From the Bicycle Museum to the City of the Nibelungs
On this scenic long-distance bike path, you travel along the Danube from a small, quiet town called Ardagger to the city of Melk, the western gateway to the Wachau. In the picturesque Danube Valley, you pass through the towns of Hössgang, Ybbs an der Donau, Krummnussbaum and Pöchlarn, among others, before arriving in Melk, your destination.
power plant, which is open to visitors
Ardagger is one of the main towns in the Mostviertel. If you are an art enthusiast, you will want to visit the church of the former monastery, which has the oldest figural glass painting in Austria, the “Margaretenfenster” made in the 13th c. If you prefer sports you have a choice of many watersports and the recreational offerings at the Donauwellenpark (=Danube wave park) right along the bike path (beach volleyball, wall climbing, etc.)
Then you proceed through the scenic Strudengau. This narrow section of the Danube Valley is lined with high and densely wooded hills. Every now and then you find inviting sandy beaches along the river and little towns such as Hössgang and Freyenstein to add variety to your journey.
Soon after the Ybbs-Persenbeug power plant, which is open to visitors (guided tours with advanced reservation only) you reach Ybbs, a small city with a fascinating bicycle museum. It documents all the favorite two-wheelers, from the wooden draisine to the Waffenrad, an Austrian bicycle from the final decades of the Austrian Empire. The Renaissance burgher houses in the historical center are enchanting, as is St. Lorenz’s Church with its impressive reticulated vaulting and an organ that Mozart himself signed during a visit to this city in 1767.
After passing the towns Sarling, Säusenstein and Krummnussbaum you arrive at Pöchlarn, City of the Nibelung. Its sights include the birthplace of the painter Oskar Kokoschka (exhibitions) and a carpentry museum. The Nibelung memorial reminds visitors that this ancient epic was also set in Pöchlarn and along the Danube itself. 45 short minutes later you reach Melk, the western gateway to the Wachau.
