Section 1 Danube bike path from Passau to Schlögen

In Passau When we arrived at the Danube, we were overwhelmed by Passau's old town. But we would like to take enough time for that another time.

The old town of Passau
The old town of Passau with St. Michael, the former church of the Jesuit College, and the Veste Oberhaus

Danube cycle path in autumn

This time it is the bike path and the surrounding Danube landscape that we want to experience and enjoy with all our senses. The Danube Cycle Path is one of the most popular international cycle routes. Rich in culture and diverse landscape, the section from Passau to Vienna is one of the most frequented routes.

Golden autumn on the cycle path along the Danube
Golden autumn on the cycle path along the Danube

It is autumn, golden autumn, there are only a few cyclists left. The summer heat is over, ideal for relaxed cycling at your own pace.

Our Danube Cycle Tour begins in Passau

We start our bike tour in Passau. We are out and about on borrowed touring bikes and with a small backpack on our backs. You don't need much for a week so that we can move around with light luggage.

The town hall tower in Passau
At Rathausplatz in Passau we start the Danube Cycle Path Passau-Vienna

The Danube Cycle Path from Passau to Vienna leads along the north and south banks of the Danube. You can choose again and again and from time to time change the shore side by ferry or over bridges.

The Veste Niederhaus seen from the Prince Regent Luitpold Bridge
The Passau Veste Niederhaus seen from the Prince Regent Luitpold Bridge

Another look at the "West Upper and Lower House“, former seat of the Passau bishops, (today the city and a medieval museum and private property), then you cross the Luitpold Bridge in Passau.

Prince Regent Luitpold Bridge in Passau
The Prince Regent Luitpold Bridge over the Danube in Passau

Parallel to the highway, it goes along the north shore on a bike path. This path is a bit more busy and noisy at the beginning. It takes us further into Bavarian territory via Erlau to Obernzell. Then we enjoy a cycle path in an idyllic landscape with a view of the other bank of the Danube, to Upper Austria.

Danube cycle path near Pyrawang
Danube cycle path near Pyrawang

The Jochenstein, an island in the Danube

The Jochenstein is a small rock island that rises about 9 m high out of the Danube. The German-Austrian state border also runs here.
A relaxing break with a visit to the nature experience center House on the river in Jochenstein, is good for you.

Jochenstein, a rocky island in the Danube
Wayside shrine on the Jochenstein, a rocky island in the upper Danube

It may be advisable to start the first stage on the quieter south bank and only in Jochenstein over the Kraftwerk (all year round from 6 a.m. to 22 p.m., push aids for bicycles are available next to the stairs on the bridge) to cross the Danube. But this year until the end of October Unfortunately, the crossing at the Jochenstein power plant is closed, because the weir bridge and the power station crossing need to be upgraded.

The closest alternatives for crossing the Danube are the Obernzell car ferry above and the Engelhartszell ferry and Niederranna Danube bridge below the Jochenstein power plant.

Transition at the Jochenstein power plant
The round arches of the Jochenstein power plant, built in 1955 according to plans by the architect Roderich Fick

From Jochenstein, the cycle path is closed to traffic and is wonderfully quiet to ride on.

Schlögener noose

 natural wonders

If you prefer to continue on the south bank of the Danube, then it is worth visiting Engelhartszell with the only one Trappist monastery in German-speaking countries.

Engelszell Collegiate Church
Engelszell Collegiate Church

From Engehartszell, a Danube ferry brings cyclists back to the north bank. You will soon reach Niederranna (Donaubrücke), where a long-established boat builder Zille trips offers. Or we continue cycling comfortably along the Danube until we reach the ferry, which takes us to Schlögen. 

The Au bike ferry on the R1 Danube Cycle Path
The Au bike ferry on the R1 Danube Cycle Path

The Danube Cycle Path is now interrupted on the northern bank. Surrounded by wooded slopes, the Danube makes its way and changes direction twice in the Schlögener Schlinge. Unique is the Danube loop as Europe's largest Forced meanders

Hike to the Schlögener Blick
Hike to the Schlögener Blick

A 30-minute hike leads to a viewing platform. From here, a sensational view of the Danube opens up, a unique natural spectacle - the Schlögener noose.

The Schlögener loop of the Danube
The Schlögener Schlinge in the upper Danube valley

The Schlögen Danube loop was named "Upper Austria's natural wonder" in 2008.

Passau is on the border with Austria at the confluence of the Danube and Inn. The bishopric of Passau was founded by Boniface in 739 and developed into the largest bishopric of the Holy Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, with most of the bishopric of Passau extending along the Danube beyond Vienna to western Hungary, originally in the Bavarian Ostmark and from 1156, after Emperor Friedrich Barbarossa separated Austria from Bavaria and elevated it to an independent duchy separate from Bavaria by feudal law, it was located in the Duchy of Austria.

Church of St. Michael and Gymnasium Leopoldinum in Passau
Church of St. Michael and Gymnasium Leopoldinum in Passau

The old town of Passau lies on a long peninsula between the Danube and the Inn. When crossing the Inn, we take a look back from the Marienbrücke at the former Jesuit Church of St. Michael and today's Gymnasium Leopoldinum on the banks of the Inn in the old town of Passau.

Building of the former Innstadt brewery
The Danube cycle path in Passau in front of the listed building of the former Innstadt brewery.

After crossing the Marienbrücke in Passau, the Danube Cycle Path initially runs between the tracks of the closed Innstadtbahn and the listed buildings of the former Innstadt brewery before continuing next to the Nibelungenstraße on Austrian territory between Donau-Auen and Sauwald.

Danube cycle path between Donau-Auen and Sauwald
Danube cycle path next to the Nibelungenstraße between Donau-Auen and Sauwald

Sights Stage 1 of the Danube Cycle Path

On the 1st stage of the Danube Cycle Path Passau-Vienna between Passau and Schlögen there are the following sights:

1. Moated Castle Obernzell 

2. Jochenstein power plant

3. Engelszell Collegiate Church 

4. Römerburgus Oberranna

5. Schlögener noose 

Krampelstein Castle
Krampelstein Castle was also called the Tailor's Castle because a tailor allegedly lived in the castle with his goat

Obernzell Castle

From the south bank we can see Obernzell Castle on the north bank. With the Obernzell ferry we approach the former prince-bishop's Gothic moated castle, which is located directly on the left bank of the Danube. Obernzell is about twenty kilometers east of Passau in the district of Passau.

Obernzell Castle
Obernzell Castle on the Danube

Obernzell Castle is a mighty four-storey building with a half-hipped roof on the left bank of the Danube. In the years 1581 to 1583, Bishop Georg von Hohenlohe of Passau began building a Gothic moated castle, which was converted into a representative Renaissance palace by Prince Bishop Urban von Trennbach.

Door frame in Oberzell Castle from 1582
Carved wooden frame of the door to the Great Hall, marked 1582

 The castle, the "Veste in der Zell", was the seat of the bishop's caretakers until secularization in 1803/1806. The state of Bavaria then took over the building and made it accessible to the public as a ceramics museum.

The entrance to Obernzell Castle
The entrance to Obernzell Castle

On the first floor of Obernzell Castle there is a late Gothic chapel with some wall paintings that have been preserved. 

Wall painting in Obernzell Castle
Wall painting in Obernzell Castle

On the second floor of Obernzell Castle is the knight's hall, which occupies the entire southern front of the second floor facing the Danube. 

The Knights' Hall with coffered ceiling in Obernzell Castle
The Knights' Hall with coffered ceiling in Obernzell Castle

Before we return to the south bank by ferry after visiting Obernzell Castle, where we continue our journey along the Danube Cycle Path Passau-Vienna in an idyllic landscape to Jochenstein, we make a short detour in the market town of Obernzell to the baroque parish church with two towers, in where there is a picture of Mary's assumption into heaven by Paul Troger. Along with Gran and Georg Raphael Donner, Paul Troger is the most brilliant representative of Austrian Baroque art.

Obernzell Parish Church
The parish church of St. Maria Himmelfahrt in Obernzell

Jochenstein Danube power plant

The Jochenstein power plant is a run-of-river power plant in the Danube on the German-Austrian border, which derives its name from the nearby Jochenstein rock. The movable elements of the weir are located near the Austrian bank, the powerhouse with the turbines in the middle of the river at the Jochenstein rock, while the ship lock is on the left, the Bavarian side.

Jochenstein power plant on the Danube
Jochenstein power plant on the Danube

The Jochenstein power plant was built in 1955 based on a design by the architect Roderich Fick. Adolf Hitler was so impressed by Roderich Fick's conservative architectural style, typical of the region, that he had the two bridgehead buildings built in his hometown of Linz between 1940 and 1943 as part of the planned monumental design of the Linz bank of the Danube according to plans by Roderich Fick.

The beer garden of the Gasthof Kornexl am Jochenstein
The beer garden of the Gasthof Kornexl with a view of the Jochenstein

Engelhartszell

If you continue cycling along the south bank of the Danube, then it is worth visiting Engelhartszell with the only Trappist monastery in the German-speaking area. The Engelszell collegiate church is worth seeing, because the Engelszell collegiate church, built between 1754 and 1764, is a rococo church. Rococo is a style of interior design, decorative arts, painting, architecture and sculpture that originated in Paris in the early 18th century and was later adopted in other countries, most notably Germany and Austria. 

On the Danube Cycle Path in Hinding
On the Danube Cycle Path in Hinding

Rococo is characterized by lightness, elegance and an exuberant use of curved natural forms in ornamentation. The word rococo derives from the French word rocaille, which referred to the shell-covered rocks used to decorate artificial grottos.

The Rococo style was initially a reaction to the cumbersome design of Louis XIV's Palace of Versailles and the official Baroque art of his reign. Several interior designers, painters and engravers developed a lighter and more intimate style of decoration for the new residences of the nobility in Paris. 

Interior of the Engelszell Collegiate Church
Interior of the Engelszell collegiate church with rococo pulpit by JG Üblherr, one of the most advanced plasterers of his time, whereby the asymmetrically applied C-arm is characteristic of him in the ornamental area.

In the Rococo style, walls, ceilings and cornices were decorated with delicate interweavings of curves and counter-curves based on the basic “C” and “S” shapes, as well as shell shapes and other natural forms. Asymmetrical design was the norm. Light pastels, ivory and gold were the dominant colors, and Rococo decorators often employed mirrors to enhance the sense of open space.

From France, the Rococo style spread to the Catholic German-speaking countries in the 1730s, where it was adapted into a brilliant style of religious architecture that combined French elegance with southern German imagination, as well as a continuing Baroque interest in dramatic spatial and sculptural effects .

Engelszell Collegiate Church
Engelszell Collegiate Church

From Stiftsstrasse in Engelhartszell, an avenue leads to the 76-metre-high tower of the single-tower facade with a high entrance portal on the west side of the Engelszell collegiate church, which can be seen from afar and was built by the Austrian sculptor Joseph Deutschmann. The interior is accessed through the Rococo-style portal. The choir stalls, which are carved with gold-framed shells and reliefs, and the shell niches on the choir windows, in which delicate youthful figures of the Archangels Michael, Raphael and Gabriel stand, were also created by Joseph Deutschmann, as were the ornamental carvings on the gallery parapet in the choir area.

The organ of the Engelszell collegiate church
The rococo case of the main organ of the Engelszell collegiate church with the crowning clock

The Engelszell Collegiate Church has a high altar with white stucco ornaments and a marbled version in pink and brown, as well as 6 brown marbled side altars. From 1768 to 1770, Franz Xaver Krismann built a large main organ on the west gallery for the Engelszell collegiate church. After the Engelszell monastery was dissolved in 1788, the organ was transferred to the old cathedral in Linz, where Anton Bruckner played as the organist. The late baroque case by Joseph Deutschmann of the main organ, a wide main case with a high central tower, crowned by a decorative clock attachment and a small three-field balustrade positive, was preserved in the Engelszell collegiate church.

The Danube Cycle Path next to the Nibelungenstrasse
The Danube Cycle Path next to the Nibelungenstrasse

From Engehartszell you have the option with a Bicycle ferry to get back to the north shore, to Kramesau, which runs continuously from mid-April to mid-October without waiting times. If you continue on the north side of the Danube Cycle Path Passau-Vienna, you will soon reach Oberranna, where you can visit the excavations of a square Roman castle with 4 corner towers.

Roman fort Stanacum

However, if you are interested in history, then you should stay on the right bank, because the Roman fort Stanacum, a small fortress, a quadriburgus, an almost square military camp with 4 corner towers, which probably dates from the 4th century. From the towers one could monitor the river traffic of the Danube over a long distance and overlook the Ranna, which flows in from the Mühlviertel from the north.

