Blaue Donau Reise in Deutschland und Östenreich
August 29 - September 05 / 2025
Abreisedatum: 29 august 2025
Tägliche route abstand 30 bis 60 km / Multi-adventure / Level: Easy
Höhepunkte
Die detaillierte Reisebeschreibung ist nur in englischer Sprache verfügbar.
This tour can be booked through a partner, contact us to find out the availability and contact detail.
Bike, Barge and Cruise along the famous Blue Danube. Merlijn offers first small-scale bike cruises on the Danube since 2022. Immerse yourself in Austrian culture, and enjoy all this country has to offer. Take the classic ‘Donau Radweg’ cycle route along the River Danube in the north of Austria and let the view of the beautiful mountains energize you. Sample traditional Austrian cuisine by stopping at local bakeries and enjoying an evening dinner out on your own. A good mix of cycling and cruising allows you to enjoy the Blue Danube to the full. Take a day off from cycling and go on a hike. Enjoy included excursions such as a guided tour of the blockbuster Abbey of Melk, and a tasting session of local wines in the Wachau area.
Tagesprogramm
Day 1: Vienna/Korneuburg
Check in: 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM. 4:30 PM, Merlijn will set sail. We’ll present you with a welcome drink and introduce the crew. We will also provide information on the tour and the ship, and offer you a safety briefing. After you’ve got familiar with the ship, your dinner will be served, and following your meal, you can take a stroll or enjoy a relaxing evening in the cosy lounge. Merlijn will be docked for the night. We heartily recommend spending a few days in Vienna prior to joining the ship. Baroque streetscapes and imperial palaces set the stage for Vienna's artistic and musical masterpieces, alongside its coffee house culture and vibrant epicurean and creative scene. Don’t forget to eat a traditional ‘Sacher Torte’ during your stay. A day trip to the Slovakian city of Bratislava is also within close range, and is certain to make your cultural heart beat faster.
Day 2: Korneuburg – Tulln. Bike tour: 30-35 km - or shorten to 25 km
Breakfast will be served in the restaurant, followed by a bike introduction. You’ll cycle your first miles on Austrian ground along the popular classic ‘Donau Radweg’. It will lead you through mostly rural areas today, which are a dream for every cyclist. Just before arriving at the Merlijn in Tulln, you can visit the ‘Garten Tulln’, an attraction for gardening enthusiasts. The city is often referred to as the ‘city of flowers’ because of its botanical garden and abundance of parks. It’s also the hometown of the influential painter Egon Schiele. Tonight dinner will be served on board, and afterwards you can take a stroll through the town, as we’ll be staying overnight.
Day 3: Tulln – Durnstein/Rossatz. Bike tour: 50-55 km
There’s a long ride planned for today. You’ll leave Tulln behind you, and bike to the first pearls of the Wachau Valley: Krems and Stein. The tour will lead you mostly along the peacefully flowing Danube, which you can admire perfectly from the saddle of your bike. After visiting these beautiful towns, you will cross the bridge to find Merlijn in Durnstein/Rossatz, where we will stay overnight. After dinner, we will organize a wine tasting session at a local winery.
Day 4: Durnstein/Rossatz – Overnight dock. Bike tour: 45-50 km
The next two days are jam-packed with highlights! Today’s tour will start after breakfast, with a first stop in another pearl of the “Wachau Valley”: Dürnstein. Take the small roofed stairs at the water's edge and you'll arrive in the heart of the town. Dürnstein is not only known for its beautiful buildings, but also for the castle above the town where Richard I of England, yes, the Lionheart, was once imprisoned. You will then follow the Danube further upstream and into the ‘Wachau Valley’. This area (German pronunciation: va-xau) is an Austrian valley with a picturesque landscape formed by the River Danube. Overloaded with castles and ruins, as well as urban architecture and vineyards, it is one of the most prominent tourist destinations of Lower Austria, appealing to ‘connoisseurs and epicureans’ due to its high quality wines. The Wachau was incorporated into the UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites in December 2000 as ‘Wachau Cultural Landscape’, in recognition of its architectural and agricultural history.
After cycling 2/3 of today’s tour, you’ll arrive at the stunning city of Melk. After a short visit, you’ll walk to ‘Stift Melk’, set high above the Danube. Here, you will enjoy an included guided tour to learn more about this blockbuster abbey fortress. Together with the city of Melk, this undoubtedly forms the high point of any visit to the region. The day ends with an overnight stay in a small Austrian town. Enjoy this peaceful area and the calm Danube with a drink in the spacious lounge, or on the comfy terrace.
Day 5: Overnight dock – Grein. Bike tour: 35-40 km or extend to 50-55 km
Today’s cycle tour will start in the morning, just after departure you can choose the longer or shorter ride of the day. Meeting the group again in Persenbeug, which is an old shipping town strategically situated next to the river, with a castle atop of it, and certainly worth a short visit. It is also home to a shipping lock and hydro-electric power plant. This plant is the oldest power station in Austria, and almost supplied the entire nation when it was built in 1950. After the visit you’ll cycle on, following the meandering Danube along the area called ‘Strudengau’, a narrow 25km valley along the Danube. Your tour ends in Grein, a picturesque town situated in a small bay at the exit of the ‘Strudengau’. Today, you will be offered a tour of ‘Schloss Greinburg’, a beautiful palace with a stone theatre. Dinner will be served on board.
Day 6: Grein – Linz. Bike tour: 35-40 km + 5 km optional
Enjoy another cruising breakfast, while the captain navigates Merlijn up streams the Danube. We’ll reach a dock where your bike tour begins and soon Mauthausen will be in sight. Mauthausen is notorious for its WWII Nazi concentration camp situated just a few kilometres from the city, that can be visited. It’s an additional 5 km ride there and back. From here you will enjoy the beautiful scenery while cycling on to Linz, where Merlijn awaits you.
