Danube cycle path stage 4 north bank: Grein - Emmersdorf

Where detours promise a view

Alternative route to the Danube cycle path (south bank): Before you set off, take a short tour, perhaps with a guide, through the pretty town of Grein - via the pretty old town square to the historic town theater, the Upper Austrian Maritime Museum or Greinburg Castle. A visit to the nearby Stillensteinklamm gorge with its impressive rock formations would also be a good idea.

You will soon be rolling along the densely wooded slopes of the Strudengau, whose name is derived from the shallows ("Struden") in the river, which once caused difficulties for boatmen.

At Struden/St. Nikola, the ruins of Werfenstein rise above the Danube, from where chains used to be stretched across to the island of Wörth in the middle of the river - to stop the ships. Along the romantic Donauleiten, past the villages of Sarmingstein and Hirschenau, you come to Persenbeug - where one of Austria's most famous Danube power stations can be visited on guided tours (book in advance!).

Two further detours then tempt you away from the Danube: near Marbach, you can cycle up to the pilgrimage church of Maria Taferl, which can be seen from afar, if you and your bike are a bit of a hiker. From the magnificent baroque basilica, you can enjoy a magnificent view over the Danube valley. Near Klein-Pöchlarn, consider a trip to nearby Artstetten, where the life of Archduke Franz Ferdinand is documented in the castle. The heir to the throne, who was murdered in Sarajevo in 1914, is buried with his wife in the crypt there. At the stage destination of Emmersdorf, the Danube bridge allows you to visit the sights of Melk on the opposite bank (see E4-S).

We recommend: Taking the ferry in Grein (or the bridge just before Grein) to the south bank and continuing along the Danube cycle path. At the Ybbs-Persenbeug Danube power station, you return to the north bank. The Donauuferbahn takes you comfortably from Grein to Sarmingstein.