Cycling along the Danube
Friday, September 10 through Sunday, September 19, 2010
The Trip
Please join us, Phil Mecagni and Len Weiss, to cycle along the Danube from Passau,
Germany to Vienna, Austria. The route is among Europe's most beautiful, with stunning
river landscapes, picturesque wine villages and medieval towns, imposing castles and
monasteries, and expansive vineyards. A relaxed cycling holiday is one of the best ways
of seeing the region in all its glory. You can discover parts of the country not accessible
any other way.
The Danube Bicycle Path offers nearly carefree cycling and an ideal way to view the
region. It's downstream all the way, flat or gently rolling, passing through picturesque
towns and villages and across lush farmland. It's paved and almost traffic-free, following
an old horse path where teams of horses once struggled to tow barges upstream. Along
the way down the majestic river, you pass romantic castles, cozy villages and sprawling
vineyards.
This rich cultural environment offers an exceptional backdrop for a cycle tour that is
designed to embrace these treasures. Daily mileages are kept short enough to have time
for sightseeing and daily luggage support keeps bike weight low. We plan to cover 165
miles in 6 days of cycling (190 miles for those wishing more mileage).
After an overnight flight from the US, we’ll arrive in Vienna on Saturday, Sept 11th.
We’ll spend Saturday overcoming jet lag, exploring Vienna by foot or bike, and sampling
the local fare. On Sunday, we’ll travel by train to Passau, Germany. There, we’ll check
into our hotel, pick up our rental bikes, and explore the town. Starting Monday morning,
we begin our cycle tour along the Danube. For the next 6 days, we’ll follow the course of
the river stopping along the way to visit castles, monasteries, and enjoy the picturesque
scenery. We’ll stay each night in a medieval town beside the river. The cycle tour ends in
Vienna on Saturday, Sept 18th, where we’ll have a farewell dinner. The trip ends on
Sunday, Sept 19th, with participants either returning home or extending their holidays.
A proposed agenda and brief guide to visited sites is included below. Trip cost is
estimated at $2,000 for AMC members (non-members $2,100), and air fare is an
additional estimated $800-1,000 – see more under Trip Cost..
Accommodations
Our lodging will be mostly in tourist hotels or pensions/guesthouses with the aim of 2
persons per room (either a couple or 2 singles). WCs/showers are typically shared (down
the hall). Occasionally, when target accommodations aren’t available, rooms may need to
be shared by more than 2 people.
Food/Meals
The trip cost includes all meals from the first Saturday dinner to the last Sunday breakfast.
Breakfasts are typically provided by the hotels; coffee, tea, cereal, granola, yogurt,
rolls/bread, jam, cheese, meats and other options. Participants will prepare their lunches
for the day’s ride from either the breakfast buffet or food purchased at the local markets
and grocery stores by the leaders (participants assistance with food arrangements is very
welcome). There will be vegetarian options. Dinners will be in our hotels or local
restaurants. Alcoholic beverages are not included in the price. You will be expected to
carry your own lunches, and a share of the community lunch on the daily bike rides.
Trip Difficulty
Our intent is to make this a relaxed bike trip, where the cycle is a means to accessing the
region’s many offering. We plan for the group to mostly stay together, stopping for
photo ops, sightseeing, etc. We rate the trip as easy. The terrain along the bike path is
generally flat or gently rolling. Our daily mileages are moderate (20-35 miles), and we’d
like to maintain around a 10-12 mph pace when riding. Because the rides will be luggage
supported, each participant will only be required to carry their own trip provided
snack/lunch food, water/drinks, personal gear and repair tools.
For this trip, riders should have recently demonstrated ability to ride 35 miles averaging
10-12 mph on rolling terrain. If some participants wish to cycle increased mileages, there
are some extended routes that can be taken (see the agenda below). If even more
additional mileage is desired, we’ll try to organize a group that would cycle further
extended routes. But if your interest is first cycling, and the environs secondary, this is
not the trip for you.
