Cycling route: Upper Austria's small historic towns

Stage Schärding – Passau – Schlögen Loop

The cycling route starts in the Baroque town of Schärding on the Inn and leads to the Three-Rivers town of Passau. The Danube, Inn, and Ilz rivers meet here and offer an impressive natural spectacle. Before reaching today's destination, you cycle via Engelhartszell along the Danube Cycle Path. Now you can look forward to the highlight of this stage: the Schlögen Loop. The river loop has carved itself around 180 degrees into the land masses – a fantastic sight! This unique natural jewel was declared a natural wonder of Upper Austria in 2008.

Stage Schlögen Loop – Linz

Through the Eferding Basin, you cycle on to Linz, the capital city of Upper Austria. The former steel town has long evolved into a cultural metropolis and offers diverse cultural enjoyment for every taste. Besides the Baroque old town, Linz impresses with a vibrant, modern side. Have you already visited the Ars Electronica Center, the LENTOS Art Museum, or Europe's largest graffiti and mural gallery in the Mural Harbor? You definitely shouldn't miss these. As you can see, Linz welcomes cyclists with a program for every taste. And don't forget: end your daily stage with a piece of Linzer Torte. After all, its recipe is the oldest documented cake recipe in the world!

Stage Linz – Enns – Steyr

Following the Danube Cycle Path, you travel from Linz via Mauthausen to Enns. The charming town tower is the landmark of Austria's oldest city and is visible from afar. As Austria's first Città Slow town (“slow city”), Enns focuses on deceleration and improving quality of life in towns. Cycling is exactly the right choice. The cycling tour through Upper Austria continues to the romantic town of Steyr. After completing the first section of the Enns Cycle Path, you will be rewarded in this 1000-year-old town with a charming mix of nature, culture, and architecture. Our tip: visit Lamberg Castle and the Gothic Bummerlhaus on the town square.

Stage Steyr – Gmunden – Bad Ischl

The next stage leads sporty cyclists through the Upper Austrian Traunviertel region to Gmunden and Bad Ischl. On cycle path R12, you pass the spa town of Bad Hall and later Kremsmünster. The Benedictine Abbey of Kremsmünster houses the famous Tassilo Liutpirc Chalice – one of Austria’s most important art treasures – and the oldest greenhouse in the country. Another intermediate destination of today’s stage is the small historic ceramics town of Gmunden in the Salzkammergut. Famous for its once-powerful salt barons and the romantic Ort Castle on Lake Traunsee, it is time for you to change your mode of transport here! You cover the last section via Traunkirchen and Ebensee by train back to Bad Ischl.

Stage Bad Ischl – Salzburg

Imperial town, home of the summer retreat and the heart of the Salzkammergut, all that is Bad Ischl. Let the charm of the European Capital of Culture 2024 work its magic and enjoy the world-famous natural scenery of mountains and lakes. Of course, a short detour to the legendary imperial and royal Hofzuckerbäckerei Zauner is a must. On the Salzkammergut Cycle Path, you briefly cross the state of Salzburg on your great Upper Austria cycling tour. The route leads with views of the Schafberg past the crystal-clear Wolfgangsee lake, to St. Gilgen and Mondsee – and so you cycle ever onward towards the Mozart city of Salzburg.

Stage Salzburg – Oberndorf – Burghausen – Braunau

After an overnight stay in the Baroque festival city of Salzburg, the new day starts with a comfortable train ride from Salzburg to Oberndorf. There, where today the Silent Night Chapel stands, the most famous Christmas carol was premiered. Along the Salzach Cycle Path, you proceed along the German-Austrian border to Burghausen. Here lies the longest castle complex in the world at 1,051 meters. Shortly after Burghausen, the Salzach flows into the Inn. Your Upper Austria cycling tour now continues on the Inn Cycle Path to the small historic town of Braunau.

Stage Braunau – Schärding

The old town of Braunau is over 750 years old and is best admired from Austria's sixth highest church tower. On this section, the Inn Cycle Path runs further along the state border past the “European Reserve Lower Inn”. This nature reserve with many floodplains and islands provides a home to over 300 bird species and is a special experience for every cyclist and nature lover. Now you cycle along the Inn Cycle Path further to Schärding. This small historic town captivates with a particularly colorful and cheerful townscape. The town square is lined with many pastel-colored houses, whose colors go back to the medieval guilds.

Each stage covers about 50 to 60 kilometers.

Exploratory journeys with a delicious stopover! This route passes directly by the following culinary partners: