Bike cruise on the Danube through 4 countries

Welcome to Passau, the Bavarian city where the Danube, Inn and Ilz meet. Feel free to arrive in good time for a walk through the old town and a visit to St. Stephen's Cathedral, known for its massive church organ. Boarding the ship takes place from 16:00, and in the evening the ship leaves the quay while you can unpack your bag in the cabin for the whole week. The captain welcomes you aboard and the first dinner is served while your floating hotel glides towards Engelhartszell.

Today's first cycling tour begins in Engelhartszell, home to Austria's only Trappist monastery. Follow the Danube through small villages and a landscape that soon reaches one of the river's great natural attractions: the Schlögener Schlinge. Here the Danube makes a dramatic turn through the forested heights. You yourself will ride on flat terrain right next to the river on an excellent cycling path. It's an easy and enjoyable introduction to the trip, with the opportunity to stop at small inns along the way. In Brandstatt you meet the ship again. While you eat dinner and relax on board, the journey continues eastward through the night towards Slovakia and Bratislava.

Good morning Slovakia! From Bratislava you cycle towards Hainburg and further through the border area between Slovakia and Austria. One of today's major stops is the impressive baroque Hof Castle with its terraced gardens and rural surroundings. The tour then continues towards Devín, strategically located where the Danube and Morava rivers meet, before you return to Bratislava. If you have energy left, the Slovak capital's historic center is well worth exploring on foot. In the evening the ship leaves Bratislava and sets course for Budapest.

The morning offers one of the trip's great entrances as the ship glides towards Budapest and the city's monuments line up along the Danube. Today you decide the pace yourself. Let the bike rest and devote the day to Hungary's magnificent capital, or hop in the saddle for a tour to Szentendre. This charming little town has an almost Mediterranean atmosphere, colorful houses, alleys and a lively art scene. Margaret Island in the middle of the Danube is also well suited for a shorter cycling tour. During the night the ship continues to Vác.

Time for the Hungarian Danube Bend, one of the river's most beautiful stretches, sometimes called Hungary's answer to the Wachau. The cycling begins in the baroque town of Vác, whose architecture bears traces from the time of Maria Theresa. From there you follow the Danube through an idyllic and gently rolling landscape towards Esztergom. Already from a distance you can see the enormous dome of the town's basilica, Hungary's largest Catholic church. After today's cycling you go aboard again and can let your legs rest while the ship sets course for the next capital: Vienna.

Today the bike gets to rest while you switch to walking shoes. Use the day for Vienna and its imperial splendor: St. Stephen's Cathedral, the Hofburg, the State Opera and the Ringstrasse with its monumental buildings are among the classics. But Vienna is just as enjoyable at a more unplanned pace – a café, a pastry and street life can be an ambitious enough day's program after several days on the bike. The ship is docked at Wien-Nussdorf before continuing in the evening up the Danube towards Rossatz or Dürnstein in the Wachau. When you wake up the next morning, the trip's final cycling stage awaits.

The last day of cycling is fittingly one of the trip's very finest. The Wachau is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and here vineyards, apricot trees, small villages, monasteries, castles and ruins coexist along the beautiful blue Danube. Above the baroque town of Dürnstein, the castle ruin watches over the valley, while the monastery church's blue tower has become one of the Wachau's landmarks. The terrain is gently undulating and the cycling pleasant as you continue along the river past Melk and on to Pöchlarn. There the ship awaits. In the evening the trip is rounded off with a farewell dinner on board and a night journey back towards Passau.

Enjoy the last morning on the Danube from the sun deck as the ship approaches Passau. Once again you pass the beautiful river landscape and the Schlögener Schlinge before the circle closes in the three-river city. Estimated arrival is between 09:00 and 10:30, so plan your onward journey with a margin and check the final times in your travel documents. After a week with four countries, three capitals and up to 250 kilometers of cycling, it's time to say auf Wiedersehen to the Danube.