Equipment
Hybrid style bikes (men’s fame, 21/24 speed, straight handles, street tires, rear rack and 1
water bottle cage) will be rented locally for the group. Patch kits, pumps, locks and some
community tools will be supplied. Participants should be able to fix a flat and make
minor adjustments. Bring your own helmet, pedals and shoes if you prefer, water bottle
and multitool. A list of basic clothing and equipment is included. The leaders may ask
participants who own appropriate specialized bike equipment to bring it along to share
with the group.
Weather
Fall is the best time to bike ride in Austria as temperatures have dropped from the
sweltering summer heat and the tourist crowds have eased. Anticipated temperatures
during the day will be approximately 60 to 80 degrees, with nights cooling to 40-50
degrees. Some rain unfortunately is likely, so participants should come prepared to ride in
the rain. Riding in a sag wagon on rainy days or sitting out a day are not options.
Trip Cost
The price of this trip is estimated at $2,200 for AMC members. The non-member price is
$2,300, but please note that a one-year AMC membership costs only $60. We have tried
to budget the trip with enough contingency for currency fluxuations, but a significant
dollar deterioration might force us to recost the trip. Air fare is not included and is
estimated at $800-1000. A deposit of $500 is required to secure your place; this will be
returned if your application is not accepted, or you withdraw before being accepted.
Another $500 is due on the acceptance of your application, and the balance is due on July
1. You may be considered to have canceled if a payment is not received on time.
Deposits and balance payments (payable to “AMC Trip – Phil Mecagni”, write Bike
Danube 2010 in the memo section.) are subject to the cancellation and refund policy
below.
The leaders will assist participants in making their flight arrangements, determining
possible options, and assuring that the group will arrive in Vienna as close to the same
time as possible.
The trip will be run on a non-profit basis. The actual trip expenses plus an AMC
contribution (20% of the expenses, excluding air transportation) will be calculated. Any
funds above that amount will be refunded to the participants.
What’s Included
All lodging, train transportation in Austria, bike rental, all restaurant and all nonrestaurant meals from dinner on the first Saturday through breakfast on the final Sunday.
What’s Not Included
Airport bus/taxi, sightseeing expenses, entry fees to museums/castles, concert fees,
personal purchases, snacks and extra food/drink purchases, and alcoholic beverages.
Leaders
Leader – Phil Mecagni is a long time member of the AMC. He has been active leader in
numerous club committees; Hiking, Cycling, Fall Leadership Training, and Cardigan
Backcountry Ski Workshops. He completed Major Excursion training in 2000. Since then,
he has led international trips to Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Canada. He has led 6
ME bike trips and has cycled in Europe on several private trips.
CoLeader – Len Weiss is also a long-time AMC member, a Boston Chapter Bike
Committee leader (and its treasurer), and ME co-leader. He has co-led an alpine and
Nordic skiing excursion to St. Moritz, Switzerland, and will be leading hiking trips in the
coming year to Glacier National Park and Patagonia Mountains. Single and tandem road
cycling are also among his interests. Len is Advanced Wilderness First Aid and CPR
certified.
Pre-Trip Meeting
Final trip participants should plan to attend a pre-trip meeting in order to go over trip
details, expectations and meet other trip participants. This meeting will be organized for
one day during the late summer. Location TBD
Personal Trip Extension
The AMC trip formally terminates on Sunday, September 19. As much as possible, the
leaders will help participants with their return flights or with their holiday extension plans.
Questionnaire
If interested in joining us, please request an application [pmecagni@hotmail.com]. This
application is also a Questionnaire to be approved by a trip leader. The leaders review
the qualifications of the applicants, and approve all participants. Primary concerns are
that prospective participants have enough biking experience to have a realistic concept of
what this trip involves, to know that they are prepared physically, have suitable gear….
and that the trip’s design will satisfy their expectations.
Trip Size and Wait List
The trip is limited to 16, including the leaders, who reserve the right to select a smaller
group. Once the trip is full, prospective participants may be accepted to a wait list. The
deposit for waitlisted participants is $500. If an accepted participant cancels, the leaders
will look first to the wait list for an additional participant. The $500 wait list deposit will
be refunded to prospective participants not offered a space on the trip.
