Bike the Wachau Valley
On this tour we cycle from Spitz on the Danube to Weißenkirchen in the Wachau valley. In former times, the Wachau stretched from Spitz to Weißenkirchen and the valley floor from St. Michael to Weißenkirchen was called Thal Wachau. In St. Michael we get off the bike for the first time and climb the four-storey round tower of the fortified church, from where we have a beautiful view over the valley of the Wachau all the way to Weißenkirchen.
From St. Michael’s we continue through the Kirchweg vineyard. The name of the Kirchweg vineyard goes back to the fact that for a long time the path through this vineyard was the closest route to St. Michael’s. St. Michael’s became the mother parish of the Wachau after Charlemagne, King of the Frankish Empire, donated after 800 the area to the High Diocese of Passau.
The Kirchweg vineyards are characterised by loess and are mainly planted with Green Veltliner. In the Wachau Valley, mainly white wine is grown. Green Veltliner is the main grape variety which is an autochthonous Austrian grape variety that produces a fresh-tasting, fruity wine. Grüner Veltliner is a natural cross between Traminer and an unknown grape variety called St. Georgen. Grüner Veltliner prefers warm climes and produces the best results on the barren primary rock terraces of the Wachau Valley or in the loess-influenced vineyards on the valley floor of the Wachau Valley, which used to be beet fields before they were converted into vineyards.
The Danube cycle path leads partly along the old Wachau road through small picturesque medieval villages, such as Wösendorf, where along the main road running from the church square down to the Danube you will find stately two-storey eaves-mounted vintner houses, some with projecting upper storeys on brackets.
On the Danube cycle path through the valley of the Wachau from Wösendorf further in the direction of Weißenkirchen, we pass the Prandtauer Hof in Joching, a baroque, two-storey, four-winged complex built in 1696 by Jakob Prandtauer with a three-part portal with a round-arched gate in the middle. The building was originally erected in 1308 as the reading room of the Augustinian canons’ monastery of St. Pölten. The chapel on the upper floor of the north wing dates from 1444 and is characterised by a ridge turret on the outside.
After the Prandtauerhof, the country road is leading into Weißenkirchen, where there is a Gothic fortified tower from the 15th century, which is a former fortification tower of the Kuenringer feudal court. It is a massive, 3-storey tower with some partially bricked-up windows and beam holes on the 2nd floor.
From Weißenkirchen we cross the Danube on a ferry to the south side where we continue our ride on the Rossatz shore terrace that contains wine and apple orchards. Towards the end of this Danube shore terrace we can see the blue white bell tower of the Abbey church in Dürnstein.
To get to Dürnstein we use again a ferry this time from the Rossatz side of the Danube. On the boat we have a picture postcard view of Dürnstein with it’s landmark sign, the blue white bell tower of Dürnstein Abbey. In Dürnstein the destination of our Bike the Wachau Valley Tour we walk along the bank of the Danube before we go for a walk on the main street of this old medieval town.
We conclude our bike tour through the Wachau valley with a meal together and a glass of Wachau wine either in a local restaurant in Dürnstein or a winery in Spitz on the Danube depending on the time of day the tour is undertaken.
The Cycle Route
Tour Details
Duration: approximately 4 – 5 hours
Cycling distance: approximately 11 km
Ascent: 12 m
Descent: 26 m
Highest point: 220 m
Lowest point: 194 m
This offer is for a private tour for 2, 4 or 6 persons respectively.
Hotel pick up and drop-off (locations in the Wachau Valley)
Transportation by car to Spitz on the Danube and from Dürnstein
E-bike rental
Guided cycle on the Danube Cycle Path from Spitz on the Danube to Dürnstein by 2 local guides when the tour starts in the morning the other way round when the tour starts in the later afternoon
Ferry crossing of the Danube from Weißenkirchen to St. Lorenz and from Rossatzbach to Dürnstein
A 2 course meal with a glas of Wachau wine in a Wachau restaurant in Dürnstein at the ende of the tour when the tour started in the morning or in a winery in Spitz on the Danube when the tour started in the later afternoon.
- Cycling along the Danube through the valley of the Wachau past vineyards and through historic villages such as Wösendorf and Weißenkirchen.
- Walk through the medieval town of Dürnstein.
Departure details
- Traveler pick up is offered.
- We pick up guests from all Wachau valley accommodations, from train stations in Melk and Krems and from cruise ships that dock in the Wachau valley.
- If hotel or cruise pier is inaccessible by car due to restrictions, pickup will be held from a nearby location within short walking distance.
Return details
- Returns to original departure point
Not wheelchair accessible.
For the hike guests need footwear that allows them to walk on an alpine path.
- Booking is done by phone +43 680 301 7720 or email office@radler-rast.com.
- Bookings are confirmed after a non-refundable 150 € deposit has been transferred to our PayPal business account using the link PayPal.Me/radlerrast.
The balance is due at the end of the tour and can be paid in cash or by card. - This tour is a private tour for 2, 4 or 6 travelers respectively.
- 2 people per booking is required.
- Minimum age is 16 years.
- Exact pick up times will be agreed when booking.
- Most travelers can participate.
- Duration 4 hours approx. The exact duration may vary including pickup and drop off.
- Biking the Wachau Valley requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date.
The private Bike the Wachau Valley for 2 travelers is € 988,00, for 4 travelers it is € 1248,18 and for 6 travelers it is € 1508,81.
- After transferring a non-refundable 150 Euro deposit to our PayPal business account using the link PayPal.Me/radlerrast to confirm the booking the balance is due at the end of the tour and can be paid in cash or by card.