Xanten, a nice village, with a lot of visibilities, we had to cycle 3 kilometres to get to a supermarket. After Xanten we cycled along a nice cyclepath at the lake of Vynen. In Oberdorf we finally looked up our camping, after a warm and long day. We were very tired. Since our departure out of Vienna, we heard the cows low for the first time. Between our departure out of Langs-Kierst and Oberdorf lie 103 kilometres of road.

Oberdorf to Edichem

Out of Oberdorf we cycled to the direction of Kalkar. Because the route from our roadbook wasn't signed, but another route a bit close to our route was signed, and because the scale of our roadbook was a bit large we had to follow our route very carefully. Towards Kleve we cycled the wrong way, for this reason we followed the main road for a short while. In Kleve we had to climb to get on top of the 'Schwanenburg',
Ferry of Tielse this was soo steep that we had to walk. In the mainroad of Kleve we drank a nice cup of coffee at a local baker. After Kleve we went wrong again, so we hit the mainroad again. This time to the direction of Düffelward. (next)

After 'Millingen aan de Rijn' we reached our first endtarget of this bicycletrip, namely Nijmegen, but because we took the train from Ulm to Heilbron we decided to cycle from Nijmegen to Beverwijk. Inspite we cycled to the west, today the wind was our companion. We cycled to the direction of Tiel very fast. There we took the ferry and on the other side of the river at the ANWB we bought some roadmaps. before the wooden cabin A couple of kilometres after Tiel we looked for a camping at Edichem. There we didn't put up our tent, we we took the luxury of a 'trekkershut'. A 'trekkershut' is a small wooden cabin, with four sleeping places, chairs, a table, and a cooking range, which can be hired for 1 till 3 nights. A luxury well choosen, for that night a heavy thunderstorm with much ligntning crossed the camping. It rained very hard. Very close the lightning struck a tree. We reached the camping after 110 kilometres.

Edichem to Beverwijk

From Edichem we left with a rather rainy and windy weather to our homeplace Beverwijk.

In IJmuiden we took the last ferry of our holiday and after 1.601 kilometres we placed our bicycles in our barn, tired but very satisfied.



cyclepath along the Donau Kraftwerk Benediktiner Stift



Links
fietsvakantiewinkel
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reisverhalen.pagina.nl
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copyright©: Theo Kroon
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laatste wijziging: 21 februari 2003