Cancellation/Refund Policy:
Refundable amounts, if cancellation is received in writing by the dates below, are:
Date of Cancellation
Up thru June 30, 2010
July1 thru Aug15, 2010
August 16 – Sept 10, 2010
Replacement Found
$900
$700
$600
Replacement not found
$500
$300
$200
Trip Insurance:
Trip insurance is highly recommended, since job requirements, illness, accidents or a
death in the family can interfere with your travel plans. We will provide information on
how to obtain trip insurance through the AMC.
Additional Information
Phil Mecagni can be reached at pmecagni@hotmail.com, or by phone 508-435-5172.
Len Weiss can be reached at lenweiss@rch.com, or by phone 617-227-8403
.
Proposed Agenda
Friday, Sept 10
Evening flight from US.
Saturday, Sept 10
Arrive at the Vienna airport; take the bus/subway to hotel. The rest of the day is personal
time to relax, meet other participants, and/or sightsee. We’ll organize a group dinner out
at a local restaurant. For those who still have energy, there are many evening concerts to
be found.
Sunday, Sept 12
After breakfast, we’ll take the train to Passau, Germany, the City of Three Rivers, at the
confluence of the Inn, Ilz and Danube Rivers. A sightseeing tour can be organized
around the city and the cathedral, where you might hear a concert on the world’s largest
church organ. A representative of the bike tour company will meet us at our hotel to
distribute our bikes and make sure they fit. We’ll organize a group dinner out at a local
restaurant.
Monday, Sept 13: Passau – Schlögen (25 miles)
After leaving our luggage in the lobby, we climb aboard our bikes for our first day of
riding along the Danube. We’ll pass the charming town of Engelhartszell, with its unique
Trappist monastery and breathtakingly beautiful rococo church. The monastery also
makes its own brandies, which you might pick up for later consumption. After riding
through granite massifs, we enter an opulent green landscape and soon come to Schlögen,
where the Danube rounds a nearly 270-degree bend. After checking into our hotel, we
have the option to explore the hiking trails that climb up the wooded valley walls,
rewarding us with a view to the winding river.
Tuesday, Sept 14: Schlögen – Linz (30 miles)
We’ll make your first stop today in Ottensheim, a medieval market town with historic
parish church and castle, and continue along the Danube under the gaze of old castles that
look from the hilltops. At ride’s end, we’ll come to Linz, Austria's third-largest city, with
an historic market square surrounded by baroque buildings. The majestic 15th-century
Linz Citadel stands watch over the Danube. If you'd like, board Europe's steepest
mountain railway to climb the Pöstlingberg, a hill overlooking the city. The train, which
still operates with its original 19th-century cars, covers nearly 2 miles and about 825
vertical feet in 16 minutes. The view to the river is superb.
Wednesday, Sept 15: Linz – Grein (35 or 55 miles)
Those who wish to add about 20 miles to their day’s riding can ride to St. Florian, a small
Danube town dominated by its Augustine Abbey, recognized as one of the finest Baroque
buildings in Europe. Beyond its architectural splendor, St. Florian also contains the socalled “Bruckner Organ”, with its 7,386 pipes. Organist and composer Anton Bruckner
played the organ and is buried in a crypt beneath it. Behind Bruckner's tomb, more than
6,000 skeletons are stacked in neat rows. Monks have served in the abbey since 1071.
We continue past two medieval castles to the Enns River and head a few miles upstream
to Enns, the oldest city in Austria. Enns is postcard-perfect with its medieval tower and
fortifications and its Renaissance and Baroque façades.
Past Enns, a winding road overlooking the Danube ends starkly at the concentration camp
in Matthausen. From 1938 until the Allied liberation seven years later, 110,000 prisoners
died, most of hunger, disease and exhaustion from working in the adjacent quarries. The
memory of its terrors stands in tragic counterpoint to the landscape below. This is an
optional side trip and the experience is emotionally wrenching (taxi transfers and about
three hours required).
In Wallsee, we can take the time to visit the 14th-century Wallsee Castle, still in the
possession of the Hapsburgs. Past the tiny village of Adragger, we ride under the mighty
Fortress Clam. We explore the fertile farmland of the Danube Valley, with rural towns
and picturesque farms. A Danube highlight soon comes into view: the Baroque village of
Grein, with its imposing castle. With only 2,800 residents, Grein is one of Austria's
smallest towns. Due to its strategic location above rapids on the Danube, the city became
quite rich during the 16th and 17th centuries, and the wealth still shows off in elaborate
houses built around the town square.
