Note: if all goes as intended, this post will appear—through the magic and mystery of technology —while we are cycling
Our bikeline guidebook for the Danube cycle path (the 8th edition of this), offers routes along the north bank and the south bank of the Danube, and divides the overall route into three parts. For the most part, we’ll be following the north bank, which seems to offer a flatter route, with less traffic. There are apparently even a couple of foot & bicycle ferries!
Map overview of the first halfMap overview of the second halfElevation gain (decline) along our route
Here’s what the guidebook has to say about the first section, from Passau to Linz, which we plan to cover in two days, with an overnight about midway, and a rest day in Linz:
First section of our routeOne of the foot (& cycle) ferries
J&I are still adapting to the new time zone, a process not helped by a fire alarm sounding in our hotel at 6:55 a.m. Upon investigation: empty halls and staircases, a deserted lobby. Apparently everyone else knows this sort of thing is routine, and can be ignored. A simple breakfast (above) at Anton Kaffeehaus & Weinbar, before we head uphill to catch a noon organ concert in St Stephen’s Cathedral, which sits on the summit of the point of land on which Passau is located, at the confluence of the Danube and the Inn (there are actually three rivers which converge at Passau, including the Ilz, which is much smaller than the other two. The Ilz will go unseen by us—as I expect it is by most visitors to Passau).
Some notes, observations, and photos from our Day 1 (actually Day 1 1/2).
J&I arrive at YVR nearly 3 hours ahead of our flight’s departure time, and spend our idle time sampling the wonders of the airport duty free shops. Exotic snacks, made from coconut! And hemp seeds! Fire roasted jalapeño-flavoured craft pretzels! Vegan white cheddar chickpea puff snacks! (Say that six times fast) Original, All-dressed, and Ranch-flavoured Crispers! Dilly Bites! A rainbow of kombuchas!
YVR snacksMore YVR snacksThe variety stuns the mindYour choice of exotic Kombuchas!
We scoff at the paltry selection of books on offer, and at the magazine stand, gape at the physiques we will no doubt be acquiring while cycling to Vienna (though I’ll admit that it is still unclear how pedalling builds the muscles of the upper torso).
As described in more detail on the blog’s About page, J&I are off on another European adventure, a trip that was originally planned for 2020. Until the pandemic hit.
The blog’s title (“Danube to Dalmatia”), and the subtitle (“J&M invade the Austro-Hungarian Empire”) reflect the belated recognition that all of the places we’ll be visiting were once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, as you can see from a map of the Empire at its peak in 1914, just before the outbreak of WWI (a small version of such a map is to the right if you’re reading on a computer, otherwise here).
In the first part of the trip we’ll be travelling with F&J2, who are already “feet on the ground” in Europe. J&I have a family wedding to attend, which means a later departure date. The four of us will meet up in Passau, Germany, where we will start a 330km bicycle trip along the Danube to Vienna, Austria. We’ll be using the following guidebook for the cycle trip (though the route is popular, and should be well-marked).
That should be enough to start things off! Check in here from time to time to see how our invasion of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (AHE henceforth) is proceeding. Or subscribe using the small field in the blog’s sidebar. Subscribing may allow you to receive new blog postings as email, but I’m not sure exactly how—of if—that actually works; it may depend on whether you’re already a regular user of WordPress.
Danube to Dalmatia 