Danube Limes World Heritage Tour Cycle tour from Engelhartszell to Schlögen – history, panoramic views and Roman culture

Services included:

• professional guidance from a cycling guide
• Rental bike
• Cycle tour from Engelhartszell to Schlögen and back
• Ferry crossing from Schlögen to Au

This cycle tour combines two experiences that visitors from North America particularly appreciate: magnificent natural scenery and tangible history. Following the Danube – that mighty river which once marked the northern border of the Roman Empire – the route leads right into the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Danube Limes.

Right at the start, you’ll encounter the remains of Stanacum, the late Roman burgus of Oberranna, one of Austria’s best-preserved ancient structures. Further down the Danube, the Schlögen Roman Park awaits with its reconstructed balneum and interactive stations that bring Roman daily life to life – much like historical interpretation centres in the USA or Canada, only here amidst the Austrian river landscape.

Another highlight is the world-famous Schlögener Schlinge, a double Danube meander that might be compared in North America to the dramatic Horseshoe Bend – only greener, more wooded and embedded in millennia of cultural history.

The route offers quiet, tarmac cycle paths, minimal inclines and impressive panoramic views: an ideal leisurely tour that harmoniously combines nature, exercise and UNESCO heritage.

Itinerary:
Your journey begins with the journey to Engelhartszell, where your cycling guide will welcome you and give you a brief introduction to the route, the Roman sites and the highlights of the World Heritage tour. You will then set off directly from the town centre along the Danube Cycle Path downstream towards Schlögen. As you glide through the Danube Valley, sweeping views of the forests and riverbanks open up time and again – a harmonious blend of landscape and history.
In Schlögen, you reach the famous Danube Bend and cross over to the north bank on the small ferry. The crossing takes just a few minutes, but opens up a completely new perspective on the valley. The return journey then takes you back towards Jochenstein along the northern bank of the Danube, on a comfortable, fully tarmac-surfaced route. At the power station, you cross back to the southern bank and cycle the final few kilometres back to Engelhartszell at a leisurely pace – a circular route that will stay with you.

• Tour details:
  Duration: approx. 3.5 hours
• Length: 45 km (there and back)
• Difficulty: Suitable for everyone: an easy, flat route — anyone who can ride a bike will find this tour a breeze!
• Surface: Tarmac