Danube Cycle Path Stage 1 South Bank: Passau - Schlögen

Passau is known as the THREE RIVER CITY or the “Bavarian Venice”, situated as it is at the confluence of Danube, Inn and Ilz. It is a grand kick-off for this wonderful bicycle tour. Take your time and discover the sights of this Bavarian Venice.   Explore the Baroque old town, on which Italian master builders left a definite Mediterranean mark. Or visit the residence of the prince-bishop, which houses the Cathedral Treasure Museum. Passau’s St. Stephen’s Cathedral is also definitely worth a visit and is right along the route you are taking. It contains the largest organ ever made for a cathedral, consisting of nearly 18,000 pipes. And you will likewise find the glass museum along your route, featuring an exhibition of 13,000 objects made out of Bohemian glass.

 

All this is only the start of this highly varied stage. The view of Krämpelstein Castle (also called the “Tailor’s Little Castle”), perched on a rock high above the Danube, is more than thrilling. The second name comes from a legend that says a tailor fell to his death from this castle just as he was about to bury his dead goat in the Danube.

 

Just as exhilarating are the Gothic mural paintings in St. Peter’s Church in Pyrawang. Though made in the 14th c, the paintings seem quite modern.

  

For little cyclists, the mini-Danube water park in the charming town of Engelhartszell is recommended. A themed playground and the “Giant of the Danube”, a nearly two meters long beluga in the big aquarium, make it definitely worth a visit. You might also find time to visit magnificent Engelszell Abbey with its beautiful Rococo church and picturesque garden.

 

When approaching Schlögen, you have a beautiful view of the ruins of medieval Haichenbach Fortress on the other side of the Danube. It is located on the ridge of the mountain around which the Danube wraps itself, creating the famous meander known as the Schlögener Donauschlinge.

Passau - Innstadt - Pyrawang - Kasten - Engelhartszell - Kramesau - Niederranna - Wesenufer - Schlögen

 

Route description

From the Passau main train station (Hauptbahnhof) you first head north until you hit the Danube. There, you turn right and follow the street up to the glass museum, where you turn right onto Schrottgasse. It would definitely be worthwhile at this juncture to visit St. Stephen's Cathedral, which has had the largest cathedral organ in the world since 1928. After crossing the Inn River, you continue downstream on narrow winding paths till you arrive at two small wooded islands.

 

At Erlau - a village on the other side of the river - the Danube takes a striking left turn. Krämpelstein Castle, also often called the “Schneiderschlössel” (literally: “Tailor’s Little Castle”), is located here. It consists of a keep and an adjoining palace. The walls are still partially preserved. Here you can already marvel at the nature reserve Donauleiten on the other shore. It marks the southern edge of the Bavarian Forest and boasts enormous biodiversity and impressive plant life. In Pyrawang a quick visit to the small St. Peter’s Church is worthwhile, as 14th c Gothic murals were discovered there during restoration work.

 

The Trappist monastery and the mini-Danube park (includes a large aquarium) are really worth seeing in Engelhartszell. Since 2018 it is possible to stay on the new Danube-cycle-path on the south bank and cycle in direction of Oberranna. Visit the Römerburgus Oberranna - the best preserved Roman building in Upper Austria and part of the provincial exhibition 2018.

You pass through Wesenufer, a small town which is next to the Danube, and cycle on the newly expanded Danube-cycle-path to Schlögen. Soon you will have a first look at the ruins of Haichenbach and reach the first milestone: Schlögen