Bike & Boat guided: E-bike cruise on the Danube

In the morning, the ship glides past the wooded slopes of the Vienna Woods, arriving in Vienna around midday. After lunch on board, your bikes will be waiting for you on the riverbank. Today's cycling tour begins right at the boat dock. Crossing the Reichsbrücke bridge, you'll reach the elongated Danube Island, a popular recreational and bathing area for Viennese residents. On the northern bank of the Danube lies the Lobau floodplain landscape. The Danube-Auen National Park protects numerous waterfowl and other endangered animal and plant species threatened by the straightening of the Danube and its expansion into a major waterway. Our cycling route takes us across the Danube Island through the Prater, the Viennese entertainment paradise. From here, you'll return to the ship on the banks of the Danube. If you like, you can spend the evening in Vienna's city center. The ship will stay overnight in Vienna. Your tour guide will show you the best way to get into the city.

Today, you can also set off in the morning directly from the pier. Upstream, you'll pass Vienna and head toward the steep slopes of the Vienna Woods, which the Viennese have always called the "Nase" (Nose). Ride your e-bike up to a magnificent vantage point with a magnificent view of Vienna and the Danube! This is where Vienna's fate was decided during the second siege by the Turks!
A leisurely descent follows, taking you effortlessly to Klosterneuburg. The Klosterneuburg Abbey was a center of art and culture in the High Middle Ages. Charles VI had Klosterneuburg rebuilt in the Baroque style and transformed it into a stone symbol of the connection between the divine and the imperial realms, an Austrian Escorial. From Klosterneuburg, we return – virtually traffic-free – to our ship in Vienna. In the evening, the A-ROSA Bella departs Vienna and sails downriver towards Hungary.

While you fortify yourself with a tempting breakfast buffet, the ship docks in Esztergom. A view ashore leaves us in awe: Esztergom's castle hill rises above us, with its imposing basilica, the largest religious building in Hungary. It was once the coronation site of Hungarian rulers. Esztergom is considered one of the oldest settlements in the country and is mentioned in the Nibelungenlied as the castle of the legendary Hun king Etzel. We will tour the complex and you will learn why this place holds an important place in Hungarian history. Afterwards, a short transfer to Visegrad Castle on the Danube Bend. The Danube Bend is one of the most picturesque regions on the banks of the Danube. Above the bend in the river lies the ancient Visegrad Castle. At the top, you will enjoy the intoxicating view of the narrow gorge of the river and, after a tour of the fortress, begin a descent back to the banks of the Danube.

After a short stretch on a busy road, we take a small ferry to the elongated island in the Danube Bend. A rural idyll awaits us here. Our route continues south for more than 20 km across the island of Szentendreisziget. Our route takes us to Szentendre, just a few kilometers from Budapest. This cheerful baroque town on the right bank was once an artists' colony and is characterized by its many churches and its location on the banks of the Danube. It's only about 20 km from here to our pier in Budapest. A bus will pick you up here to take you to the ship.

Almost a whole day in Budapest (without cycling) at your leisure! The writer Péter Esterházy called Budapest "the lady with the Danube between her breasts." The river majestically divides the city into the two parts of Buda and Pest, connected by magnificent bridges. The highlights of the Pest district are the monumental Parliament building and Heroes' Square. Not far from the river port is the famous Market Hall from 1897, a basilica-like building built on a steel structure. In Buda, the Castle District has a unique flair. 

Public transportation in Budapest is well-developed, with the city served by metro, tram, trolley, and bus. So you can explore the city center on your own or book an excursion on board through A-ROSA.
At around 16:00 p.m., the A-ROSA BELLA sets off to head back upriver towards Germany.

In the morning, our ship docks in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. From the outside, the city still has a somewhat austere, socialist feel, but the Old Town has been beautifully renovated and, like Vienna and Budapest, radiates the former glory of the Habsburg Empire. The city was called Pressburg until the founding of Czechoslovakia. Bratislava became the capital of Slovakia in 1993 when it separated from the Czech Republic. The cycling stage begins in Hainburg at the so-called "Danube Gate," just across the border from Austria. You return to Slovakia via the vast grounds of Schloss Hof and cycle to the Devín castle ruins, or—if you don't mind 2 km of car traffic—back along the Danube bank into the charming, baroque Old Town. In the afternoon, the ship leaves Bratislava. 

While you enjoy breakfast, the ship glides through the wonderful landscape of the Wachau. The A-ROSA Bella docks in Krk in the morning (around 8:15 a.m.) for our cycling group.ems We first travel to Dürnstein, arguably the most famous of all the wine-growing towns in the Wachau. Dürnstein is picturesquely situated on the Danube, surrounded by vineyards and at the foot of an old castle. Since the Thirty Years' War, it has been a romantic ruin and a reminder that King Richard the Lionheart was a prominent prisoner there. The cycle route to Weißenkirchen soon leads beyond Dürnstein through vineyard terraces with small winegrowers' cottages. As soon as we reach a picturesque row of houses with Heurigen taverns, we are close to the wine-growing village of Weißenkirchen with its impressive Gothic fortified church from the 30th century. We pass other picturesque wine-growing towns such as St. Michael, Spitz, and Willendorf. In 14, the almost 1908-year-old statuette "Venus of Willendorf" was found in Willendorf! The cycle tour ends in the early afternoon near Melk, opposite the impressive monastery complex. The picturesque baroque Benedictine abbey marks the beginning of the Wachau region and offers a unique interplay of landscape and culture. Around midday, you'll be back on board, and your ship will continue upriver toward Engelhartszell. 

The ship docks in Passau around 8:00 a.m., and you'll have returned to the starting point of your journey. After breakfast, your journey ends. Disembarkation and A-ROSA transfer (subject to a fee) to Passau train station will take place around 9:00 a.m.