Wachau by bike: a diary of cycling Austria's most beautiful valley
The Wachau Cycle Path (EuroVelo 6, local designation Donauradweg) runs 36 km from Melk to Krems along the south bank of the Danube — mostly flat, entirely paved, and passing through some of the most concentrated landscape beauty in Central Europe. I cycled it in June over two days, staying one night in Dürnstein, and have thought about the apricot blossoms (already gone in June, but the trees visible in the orchards) and the Riesling vineyards and the castle ruins ever since.
Getting there from Vienna
Train from Wien Hbf to Melk: 1 hour 15 minutes, 17 € each way. ÖBB trains have designated bike carriages; reserve a bike space when booking (4 € supplement, essential — the trains fill in summer). Bike rental in Melk is available from the cycle path operators near the station.
Returning: take the Donauradweg from Krems and the ÖBB train from Krems to Wien Hbf (1 hour, 17 €). Or cycle one way and take the DDSG Blue Danube boat back from Krems to Melk (1h45, 27 €, bikes transported on the boat — confirm when booking).
I brought my own hybrid bike on the train.
Day 1: Melk to Dürnstein (28 km)
Start: Melk, 9:00.
The Stift Melk (Melk Abbey) dominates the town from its hilltop — visible from 10 km away as you approach along the Danube. I had seen it from the boat on a previous trip; on a bike at the level of the river, the scale becomes more comprehensible.
I spent 90 minutes in the abbey before cycling (Grand Tour, the library and church, the terrace view). The June morning was clear; from the abbey terrace, the Danube bend at Melk is perfectly composed — the river curving left toward the gorge, the opposite bank forested, the sky reflected in the water.
The path: Melk’s cycle path exits the town via the Rollfähre (a small cable ferry across the Danube, hand-powered, 3 €, essential for reaching the south bank cycle path) or via the bridge at the western end of town. I took the Rollfähre because it was there and because a hand-powered cable ferry in 2021 is not something you encounter often.
The south bank path (the more scenic route) follows the river closely from Emmersdorf. The first section (Emmersdorf to Aggsbach Dorf, 12 km) passes through apricot orchards — the trees were already past blossoming in June but the fruit was forming, and the orchard landscape between the path and the cliffs above is exactly what the photographs don’t quite capture.
Schönbühel Castle appears at km 8 — on a rock above the river, medieval and surprisingly well-preserved. Private, not open to visitors, but visible clearly from the water level.
Lunch stop: Aggsbach Dorf (Gasthof zum Goldenen Kreuz) — Forellen (trout from the Danube tributary, grilled simply with butter and lemon), a glass of Federspiel Grüner Veltliner from the local Winzer (cooperative). 20 € for the meal.
Aggstein Castle ruin appears at km 15 — high above the right bank on a cliff that makes the fortress look both impregnable and suicidal to have lived in. The Aggstein was an 11th-century stronghold associated with an Austrian robber-baron clan; it declined after the 15th century and now provides the Wachau’s most dramatic ruin silhouette. The path below it runs through the narrowest part of the gorge.
Dürnstein at km 28. The village — blue church tower, terraced vineyards above, the Danube below, the castle ruin on the hill (Richard the Lionheart’s prison, 1192–1193) — is the Wachau’s most concentrated piece of visual information. It takes approximately 20 minutes to walk from the riverbank to the castle ruin; the view from the ruin over the valley is excellent.
I stayed at Gasthof Sänger Blondel (Hauptstrasse 64, named after Richard’s minstrel who allegedly found him in the castle by singing a song they shared) — simple, friendly, excellent local wine list, 75 € per night for a double room with breakfast.
Dinner at the Sänger Blondel restaurant: Wachauer Marillenknoedel (apricot dumplings in breadcrumbs — the signature Wachau dessert), after the obligatory Marillenknödel the size of a billiard ball and swimming in breadcrumbs. To drink: a Dürnstein estate Riesling Smaragd, the top classification.
Day 2: Dürnstein to Krems (8 km) and wine tasting
Start: 9:30 (after breakfast).
The 8 km from Dürnstein to Krems is the shortest and flattest section of the path. The vines press down to the path edge; the Danube is broad and calm; Krems’s steeples appear on the horizon.
Krems is larger than the other Wachau towns — a university town (Danube University Krems), a wine centre (the Winzergenossenschaft Krems cooperative is here), and a good old town (Altstadt) with 12th–15th century architecture. The Weinstadt Museum Krems (Körnermarktplatz 14) covers the history of Wachau wine from Roman times. The Kremser Gozzoburg (13th century, the largest secular medieval building in Austria) is open to visitors.
Wine tasting: The Wachau wine tasting day tour from Vienna covers the wine classification and winery visits in depth — better context than self-guided for those new to Wachau wines. For the Krems cooperative (Winzergenossenschaft Krems, Sandgrube 13): open for tastings Monday–Saturday, free tasting of three wines.
I tasted a Federspiel Grüner Veltliner (fresh, peppery, immediate), a Smaragd Riesling (richer, mineral, would cellar for 10 years), and a Riesling Steinfeder (the lightest, for drinking in the Heuriger garden in summer). The Smaragd is what the Wachau is known for internationally; the Federspiel is what local people drink on weekdays.
Return to Vienna: ÖBB train from Krems to Wien Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof (not Wien Hbf) — 1 hour, 17 €. The bike goes in the bike carriage; reserve the space when buying the ticket.
Practical notes for the Wachau cycle
Route: 36 km Melk–Krems. Flat and paved throughout. Doable in one day (4–5 hours of cycling) or two days (more comfortable, more wine).
Bike rental: Available in Melk, Krems, and Spitz from cycle path operators. Reserve in advance in June–August.
Best months: April (apricot blossom, unpredictable timing), June (green, warm), September–October (harvest gold, vendange).
July–August: Hot and crowded. The path is popular with German and Austrian cycle tourists; midday temperatures can exceed 35°C. Very early starts (7:00) recommended.
The boat trip from Melk to Krems covers the same river section in comfort, without pedalling. See our Wachau Melk cruise tour review for that option.