Danube - Donaueschingen to Donauwoerth Cycling Holiday

Discover the young Danube on this leisurely cycle holiday through Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. Let the river unveil idyllic villages, fertile, rolling countryside and proud cities as it makes its way eastwards. Easy, riverside cycling with lots to see along the way and interesting overnight stops.

Follow the river from its source at Donaueschingen through the Black Forest and Swabia, passing through cultural towns and cities such as towns Ulm and Obermarchtal as you make your way to Donauwörth. Baroque abbeys and isolated castles are in store plus natural wonders like the sinking of the Danube at Immendingen and the ink blue Blautopf spring.

Fridingen

Most of this cycle tour follows flat paved cycle paths with some dirt tracks as well – all pretty smooth and easy to ride on. Any hills are generally of gentle gradient, and with plenty of time allotted to tackle each day’s riding anyone with a basic level of fitness will be able to enjoy this trip.

Danube - Donaueschingen to Donauwoerth Cycling Holiday

Discover the young Danube on this leisurely cycle holiday through Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. Let the river unveil idyllic villages, fertile, rolling countryside and proud cities as it makes its way eastwards. Easy, riverside cycling with lots to see along the way and interesting overnight stops.

Follow the river from its source at Donaueschingen through the Black Forest and Swabia, passing through cultural towns and cities such as towns Ulm and Obermarchtal as you make your way to Donauwörth. Baroque abbeys and isolated castles are in store plus natural wonders like the sinking of the Danube at Immendingen and the ink blue Blautopf spring.

Fridingen

Most of this cycle tour follows flat paved cycle paths with some dirt tracks as well – all pretty smooth and easy to ride on. Any hills are generally of gentle gradient, and with plenty of time allotted to tackle each day’s riding anyone with a basic level of fitness will be able to enjoy this trip.

Itinerary

Most of this cycle tour follows flat paved cycle paths with some dirt tracks as well – all pretty smooth and easy to ride on. Any hills are generally of gentle gradient, and with plenty of time allotted to tackle each day’s riding anyone with a basic level of fitness will be able to enjoy this trip.

Day 1 : Arrive Donaueschingen

On arrival make your way to your first hotel in Donaueschingen. After check-in you’re free to relax or explore. The Danube is formed near the town by the joining of two lesser rivers while nearby Fürstenberg castle is also worth seeking out. Be sure to visit the Danube Spring in the town which marks the river’s birth point.

Day 2 : Donaueschingen – Mühlheim/Fridingen
28 to 31 miles/45 to 50 kms

Your first day of cycling takes you through the ‘Baar’, the rolling, rural landscape between the Black Forest and the Swabian Alb. There will be more natural wonders in store at Immendingen, where the Danube disappears below the porous chalk rock for much of the year and flows underground towards the Rhine.

Day 3 : Mühlheim/Fridingen – Sigmaringen/Scheer
25 to 35 miles/40 to 55 kms

Have the camera ready as today’s ride is incredibly scenic. Between Fridingen and Sigmaringen the Danube meanders through a beautiful serene valley. Over the centuries the river has eroded the soft limestone and in places the cliffs are over 100 meters high. Many of the bluffs overlooking the valley are topped with castles – the most impressive of which is at Sigmaringen. You will spend the night in Sigmaringen or the nearby village of Scheer.

Day 4 : Sigmaringen/Scheel – Obermarchtal/Ehingen
25 to 44 miles/40 to 70 kms

Ride alongside the Danube to the village of Zwiefalten, well known for its beautiful abbey, and enjoy more fantastic riverside scenery on the way to Obermarchtal. This small village is dominated by an impressive baroque abbey. From here it is a short ride to the pleasant little town of Ehingen where you will spend the night.

Day 5 : Obermarchtal/Ehingen – Blaubeuren – Ulm
25 to 38 miles/40 to 60 kms

Today you leave the course of the modern Danube and venture north following the route the river once took in ancient times. Visit the monastery at Blaubeuron as well as the limestone spring which gives birth to the Blau River. Follow the young river past castles and ruins back to the modern Danube and the bustling city of Ulm. This attractive provincial city straddles both banks of the Danube, with its larger western portion in Baden-Wuerttemberg and its eastern side in Bavaria. It’s a pleasant place to spend the night with a lovely old town and the tallest church steeple in the world.

Day 6 : Ulm – Lauingen
31 miles/50 kms

Today’s route takes you through dozens of picture-perfect villages as you make your way into Bavaria proper. You can stop to explore any of them of course and we particularly recommend Elchingen, a famous pilgrimage site. Günzburg is also interesting for its intricately decorated Church of our Lady. At the end of a great day in the saddle you’ll arrive in the village of Lauingen where you will spend the night.

Day 7 : Lauingen – Donauwörth/Wörnitzstein
25 to 28 miles/40 to 45 kms

Your last day’s ride leads you past a series of secluded villages set on small hills above the river protecting them from the floodplains below. Take a break at any of them of them for a wander round and perhaps some refreshment. Eventually you arrive in Donauwörth, a city at the confluence of the Danube and Wörnitz rivers and with a long and interesting history. The old, ornate houses in the centre are testament to the city’s strategic importance in bygone times. You will stay in the town or in the nearby village of Wörnitzstein.

Day 8 : Donauwörth/Wörnitzstein - end of trip

After breakfast it’s time to check out and head for home or your next adventure.

Bikes

Regular bikes provided are modern alloy framed models with 27 speeds. The bikes come equipped with waterproof pannier, waterproof handlebar bag, lock and pump. Per booking a repair kit is also included. Male specific bikes are available from a height of 175cm.

Electric bikes (minimum age 16 years) and bikes for teenagers are available. Child seats for adult rental bikes are also available at no extra charge.

Helmets are not provided and we therefore recommend bringing your own.

Accommodation

Below you will find examples of the accommodations typically used on this tour. Please note that the hotels we book for you may differ slightly from those described but they will certainly be of a similar standard.

Comfort: Comfortable 3 star hotels and guesthouses.

Donaueschingen: Hotel zum Hirschen

Mühlheim/Fridingen: Hotel Gasthaus Sonne

Sigmaringen/Scheer: Hotel Restaurant Donaublick

Obermarchtal/Ehingen: Gasthf zum Ochsen

Ulm: Hotel Am Rathaus Ulm

Lauingen: Hotel Kannenkeller

Donauwörth/ Wörnitzstein: Landgasthof Schmidbaur

Local taxes

Some hotels have started to charge a local/tourist tax. These taxes are not included in the sale price of the tour and must be paid directly by you at check-in or checkout at the hotels. This fee varies and is ever changing but as a guide, you may be asked to pay between €1-€4 per person per night.

Getting there

Fly into Zurich, Basel, Stuttgart or perhaps Munich and then take a train to Donaueschingen. At the end of the trip take a train from Donauwörth to Munich.

Research flights from the UK here

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