Cycling & Boat Passau - Wien, MS Prinzessin Katharina

Arrival as arranged by you in Passau. The city is located on the Bavarian/Austrian border between the Inn, Ilz and Danube rivers. Embarkation between 4-5 pm. At 7pm, the boat leaves the harbour bringing you to Engelhartszell where you will arrive at about 10pm. During the cruise we officially welcome you as guests of the cruise on the Danube and welcome you on board with a welcome cocktail and the first dinner.

Worth seeing is the monastery of Engelhartszell, known for the beautifully renovated church, but also for the "healing" herbal schnapps. You cycle downstream on the former Treppelweg. For a special change of pace, take a ride on the walnut-shell-sized longitudinal ferry (approx. CHF 9.- per person) through the Schlögener Schlinge. From Aschach you can reach Linz by boat. Tip: Discover the city with the bright yellow City Express.

Early morning boat trip to Mauthausen. On your boat and bike vacation, a tour by bike and boat to Grein awaits you on this day. Before you reach the town, however, you can first visit the Mauthausen concentration camp memorial site in the morning. It commemorates the atrocities in the largest concentration camp built by the Nazis during their rule in Austria.

Insight into older history is offered by a visit to the Celtic village in the market town of Mitterkirchen. The tour continues through the wide fertile plain of the Machland. The destination of the day's stage is the charming town of Grein. Also called the pearl of the Strudengau due to its idyllic location.Worth seeing: Greinburg Castle, Austria's oldest residential castle (closed on Mondays and can only be visited as part of the optional excursion offered).

Today your cycling vacation starts with a tour in the fascinating landscape of the "wild Strudengau". The Strudengau is a beautiful, wooded valley of the Danube with a narrow section of the river that was once much feared by boatmen. The bike path continues to Melk with its magnificent Benedictine monastery. The impressive baroque building is considered a landmark of the Wachau and belongs to the UNESCO World Heritage as one of the most important baroque buildings in Austria.

In Melk you will board the ship again. Night boat trip through the Wachau and arrival in the garden city of Tulln.

Now you have already come very close to the Austrian capital by bike and boat: Just outside the gates of Vienna, however, there is still time for a visit to Klosterneuburg Abbey. Already visible from a distance is the dome of the 900-year-old baroque magnificent building. The "Verdun Altar" inside the monastery is one of the highlights of medieval goldsmith's art.

From the wine tavern village Kahlenbergerdorf a short hike through the vineyards to the panorama terrace of the Kahlenberg is worthwhile. You will be rewarded with a beautiful view of the metropolis. During a city tour / city walk you can discover Vienna.

Today, the countless sights of the Danube metropolis are on your agenda: perhaps St. Stephen's Cathedral and the Hofburg, the magnificent boulevard Ringstrasse with the Burgtheater, State Opera House and City Hall? There are countless possibilities. Nevertheless, take enough time to stroll around or visit one of the famous Viennese cafés. At night your ship will sail to Dürnstein or Rossatz in the Wachau.

Today, your last day of cycling, is a special highlight! Amidst small dreamy villages, apricot treet, vineyards, castles, monastries and ruins, this slightly hilly landscape enchants everybody. A powerful ruin looms above the small Baroque town of Dürnstein, while the blue tower of the monastery church is a landmark of Wachau. In Spitz (possibility for a wine-tasting – optional), you will find comfy wine taverns right along the bike path. You have earnt yourself a break! In the evening, enjoy a farewell dinner and cocktail.

Enjoy the sun on deck and the silence of the Danube valley for the last time. Take in the last opportunity for a view of the Danube loop before you arrive in Passau at around 11am. This is where your trip ends.
We recommend booking train connections from about 13:30 p.m.