“It all begins in Linz” the Austrian saying goes, which is spot on, as Linz is a city on the move, with its finger firmly on the pulse of the nation’s tech industry. Around the main square are many historically relevant and architecturally interesting houses, such as the old Town Hall.
West of the main square, there is the old quarter with many other historic buildings, such as Renaissance houses, or older houses with a baroque facade. In the evening, you can explore more of Austria’s culture in this vibrant city.
Day 7: Linz – Passau. Bike tour: 35-40 km or extend to 55-60 km
The captain will start the engines early, because we have a long way to go until the tour’s destination of Passau! Breakfast will be served while sailing further up the River Danube. Starting the last cycling day you’ll pass by Brandstatt and Aschach, typical Austrian towns where you might want to stop at a cafe for a short visit – if only to try the Austrian ‘Kaiserschmarrn’ dessert: a sweet that goes exceptionally well with coffee, and takes its name from the Austrian emperor (Kaiser) Franz Joseph I, who was very fond of this kind of fluffy shredded pancake. A most interesting tour along the ‘Schlögener Schlinge’ awaits you, where the Danube makes several bends that have been sculpted through the mountains over millions of years. At Schlögen, skills permitting, you can bike or hike up to the ‘Schlögener Blick’ viewpoint, from where you can see the sharpest bend, which locals have named ‘The natural wonder of upper Austria’.
From here you’ll have two options: either board Merlijn to spend your last afternoon cruising aboard the ship, or continue biking, and board Merlijn later on. From there, we’ll leave Austria behind us and cruise together into Germany, since we’ll pass the border on the way to Passau. In the evening a farewell diner will be served.
Day 8: Passau
After breakfast, it will be time to say goodbye and continue your European trip or leave for the airport. If you choose to continue your holiday, Passau is a good place to spend a few more days. Explore the three rivers by boat and enjoy the evening with a walk through the old town or a visit to Veste Oberhaus opposite. From 1867, the castle served as a penal institution, but today, it is home to the town museum, which has numerous permanent and special exhibitions. From the terrace, you’ll have a wonderful view of the old town of Passau and the confluence of the three rivers.
- Please note that Passau and Vienna are very busy cruise ports. We may not dock in the city itself but may have to divert to the first available berth outside the city.
Included in your tour:
- 7 nights onboard Merlijn
- Individual climate control and private bathroom with shower, sink and toilet in all cabins
- Supply of bedding, towels, facial tissues, hand soap, shampoo, sewing kit, vanity kit, bathrobe & slippers
- Full service of staff, daily cleaning of the cabins, manned bar (no self-service)
- Porterage of luggage upon arrival and departure
- Daily loading and unloading of your bicycle to and from the ship
- Use of lightweight state-of-the-art bicycle
- Use of a waterproof bike bag, universal sized helmet, towel and a personal water bottle
- English speaking-tour guide (experienced guide who knows the route like the back of their hand)
- Brochures of the area available on board
- Harbour, lock and canal fees
Included culinary care:
- Welcome drink with bubbles
- All day unlimited coffee, tea, hot chocolate and potable ice water (self-service)
- Extensive breakfast buffet daily with at least; 2 warm dishes, freshly baked croissants or similar pastries, various types of bread, toaster, yoghurt, cereals, fresh fruit and various beverages.
- Packed lunch prepared by the staff in a special lunch bag with at least a lavish sandwich, snack and drink.
- 6 three-course dinners
- Dinners are based on ‘plate service’, meals are served in the dining area.
- Meals are perceived by our guests as “luxurious” or even “gourmet style”.
Included beverages during bar opening hours:
- Several sodas served from a small bottle
- Wide variety of wines (also non-alcoholic wine)
- Beer on tap and various beers from the bottle (also non-alcoholic beer)
Included excursions:
- Ferry costs on the bicycle route
- Entrance to Schloss Greinburg
- Wine tasting session at local winery
- Entrance and guided tour at Stift Melk
Not included in your tour:
- 1 dinner
- Excursions, entrance fees and guided tours other than mentioned
- Beverages other than those mentioned (such as spirits and cocktails)
- City maps, bike maps, etc. (we have a lot available however we can’t guarantee every destination)
- Inbound and outbound journeys, such as flights, trains, bus or other type of transfers
- Insurances
- Gratuities (cash only)
- Electronic payments of your onboard expenses (cash only)
For your comfort, we rent out electric bikes at € 30,- each per day, reservations in advance are advisable.
The Cancellation policy also applies to pre-booked and reserved use of e-bike or any other extra requested services.
The general terms and conditions of Merlijn de magie van water B.V. apply to all bookings, offers and agreements. Please find them on our website under ‘Terms & Conditions’.
Merlijn complies the General Data Protection Regulation to protect your privacy. Please find them on our website under ‘Privacy statement’.
We reserve the right to modify schedule and/or program. If (part of) the route is not navigable due to weather conditions and/or other nautical reasons and/or is closed off due to circumstances and/or for safety reasons, the operator and/or the captain has the right to change the schedule. This includes changing the location of departure and/or arrival and temporarily suspending departure. Nautical and/or meteorological reasons are understood to mean, among others, weather conditions, the tide, obstruction of waterways/shipping lanes, and the condition of the ship. Closed off due to circumstances and/or safety reasons are understood to mean, among others, terrorism, diseases, natural disasters. Changes in schedule and/or program do not give the customer the right on free cancellation.