Cycling route: Upper Austria's small historic towns
4040 Linz
Cycling journey full of delight: Discover Upper Austria's small historic towns with many top sights.
Schärding - Freistadt - Steyr - Gmunden - Bad Ischl - Braunau
Recommended season:
- April
- May
- June
- July
- August
- September
- October
- Multi-stage route
- Scenic
- Refreshment stops available
- Cultural/historical value
Experience genuine holiday moments along rivers, in magnificent nature and at historically significant places. The magnificent cycling route through Upper Austria shines with many varied sights. Cycle past historic monasteries in the Traunviertel region, discover royal-imperial sites in the Salzkammergut and be enchanted by breathtaking natural jewels along the Danube. Enjoy the scenically impressive sections along the most beautiful rivers of Upper Austria and visit the small historic towns of Steyr, Gmunden, Bad Ischl, Braunau and Schärding. The individual sections of the Upper Austria cycling tour range between 50 and 65 km. In 7 daily stages, you cover a total of 405 km by bike. Experience "Austria in miniature – on two wheels" on this cycling tour and let yourself be led on a journey full of unforgettable holiday moments.Directions:
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.
Tip:Exploratory journeys with a delicious stopover! This route passes directly by the following culinary partners:
Paths covering:
further information:
- Multi-day tour
- Board possible
- Spring
- Summer
- Autumn
Please get in touch for more information.
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1. The tours presented for hiking, walking, biking and road biking, mountain biking, motorbiking, horseback riding, climbing, cross-country skiing, and going on skiing and snowshoe tours etc. are to be considered non-paid tour recommendations and only serve as non-binding information. We have no intention of concluding a contract with the users of this website. The utilisation of the data does not lead to the establishment of a contract with us.
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2.Some of the tours lead over roads with normal traffic conditions. Please observe that there is an increased risk which can be avoided by means of appropriate attention and proper estimation and implementation of one’s own abilities. For this reason, please travel a route that is unfamiliar to you slowly and with special care. Pay constant attention to potential dangers and always observe traffic. Do not leave the routes featured in descriptions.
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3.Each tour requires good physical fitness as well as detailed planning. We explicitly recommend only taking the tours in the case of optimal healthiness.
We recommend that you conclude an accident and liability insurance policy. Use an onboard computer that displays the respective kilometres travelled per day and is calibrated for the front wheel.
4.Special for mountain bikers – Fair-play rules:
Mountain biking is one of the most wonderful outdoor leisure-time activities. Whilst biking or on a mountain biking tour, mountains and lakes, meadows and cabins are re-discovered in new ways. A couple of rules for fair play in the forest help to avoid conflicts whilst mountain biking.
a.Pedestrians have the right of way: We are accommodating and friendly to pedestrians and hikers. Upon encountering these fellow travellers, we alert them by using the bicycle bell and slowly overtake them. We avoid paths with heavy pedestrian traffic altogether. Take nature into account: We do not leave refuse behind.
b.The braking distance should be half of the total distance visible: We ride at a controlled pace, are ready to brake and maintain a braking distance half as long as the total distance visible, especially in curves, because we always have to count on obstacles on the path. Damage to the path, stones, branches, wood piles, grazing livestock, cattle grids, barriers, tractor-type forestry machines and authorised vehicles pose dangers that we need to be ready for.
c.Don’t drink and drive!: Do not drink alcohol when mountain biking. Take care at stop-off points (dealing with bike racks, dirty shoes or clothing).
It is obligatory to provide first aid!
d.Marked routes, closed paths and blockades: Keep to the marked routes, observe the blockades and accept that these roads are primarily for agricultural and forestry use!
Blockades can often not be avoided and are in your own interest. Biking beyond the intended path and outside of opening times is punishable and turns us into illegal bikers.
e.We are guests in the forest and behave accordingly, including vis-à-vis forestry and hunting staff. Whilst mountain biking, mobile telephones and music players are forbidden! Biking requires your full attention.
f.Avoid unnecessary noise. Out of consideration to the animals living in the wild, we only bike during full daylight. As a principle, we always wear our helmet (even when riding uphill)! Don’t forget emergency supplies: We always have a repair set and bandages along.
g.Don’t overestimate your skills: We should not overdo it when it comes to biking technique and physical fitness. Take the level of difficulty posed by the route into consideration and make a precise estimate of your experience and skills as a biker (braking, bell, lights)!
h.Close gates: We approach grazing livestock at a walking pace and close every gate behind us. We should avoid causing escape and panic reactions in the animals. Nothing stands in the way of the fun and athletic challenge in the mountains and forests!
i.Traffic rules: The general traffic rules (StVO) apply for all the mountain biking routes and we adhere to them. Our bike therefore needs to be in perfect technical condition and equipped in line with the traffic rules, including brakes, a bell and lights. We inspect and service our mountain bikes regularly anyway.
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