Danube Cycle Path Stage 1 North Bank: Passau - Schlögen

Passau - Ilzstadt - Erlau - Obernzell - Niederranna - Schlögen

Route description

You begin the stage directly at Passau station. To reach the Danube as quickly as possible, follow the signs "to the Danube Cycle Path" and shortly afterwards you will catch your first glimpse of your future companion. Follow the river downstream and cross the Danube over the Luitpold Bridge. Here you can already see the Ober- and Niederhaus fortress, which combines the administrative center, residence, government buildings, and fortress in one.

After crossing the Ilz Bridge, keep right and from now on always follow the marked path along the Danube. You will soon enter the Donauleiten nature reserve, whose steep slopes mark the southern edge of the Bavarian Forest. The slopes are mostly densely forested, with bizarre rock formations visible in only a few spots. Due to the steep terrain and southern exposure, the nature in this area is largely untouched and impresses with a diverse flora and fauna.

In Erlau, you cross the eponymous stream and follow the cycle path to Obernzell. Soon, on the other side of the river, the mighty Vichtenstein Castle from the 12th century comes into view, and slightly offset is the 895 m high Haugstein, considered the highest elevation in the Alpine foreland. A few kilometers downstream you pass the "Haus am Strom," whose architecture resembles the shape of a wave. With numerous water features, an exhibition, and a beer garden with regional cuisine, the house offers a welcome destination for a break. As an alternative to continuing with a view of Engelszell Abbey, there is the option to cross the Danube over the Jochenstein power plant and return to the north bank with the Engelhartszell bike ferry.

In Niederranna, with the Witti Zille rental, one of the last Zille builders can be found. Shortly after the Haichenbach ruin, the famous Schlögener Schlinge begins on the ridge, where the Danube describes a picturesque 180° curve. The stage ends with a short ferry crossing over the Danube to Schlögen or with a Donaubus ride (Au-Grafenau cross-river ferry) through the Schlögener Schlinge to Grafenau.