This guide describes the first 1269km of the cycle route that follows the Danube river from its source in the Black Forest to Budapest. Leading through Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary, the route visits spectacular gorges, hilltop castles, vineyard-clad hillsides and medieval towns. The route mostly follows part of the EuroVelo route 6 (EV6). This guide breaks the route into 29 stages, averaging under 44km per stage. A fit cyclist, cycling an average of 90km per day should be able to complete the route in a fortnight. Suitable for all levels of cyclist, on all types of bike, the route is on a gentle downhill gradient, is mostly off-road and uses well-surfaced and dedicated cycle tracks or quiet country roads. You can break the journey at almost any point as there are many places to stay along the way, varying from youth hostels through to B&B's, guest houses and hotels. The route's highlights include the great imperial cities of Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest, with their palaces, cathedrals, museums and galleries.
Mike Wells has been a keen cyclist for over 20 years. Starting with UK routes, he soon moved on to long-distance routes in the rest of Europe and beyond, including a circumnavigation of Iceland and a ride across Cuba. This is Mike's fourth Cicerone guide.
Map key Overview map Introduction Background Natural environment The route Preparation Getting there and back Navigation Accommodation Food and drink Amenities and services What to take Safety and emergencies About this guide The route Germany Stage 1 Martinskapelle to Donaueschingen Stage 2 Donaueschingen to Tuttlingen Stage 3 Tuttlingen to Sigmaringen Stage 4 Sigmaringen to Riedlingen Stage 5 Riedlingen to Ehingen Stage 6 Ehingen to Ulm Stage 7 Ulm to Lauingen Stage 8 Lauingen to Donauwoerth Stage 9 Donauwoerth to Ingolstadt Stage 10 Ingolstadt to Kelheim Stage 11 Kelheim to Regensburg Stage 12 Regensburg to Straubing Stage 13 Straubing to Deggendorf Stage 14 Deggendorf to Passau Austria Stage 15 Passau to Aschach Stage 16 Aschach to Linz Stage 17 Linz to Mauthausen Stage 18 Mauthausen to Grein Stage 19 Grein to Melk Stage 20 Melk to Krems Stage 21 Krems to Tulln Stage 22 Tulln to Vienna Stage 23 Vienna to Bratislava Hungary Stage 24 Bratislava to Mosonmagyarov&##xe1;r Stage 25 Mosonmagyarov&##xe1;r to Gy?r Stage 26 Gy?r to Kom&##xe1;rom Stage 27 Kom&##xe1;rom to Esztergom Stage 28 Esztergom to Szentendre Stage 29 Szentendre to Budapest Appendix A Route summary table Appendix B Route facilities summary table Appendix C Language glossary Appendix D Useful contacts Appendix E Tourist information offices Appendix F Youth hostels
