Danube to the Iron Gates Bike and Boat

Boarding will begin at 4:00pm in Passau and the boat will depart at 5:00pm for the first cruise. Located at the junction of three rivers, the Danube, Inn and Ilz, Passau has a number of interesting sites including the Fortress “Veste Oberhaus” built in 1219 where there is an observation tower for a good view of the town and the river and St. Stevens Cathedral with the world’s largest church organ. Cruise via a lock to the Jochenstein power plant on the border between Germany and Austria. As we cruise, information will be provided about the daily biking, sights and sightseeing trips. Dinner will follow.

This morning you will receive your bicycles from in front of the boat. Generally we provide bikes with 21 gears (or 7 gears if unavailable or requested). Enjoy a delightful day's cycling through the ruggedly romantic Danube Bend at Schlögen, one of the most beautiful sections of the river lined with sleepy farming villages and a natural landscape. Take a break at Austria's only Trappist monastery where you can taste their delicious liquors and cheese. On your way you will encounter tiny villages and cosy cider taverns. The famous “Schlogener View” provides a wonderful vista of the surrounding Austrian countryside. On arrival in the charming market town of Aschach, you reboard the boat.

After a morning arrival in Devin, you cycle along the former "Iron Curtain", cross the green line and reach the imposing Imperial Palace of Hof with beautifully terraced gardens and idyllic manor farm. You continue along the bike path through Austria's "vegetable garden" to the vibrant city of Bratislava at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains. You can discover the hidden alleyways and sights of Bratislava on an optional city tour before reboarding the boat this evening for an overnight cruise.

Our boat arrives into Budapest in the morning and the panoramic view of the Danube bend is quite stunning. The day is free to explore the many sights of the city, with the vast majority located on the river banks, on your own or on an optional sightseeing tour by bus. You can also choose to cycle on a round trip to the charming town of Szentendre with its Mediterranean atmosphere and lively art scene. In the evening, you can explore the Hungarian metropolis on your own or relax onboard.

From the quiet baroque town of Baja that is famous for its fish soup, you cycle along the flood protection dykes in the Gemenc floodplain, through sleepy river landscapes past fields of sunflowers. At the end of today's cycle stage, you take the ferry to the small town of Mohacs, Hungary's most southerly town on the Danube and the site of two historic battles with the Ottoman Empire.

Optional excursion: discover the vibrant Serbian metropolis by bike or bus on the confluence of the Save and Danube rivers, taking a small journey in time from the past to the present and discovering interesting facts about the rise and full of Yugoslavia. In the evening, Belgrade is bathed in a sea of light. Optional excursion: you visit a colourful folklore show with traditional dances from all parts of the country and then enjoy typical specialties of the country in the renowned artists’ district of “Skadarlija” with lively music from a Serbian band.

Experience the stunning fjord-like landscape from the boat as we cruise through the Romanian Carpathian mountains and the foothills of the Balkan mountain range, or the "Iron Gates". The steep gorges, dark forests with historic monuments, impregnable fortresses and monasteries on the shores that are reflected in the blue waters of the river are spectacular.

Novid Sad, the provincial capital of Vojvodina, will capture your heart with its southern flair. The Petrovaradin fortress built in the 18th century by French architect Vauban as his masterpiece, one of the largest defensive structures in Europe, is the symbol of the city. You will cycle upstream along a flat cycle path then take a ferry to reach the gentle foothills of the Fruska Gora, with its orchards, vineyards and idyllic farming villages. Ilok, the eastern settlement of Croatia near the border of Serbia, is a wine kingdom of the Danube, known worldwide for its Traminer which the British royal family are fond of. Optional excursion: guided walk with Serbian wine tasting.

In the border triangle you will cycle through the never-ending "Backa" region. Small, idyllic villages and endless canola fields accompany you from Croatia to Serbia and Hungary. Farmers stop their work to greet you and now and then you will meet a carriage. You will experience untouched nature in Nemzeti National Park and after the ferry ride to Mohacs there is enough time for a visit at the White Stork Museum or the memorial of the Battle of Mohacs.

Kalocsa is the paprika capital of Hungary. Wreaths made of paprika peppers, hand-painted, bright floral patterns on houses and wonderfully embroidered traditional dress shape the image of the town. The cathedral rises like a cliff from the Puszta, the Archbishop’s Palace houses a collection of 150,000 books and you can learn all about Hungary’s favourite spice in the paprika museum. You will cycle on the well defined cycle path along the flood protection dyke through the expansive puszta, corn fields and orchards until you reach the historic town of Solt. It is the birthplace of the renowned conductor Sir George Solti, and worth seeing are its Vecsey Castle and the library with some 34,000 books in its collection.

The Danube is framed by steep wooded hills as it flows from the picturesque, hilly landscape of the "Hungarian Wachau". Setting off from Vac, you cycle past the island of Szentendre set in the middle of the Danube and continue on idyllic paths though the Hungarian countryside to Esztergom, the old royal residence and Hungary’s original capital city. The dome of the imposing basilica, Hungary’s largest Catholic church, that sits enthroned high over the Danube can be seen from far and wide and is well worth seeing with its Tuscan-style high altar and red marble walls.

Today is an opportunity to relax as we cruise to Vienna and enjoy the breath-taking view of the idyllic floodplain forest of the Donauauen National Park. The choice is yours: cycle on Vienna's favourite recreational area the Danube Island, cycle out to the nearby Klosterneuburg Abbey or wander through the idyllic vineyards on Kahlenberg with magnificent views over the city and the Danube. Optional evening excursion: Waltz and Operetta concert.

Today is at leisure in Vienna. Optional day excursions: 3-hour guided bike tour, hop-on/hop-off bus tour. We will provide you with information to plan your sightseeing. You may choose to take a circuit through Hofburg with a visit to the Sisi museum or a short break in the antique bakery Demel. Or there is the middle ages area between Hafnersteig, Heiligenkreuzerhof and the Blut – and Domgasse. In the evening you may like to enjoy a glass of wine at a Viennese tavern. During the night we cruise to Krems.

Today, one of the prettiest section of the trip, you pedal through the renowned Wachau, with its truly romantic scenery of vineyards and quaint villages, en route to Melk. Today’s cycle from Krems will take you past small dreamy villages, apricot trees, vineyards, castles, monasteries and ruins. A powerful ruin looms above the small Baroque town of Durnstein. In Weißenkirchen you will find comfy wine taverns right along the bike path where there is the possibility for wine tasting. Our last evening on board will include a gala dinner and crew show, while we cruise overnight back to Passau.

Check-out from the cabins is by 9:00am. During breakfast the boat continues to Passau with estimated arrival time 9:30am and disembarkation at approximately 10:00. We recommend that you do not make any travel plans until after midday.