View of the Ranna estuary
The view of the Ranna estuary from the Römerburgus in Oberranna

The Quadriburgus Stanacum was part of the fortress chain of the Danube Limes in the province of Noricum, directly on the Limes Road. Since 2021, Burgus Oberranna has been part of the Danube Limes on the via iuxta Danuvium, the Roman military and long-distance road along the southern bank of the Danube, which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Roman Burgus in Oberranna
Danube Limes, the Roman fortifications along the Danube

The Römerburgus Oberranna, the best preserved Roman building in Upper Austria, can be visited daily from April to October in the protective hall building in Oberranna on the Danube, which can be seen from afar.

A little downstream from Oberranna there is another way to get to the north side of the Danube, the Niederranna Danube Bridge. Cycling down the river on the north side we pass Gerald Witti in Freizell, a long-established boat builder who Zille trips offers on the Danube.

Schlögener Schlinge natural wonder

The Danube Cycle Path R1 is interrupted in the area of ​​the Schlögener Schlinge on the north bank of the Danube due to impassable terrain. The ravine forest falls directly into the Danube without a bank.

Unique is the Danube loop as Europe's largest Forced meanders. The Danube makes its way and changes direction twice in the Schlögener Schlinge. A 40-minute climb from Schlögen on the south bank, which is at the beginning of the Donausteige stage Schlögen - Aschach, leads to a viewing platform, the Stupid look. From there there is a sensational view to the north-west of the unique natural spectacle of the Danube - the Schlögener Schlinge.

The Schlögener loop of the Danube
The Schlögener Schlinge in the upper Danube valley

Where does the Danube draw its loop?

The Schlögener Schlinge is a loop in the river upper Danube valley in Upper Austria, about halfway between Passau and Linz. In some sections, the Danube created narrow valleys through the Bohemian Massif. The Bohemian Massif occupies the east of the European low mountain range and includes the Sudetes, the Ore Mountains, the Bavarian Forest and a large part of the Czech Republic. The Bohemian Massif is the oldest mountain range in Austria and forms the granite and gneiss highlands of the Mühlviertel and Waldviertel. The Danube gradually deepened into bedrock, the process being amplified by the uplift of the surrounding landscape through movement of the earth's crust. For 2 million years, the Danube has been digging deeper and deeper into the ground.

What is special about the Schlögener loop?

What is special about the Schlögener Schlinge is that it is the largest forced meander in Europe with an almost symmetrical cross-section. A forced meander is a deeply incised meander with a symmetrical cross-section. Meanders are meanders and loops in a river that follow one another closely. Forced meanders can develop from geological conditions. Suitable starting points are resistant low-lying sedimentary rocks, as was the case in the area of ​​the Schlögener loop in the Sauwald. The river strives to restore the disturbed balance by reducing the gradient, whereby resistant rock plates force it to form loops.

Au in the Schlögener loop
Au in the Schlögener loop

How did the Schlögener loop come about?

In the Schlögener Schlinge, the Danube gave way to the harder rock formations of the Bohemian Massif to the north after digging a meandering river bed through the soft layer of gravel in the Tertiary and having to keep it in the Mühlviertel due to the hard granite rock of the Bohemian Massif. The Tertiary began at the end of the Cretaceous 66 million years ago and lasted until the beginning of the Quaternary 2,6 million years ago. 

The "Grand Canyon" of Upper Austria is often described as the most original and most beautiful place along the Danube. The readers of Upper Austrian News therefore chose the Schlögener Schlinge as a natural wonder in 2008.

Roman bath at the Schlögener Schlinge

At the site of today's Schlögen there was also a small Roman fort and a civilian settlement. At the Hotel Donauschlinge, remains of the western fort gate can be seen, from where Roman soldiers monitored the Danube, for whom the amenities of a bath were also available.

The ruins of the Roman bath building are in front of the leisure center in Schlögen. Here, in a protective structure, you can take a look at the approximately 14 meter long and up to six meter wide bath, which consisted of three rooms, a cold bath room, a leaf bath room and a warm bath room.

Which side of the Danube Cycle Path Stage 1 from Passau?

In Passau you have the choice to start your ride on the Danube Cycle Path either on the right or on the left.

 On the left side, the Danube Cycle Path, Eurovelo 6, runs from Passau parallel to the busy, noisy federal highway 388, which runs for about 15 kilometers directly on the banks of the Danube below the steep slopes of the Bavarian Forest. This means that although you are on a cycle path at the foot of the Donauleiten nature reserve on the north bank, it is advisable to start the journey on the Danube Cycle Path in Passau on the right side of the Danube. Along the B130 on the right you are exposed to less traffic.

In Jochenstein they then have the opportunity to switch to the other side and continue on the left side, provided that the crossing is not closed for the whole season like this year. The left side is recommended if you prefer to be out in nature as much as possible directly on the water. On the other hand, if you are also interested in cultural heritage, such as the Trappist monastery in Engelhartszell or the four-tower Roman fort in Oberranna, then you should stay on the right-hand side. You then still have the option of going to Oberranna over the Niederranna Danube bridge to the left and completing the last section on the left to the Schlögener Schlinge.

Rannariedl Castle
Rannariedl Castle, the elongated fortified castle high above the Danube, was built around 1240 to control the Danube.

Switching to the left over the Niederranna Danube bridge is definitely recommended, because the cycle path runs to the right along the main road to the Schlögener Schlinge.

In summary, the recommendation regarding which side of the Danube Cycle Path is recommended for the first stage between Passau and Schlögen is: Start in Passau on the right side of the Danube, change to the left side of the Danube at Jochenstein if the focus is on experiencing nature. Continuation of the tour on the right side of the Danube from Jochenstein through Engelhartszell and Oberranna if you are also interested in historical cultural assets such as a rococo monastery and a Roman fort.

This year, due to the blocking of the crossing at the Jochenstein power plant, change of direction either to Obernzell or in Engelhartszell.

The last part of the first stage from the Niederranna Danube bridge is definitely on the left side, as the nature experience on the right is impaired by the main road. However, it should be noted that the ferries in Au, which are necessary for crossing to Schlögen or Grafenau, end in the evening.

The Danube Cycle Path on the north bank just before Au
The Danube Cycle Path on the north bank just before Au

In September and October, the transverse ferry to Schlögen only runs until 17 p.m. In June, July and August until 18 p.m. The transverse ferry from Au to Inzell runs until 26 p.m. in September and October until 18 October. The longitudinal ferry to Grafenau only runs until September, namely until 18 p.m. in September and until 19 p.m. in July and August. 

If you miss the last ferry in the evening, you are forced to return to the Niederranna bridge over the Danube and from there continue along the right bank to Schlögen.

PS

If you are on the right-hand side as far as Jochenstein, then you should take the Obernzell ferry across the Danube to the Renaissance castle Obernzell . make

Obernzell Castle
Obernzell Castle on the Danube

The course of the route from Passau to Schlögen

The route of stage 1 of the Passau Vienna Danube Cycle Path from Passau to Schlögen
The route of stage 1 of the Passau Vienna Danube Cycle Path from Passau to Schlögen

The route of stage 1 of the Passau Vienna Danube Cycle Path from Passau to Schlögen runs over 42 km in a south-easterly direction in the Danube Gorge Valley through the granite and gneiss highlands of the Bohemian Massif, which is bordered by the Sauwald forest in the south and the upper Mühlviertel in the north. Below you will find the 3D preview of the route, the map and the possibility to download the gpx track of the tour.

Where can you cross the Danube between Passau and Schlögen by bike?

There are a total of 6 ways to cross the Danube by bike between Passau and the Schlögener Schlinge:

1. Danube ferry Kasten – Obernzell – The operating hours of the Danube ferry Kasten – Obernzell are daily until mid-September. From mid-September to mid-May there is no ferry service on weekends

2. Jochenstein power plant – Cyclists can cross the Danube via the Jochenstein power plant all year round during opening hours from 6 a.m. to 22 p.m.