Thursday, Sept 16: Grein - Melk (26 miles)
After Grein, the Danube starts getting narrower. The valley is tighter and craggy, where
ruins of ancient castles seem to appear at every bend in the river.
We can stop at the Persenbeug Castle, which still watches over the Danube from a stark
rock outcropping. It dates from the 9th century, although its current form is “only” 400
years old. We cross the river to Ybbs, with its recently restored old town with winding
lanes, quiet courtyards and patrician homes from the 15th and 16th centuries. Much of the
historic town wall is still intact. In Pöchlarn, the small Erlauf River enters the Danube.
We follow the Danube around a tight curve and travel a short distance to another tour
highlight: the Melk Abbey (Stift Melk). This Benedictine abbey, a magnificent Baroque
structure reconstructed between 1702 and 1736, surrounds seven courtyards and stretches
1,065 meters/feet? from end to end. We can take a tour of the abbey (plan on at least two
hours) and the adjacent English landscape garden.
Friday, Sept 17: Melk - Krems (24 miles)
Melk marks the official start of the Wachau, Austria's most famous wine-growing region.
Vineyards stretch up the sides of the valley, and wine villages lie along the river as well
as in the neighboring hills.
In Spitz, in the heart of the Wachau, we can leave the bikes and hike to the ruins of the
Hinterhaus castle and look across to the Tausendeimerberg—the Mountain of a Thousand
Buckets—where vineyards are carved into hillside terraces.
In Dürnstein, we’ll have the option to explore the medieval city and hike to the ruins of
the ancient fortress that once held Richard the Lionhearted prisoner as he returned from
the Crusades.
We soon reach Krems, and enter through its impressive Stone Gate. The 1,000-year-old
town is surrounded by vineyards and filled with historic buildings—including churches,
monasteries and fortifications. It's also a lively town with cafés, shops and bistros. We
can enjoy a walking tour of the town and a special wine-tasting dinner in a medieval wine
cellar.
Saturday, Sept 18: Krems – Vienna (50 miles, or 25 miles if you use the train)
We travel along dams, locks and trails as the valley broadens and flattens. Here the river
flows off into oxbows and meanders, and the setting often feels more like remote
wetlands (with ample wildlife) than one of the world’s mightiest rivers. In Tulln, known
as the “Flower City,” we’ll enjoy a ride along the medieval town walls and look for relics
from Roman times. We’ll pass Klosterneuburg with its imposing monastery and reach
the world city of Vienna.
Enjoy a farewell dinner in a traditional Viennese restaurant.
Sunday, Sept 19: Trip ends. Departure or extension from Vienna.
Clothing and Equipment List
AMC Bike along the Danube
September 9 –19, 2010
Trip participants are expected to furnish their own personal equipment and clothing. Keep in
mind that we’ll probably encounter a varied climate; warm days, cool nights, a mixture of sunny
and rainy days. Luggage space is limited, so pack frugally. Ideally, luggage should be in duffle
bags or backpacks, not hard suitcases. You’ll need to be able to carry your luggage a few hundred
meters and up/down stairs. The following is a list of the basics.
Riding gear list
Helmet – no one rides without one
2 pr Bike shorts
2 ss bike shirt
leg & arm warmers
1 ls bike shirt or jacket
2 pr shoes (1 ride, 1 tour)
u/w & Socks
Wind and rain gear top & bottom
Sweater and/or jacket
1 Water bottle
1-2 watertight bottles
Sun Glasses
Sun screen (30spf)
Lip balm with uv protection
Daypack & shock cord
Personal Gear
1-2 pr long pants
1-2 evening shirts
Passport
Credit/ATM Card
Personal toiletries
Spare glasses, contacts
Small day pack
Ear plugs
Camera and film, extra camera batteries
Health insurance card
Optional Bike Equipment
Pedals (and shoes if cleated)
Saddle
Multitool
Patch kit
Small pump