Bicycle tours in Austria

The Danube Cycle Path is the big star among Austria's cycle paths. From the German border town of Passau, the well-maintained cycle path always runs along the banks of the Danube and through beautiful landscapes such as the Nibelungengau and the Wachau. In between, the cities of Linz and Krems provide variety. The Danube Cycle Path is a delight for all types of cycling enthusiasts – whether on a road bike, touring bike or gravel bike. So if you're looking for an impressive but not too difficult cycling trip, the Danube Cycle Path is the perfect choice.

For those who have not yet had enough with the section from Passau to Vienna, the journey can also be continued to Bratislava or even Budapest. The section from the source near Donaueschingen to Passau is also beautiful.

The Inn Cycle Route also has many fans and inspires countless cyclists year after year. This long-distance cycle route begins in the Engadine near Maloja, from where it flows down to Innsbruck. Via Germany you reach the Austrian border again and follow it to Passau. A mixture of alpine ambience and pre-Alpine landscape is what makes this 530-kilometre-long cycle route so appealing.

The Via Claudia Augusta is one of the great long-distance cycle routes across the Alps. Along the trade route established by the Romans, you experience a wide variety of Alpine landscapes and yet the tour is in the medium range in terms of difficulty.

A little further east, the Alpe-Adria Cycle Route has established itself as another classic, crossing the Alps from north to south. The section along the main ridge is completed with the train lock, an experience in itself. If you like, you can follow the cycle path all the way to the Adriatic Sea.

The Mur rises in Salzburg's Lungau region from where it flows through Styria, past Graz and on to Bad Radkersburg. The cycle path along the Mur is therefore perfect for exploring Styria and offers a good mix of rural space and cities as stopovers. Due to its constant gradient, it is also suitable as a long-distance cycle route that can be travelled with children. If you want to see where the Mura flows into the Drava, follow the Mura cycle path further through Slovenia.

Also the Drava is a long-distance cycle route.

The Drau also flows from west to east. It rises near San Candido in South Tyrol and flows on through East Tyrol to Carinthia. Here, alpine flair mixes with Mediterranean flair and the towns and cities along the route are perfect for short breaks in between. The infrastructure along the cycle route is also excellent. After Carinthia, you cycle through beautiful Slovenia and then reach Croatia, where the Drava flows into the Danube.

The Kamp-Thaya-March route is the ideal long-distance cycle route to explore the north-east Österreich. The beautiful cycle route starts at Krems on the Danube and soon reaches the Waldviertel with its unique landscape. The cycle path is quite demanding up to Retz, but from the Weinviertel onwards the metres of altitude become considerably less. The route runs along side roads, occasionally main roads and one or two gravelled paths. Therefore, somewhat robust tyres are an advantage.

The cycle path around Lake Constance is a true pleasure tour. Through the tranquil, mostly flat landscape, the 180 km long cycle path leads through the countries of Austria, Germany and Switzerland. Depending on your time budget, physical condition and personal preferences, you can divide the cycle tour into several stages or even complete it in a single day.

Lake Neusiedl can also be circumnavigated in one day by all fast road cyclists. However, you should actually take more time to explore the exciting landscape around the unique steppe lake. If you divide the tour into stages of around 50 kilometres, you will get the most out of the nice places and the interesting insights into the so special flora and fauna around the lake.

Europe is criss-crossed by a network of long-distance cycle routes, the so-called Eurovelo routes. Some of them also run through Austria, some share the route with national long-distance cycle routes. Eurovelo 6, for example, follows the Danube Cycle Path. Eurovelo 7 shares the route with the Tauern Cycle Path in Austria. Eurovelo 13, the Iron Curtain Trail, is one of the most exciting long-distance cycle routes in Europe and also largely runs on its own route in Austria. The section from Gmünd to Bratislava is particularly popular.

On completion, Eurovelo 09 will run from the Baltic to the Adriatic. The section through Austria from Brno to Maribor is already well signposted and absolutely recommended. Individual stages are also possible, for example starting in Vienna.