3. Bike ferry Engelhartszell – Kramesau – Continuous operation without waiting times from April 15: 10.30:17.00 a.m. – 09.30:17.30 p.m., May and September: 09.00:18.00 a.m. – 09.00:18.30 p.m., June: 15:10.30 a.m. – 17.00:XNUMX p.m., July and August: XNUMX:XNUMX a.m. – XNUMX:XNUMX p.m. and until October XNUMX: XNUMX:XNUMX a.m p.m. – XNUMX p.m

4. Niederranna bridge over the Danube – Accessible by bike XNUMX hours a day

5. Transverse ferry Au – Schlögen – April 1 – 30 and October 1 – 26 10.00 a.m. – 17.00 p.m., May and September 09.00 a.m. – 17.00 p.m., June, July, August 9.00 a.m. – 18.00 p.m 

6. Transverse ferry from Au to Schlögen in the direction of Inzell. – The landing stage is between Schlögen and Inzell, approx. 2 km before Inzell. The operating times of the Au Inzell transverse ferry are 9 a.m. to 18 p.m. in April, 8 a.m. to 20 p.m. from May to August and 26 a.m. to 9 p.m. from September to 18 October

If you simply cycle leisurely in the beautiful countryside on the north side of the Danube, you will come to Au, which is on the Inside of the meander that the Danube makes at Schlögen.

Au at the Danube loop
Au on the Danube loop with the piers of the Danube ferries

From Au you have the option of taking the transverse ferry to Schlögen, crossing over to the right bank, or using the longitudinal ferry to bridge the unnavigable left bank to Grafenau. The longitudinal ferry runs until the end of September, the transverse ferry until the Austrian national holiday on October 26th. If you are traveling from Niederranna to Au on the left bank of the Danube after October 26, you will find yourself in a dead end. You then only have the option of going back to the Niederranna bridge over the Danube in order to continue down the river on the right bank to Schlögen. But it is also necessary to keep an eye on the time when the ferry is operating, because in September and October the transverse ferry only runs until 17 p.m. In June, July and August until 18 p.m. The longitudinal ferry also runs until 18 p.m. in September and until 19 p.m. in July and August. 

Landing stage for the cross ferry from Au to Inzell
Landing stage for the cross ferry from Au to Inzell

If you want to go to the right bank in the Schlögener Schlinge because you have booked accommodation there, then you are dependent on a transverse ferry. There is another landing stage between Schlögen and Inzell, which is served by a cross ferry from Au. The hours of operation of these cross ferry are 9 a.m. to 18 p.m. in April, 8 a.m. to 20 p.m. from May to August and 26 a.m. to 9 p.m. from September to October 18.

The Danube Cycle Path R1 between Schlögen and Inzell
The asphalted Danube Cycle Path R1 between Schlögen and Inzell

Where can you spend the night between Passau and Schlögen?

On the left bank of the Danube:

Inn-Pension Kornexl – Jochenstein

Inn Luger – Kramesau 

Gasthof Draxler – Niederranna 

On the right bank of the Danube:

Bernhard's Restaurant & Pension – Maierhof 

Hotel Wesenufer 

Schlögen Inn

River resort Donauschlinge – beat

Gasthof Reisinger - Inzell

Where can you camp between Passau and the Schlögener Schlinge?

There are a total of 6 campsites between Passau and the Schlögener Schlinge, 5 on the south bank and one on the north bank. All campsites are located directly on the Danube.

Campsites on the south bank of the Danube

1. campsite box

2. Campsite Engelhartszell

3. Nibelungen Camping Mitter in Wesenufer

4. Terrace camping & Pension Schlögen

5. Gasthof zum Sankt Nikolaus, rooms and camping in Inzell

Campsites on the north bank of the Danube

1. Kohlbachmühle Gasthof Pension Camping

2. To the ferrywoman in Au, Schlögener Schlinge

Where are public toilets between Passau and Schlögen?

There are 3 public toilets between Passau and Schlögen

Public toilet Esternberg 

Public toilet at the Jochenstein lock 

Public toilet Ronthal 

There are also toilets in Obernzell Castle and at the Römerburgus in Oberranna.

Hike to the Schlögener Blick

A 30-minute hike leads from the Schlögener Schlinge to a viewing platform, the Schlögener Blick. From there you have a sensational view of the Schlögener Schlinge. Just click on the 3D preview and take a look.

Hike to the Schlögener Blick from Niederranna

If you have a little more time, you can approach the Schlögener Schlinge from Niederranna via the Mühlviertel high plateau. Below you will find the route and how to get there.