Attractive contrasts
You can see much of the Danube only at the beginning of the eighth stage. After that, the path runs through the Donau-Auen National Park, which is no less beautiful. The destination of the section is Austria's easternmost town, Hainburg. The town on the Slovak border offers many sights such as the old castle complex and the modern Lutheran church.
Vienna offers a wealth of sights. And you probably still have many impressions in your mind: for example from Schloss and Schönbrunn Zoo, from the Viennese Old Town with St. Stephen's Cathedral, Hofburg Palace, Imperial Apartments, Sisi Museum, Imperial Treasury, Spanish Riding School, Art History Museum and MuseumsQuartier, from Belvedere Palace, from the Prater with the Ferris wheel, from Art Nouveau, coffee houses and Heurigen (wine taverns).
But now nature awaits you as far as the eye can see. Because even before you have really left the city, you are already in the Donau-Auen National Park, which stretches like a green ribbon between Vienna and Bratislava. A habitat for over 800 species of higher plants, 30 mammal species, 100 breeding bird species, and about 60 fish species.
You can get a detailed explanation at Schloss Orth, a little off the cycle path. This four-towered Renaissance water castle is home to the schlossORTH National Park Center. On the castle island, you will find a dedicated floodplain experience area with an underwater observation station. Also housed in the castle is the museumORTH with an interesting local history museum.
Schloss Orth belongs to the so-called Marchfeld castles, one of which you will soon get to know – if you leave the Danube Cycle Path at Eckartsau for a detour to the castle of the same name. This attractive residence of the last Austrian imperial couple Karl and Zita now serves as a setting for films, festivals, weddings, and concerts. From April to October, you can explore the castle on guided tours, and the interactive national park exhibition "Wild Change" makes you want to take a walk in the floodplain.
At Stopfenreuth, another detour is recommended – from the floodplain forest to the Danube River, where the "Au-Terrace" platform gives you views of the river landscape (campsite, wild swimming). From here it is not far to the Danube bridge at Bad Deutsch-Altenburg, which takes you to the south bank and shortly thereafter to Hainburg.
