Our motto: More than you’ll ever want to know. And then some.
If yesterday was our penultimate day of cycling, today was our ultimate day, for today we took Vienna!
Today was also our longest day, at 73 km. So we tried for an earlier start: breakfast at 8:00, provided by a small café downstairs, with 4 combos to choose from. On the road by 9:15, reaching the Danube by 9:30 (Traismauer is slightly south of the south bank).
Some excitement on the first section when we found the path blocked by workmen cutting up the trunk of an enormous willow tree that had been watching the Danube flow towards the Black Sea for 100+ years. The work necessitated a four- or five-man crew, with their boss sitting in an aluminum boat moored to the bank, directing the efforts of the others, as a conductor would conduct an orchestra.
For most of the day the path was absolutely smooth, absolutely flat. Whenever a wide stream, or a canal, joined the Danube, the path swung inland, until it reached the road running parallel to the river, where there would be a bridge. After crossing, the path swung once again towards the river, and we’d continue downstream.
On one section we passed through shady forest, and the bicycle’s gears were so quiet that we’d easily hear birdsong. Surprisingly, the Merlin app, which I have on my phone, identified several (whose names I can no longer remember) even though I hadn’t downloaded any local “bird packs”. There were also, of course, several industrial enterprises that we had to detour around, for the Danube is a working river; it’s not just for the enjoyment of bicycle tourists.
At one point, as I stop to photograph a bronze statue of a mounted Marcus Aurelius (I’m still not sure why he was situated just there), another cyclist pulled up wanting to do the same thing. I learned that he was Spanish, had flown from Madrid to Bucharest to begin his cycle trip up the Danube, heading west, intending to go as far as Nantes, in France (of course the Danube doesn’t go through Nantes, but the Eurovelo 6 does). He’d allowed 3 months for the journey, and expected to cycle 80 km today.
After consulting the guide book, we’d decided to switch to the north bank for our final approach to Vienna, since it appeared to offer the best “stealth” mode entry. This section of the path was in the sun most of the way, which can be pleasant for those who like to photosynthesize. I’m more of a shade person, so was happy to eventually find an excellent spot in the shade for this final “on the road” picnic.
We take our afternoon coffee break on the shaded terrace of the Tuttendörfl restaurant, where we are discovered by a pair of fellow cyclists whom we’d met twice before: lovely people, from Houston. The coffee break is a highlight of our day, after which we mount up and continue to Vienna, the final stretch.
Cycling into any big city is a pain, more so after after an idyllic week or so on quiet paths where fellow cyclists are FAR more common than cars; for some reason big cities seem to be a magnet for automobiles.
But Austria in general, and Vienna in particular, has amazing cycling infrastructure. As you approach Vienna from the west along the north bank, there’s a bridge that takes you halfway across, to the west end of a long, thin, island—basically an extended urban park—which is threaded with multiple paved paths. We were able to follow these paths for over 9 km, until we reached a bridge that took us across the other half of the Danube, by which time we were not only in the northern half of the heart of Vienna, but also—and more importantly—only blocks from our hotel.
We checked in, quickly emptied our panniers, and then cycled the final few km to the office of the bike rental company, to return the bikes and recover the luggage we’d sent on from Passau. Bram, the manager of that office, took our final cyclists group photo.
So! This brings us to the end of our great cycling adventure. The four of us still have five days together in Vienna, after which F and J2 will fly home. J and I have more things to do as part of our invasion of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, so please follow along if you like. I’ll continue to blog about the trip, though not at so frantic a pace; I think I need to catch up on some sleep! Thanks for following along with the four of us!
For the mathematically-minded: total mileage cycled from Passau to Vienna: 60 + 44 + 62 + 44 + 58 + 73 = 331 km
And now: Vienna beckons…
Danube to Dalmatia 
Hello Vienna
Congratulations on your arrival everyone and not a single scratch!
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Thanks Carrie! We’ve been filling our days in Vienna, exploring on foot. Many km walked on sidewalks; some pastries; a museum or three (including the Third Man museum, which you and Bill would definitely appreciate). Taking a break from daily blogging but plan to continue eventually. ❤️
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I am so enjoying following your adventures. What wonderful photos!
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That you Margo! Great to know that you two have been following along. A short blog hiatus at the moment, while we explore Vienna as pedestrians.
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Brilliant! You mention the great cycling infrastructure in Austria. In 2019 we cycled from Munich to Rome. Despite going from north to south (sort of against the grain of the Alps) I can hardly recall actually riding on a road on Austria. All bike paths. Luckily there is a way to cycle through western Austria that doesn’t seem to require too much climbing equipment!
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