Danube Cycle Path (Germany) - Donau-Radweg (Deutschland)

The German section of the Danube cycle path is approx. 560 km long. You can easily spend a week here. The many cultural treasures on the route are particularly inviting to visit.

The Danube Cycle Path is enjoying increasing popularity. Already in 3rd place in the ADFC (popularity) in 2012, in the sales of cycling maps for a long time at the top, topped only by the Austrian section.

Route profile

Cycle route signage in Faimingen
More standard-compliant arrow signs
  • Length: approx. 560 km
  • Signposting: - plentiful, but not always clear, changing in style and arrangement. Alternative routes are not marked as such.
  • Slopes: In the Donaueschingen - Ulm area there are occasional larger hills. From Ulm, the path is largely flat
  • Path condition: changing
  • Traffic load: - country roads are also used
  • Suitable bike: - Touring bike with 7 gears
  • Family suitability:
  • Inline suitability:

background

Danube-Origin

According to general opinion, the Danube arises from the confluence of the Brigach and Breg rivers a little east of Donaueschingen. A well-known motto is: Brigach and Breg bring the Danube to the river. The Danube therefore has no single source, but two source rivers, which is nothing unusual for large rivers. According to other views, however, the source of the Danube stream in Donaueschingen or the source of the Breg at the Martinskapelle near Furtwangen are also referred to as the source of the Danube.

The Danube flows 2840 km down to the Black Sea.

alternative

The also runs in the Danube valley Via Danubia. The ancient Romans often used a different route, which can be integrated into a tour, especially if you want to use the Danube Cycle Path for regional tours.

preparation

getting there

Public transportation

Donaueschingen station on the Black Forest Railway Offenburg - Villingen-Schwenningen - Constancy and branch of the Höllentalbahn to Freiburg in Breisgau and after Bräunlingen.

By bicycle

Route description with sights

Corner points of the route in Baden-Wuerttemberg

Donaueschingen - Tuttlingen: 36 km

  • Donaueschingen Km: 0 ↔ 16 km ↔
  • Pfohren - Entenburg hunting lodge, an old moated castle
  • → Wartenberg Castle on the 821 high Wartenberg near Geisingen
  • Geisingen Km: 16 ↔ 8 km ↔
  • Immendingen Km 24 ↔ 6 km ↔
  • Danube infiltration
  • Möhringen · Km: 30 km ↔ 7 km ↔ - Museum in the town hall, steam locomotive museum
  • Tuttlingen Km: 37 ↔ 9 km ↔ - Ev. City church, town hall, Tuttlinger Haus museum, Fruchtkasten Museum, TuWass leisure and thermal baths

Tuttlingen - Sigmaringen: 55 km

View from the button maker rock in the Swabian Alb into the Danube valley

Upper Danube Valley
This section is rich in natural beauties:

From here the valley is narrowed by rocks and there are some inclines to overcome. For this you will be rewarded by what is probably the most beautiful German section of the Danube.
  • → Bronnen Castle
  • → Button makers rock
  • → St. Mary's Grotto
  • Beuron Km: 76 - Benedictine Abbey of Beuron ↔ 19 km ↔
  • → Wildenstein Castle
  • Oak rocks
  • Hausen
  • Shovel rocks
  • → Falkenstein ruins
  • Gutenstein - Castle, Gutenstein ruins
  • Ruin Broken Gutenstein
  • Inzigkofen - Inzigkofer Park, former Inzigkofen monastery, former monastery church, show herb garden, farm museum
  • Sigmaringen Km: 95 - lock Sigmaringen, Mattes Zündapp Museum

Sigmaringen - Ehingen: 68 km

Ehingen - Ulm: 32 km

  • Erbach (Danube) · Km: 182 ↔? km ↔
  • Ulm · Km: 195 - historic old town with fishing district and the imposing cathedral

Variant: Ehingen - Blaubeuren - Ulm: 38.5 km

Corner points of the route in Bavaria

Ulm - Donauwörth: 92 km

North (left) of the Danube on the Ulm side, with a later temporary change to the Neu-Ulm side, it goes to Thalfingen.

  • New Ulm · Km: 191 - The Bavarian side of the twin city · Magnificent view from the banks of the Danube to Ulm's old town and cathedral, Edwin Scharff Museum
  • Thalfingen · Km: 199 - You continue on roads to Ober- and Unterelchingen and then on farm and meadow paths to Leipheim.
  • Elchingen - Former Benedictine monastery church (three-aisled pillar basilica with baroque furnishings
  • Leipheim · Km: 212 - Continue on the northern side of the Danube through Auenwege to Günzburg.
  • Gunzburg · Km: 220 - old town with medieval town fortifications, market square with magnificent town houses and Frauenkirche, castle and amusement park Legoland
  • → Offingen · Km: 227
  • Gundelfingen on the Danube Km: 235
  • District Faimingen von Lauingen - important excavation of the Roman temple complex of Apollo Grannus
  • Lauingen (Danube) Km: 240
  • Dillingen on the Danube · Km: 246
  • Höchstädt on the Danube · Km: 253 - Castle
  • Blind home · Km: 258
  • Gremheim · Km: 261 - At the beginning of the village: Change to the right side of the Danube.
  • Rescue · Km: 274
  • Donauwörth · Km: 282 - Doll Museum

Donauwörth - Ingolstadt: 62 km

Neuburg on the Danube
  • District of Zirgesheim km: 282
  • Altisheim · Km: 288 - steep ascent
  • Leitheim · Km: 289 - Castle
  • Graisbach · Km: 291 - steeply downhill to Graisbach.
  • Marxheim Km: 294
    • "Lech-Donau-Winkel" (Mouth of the Lech)
  • Bertoldsheim · Km: 300 - Stay down on the bypass road!
  • Rennertshofen · Km: 303 - From here there is a good cross connection to the north through the Urdonautal Dollnstein to the Altmühltal cycle path.
  • Riedensheim · Km: 308
  • Neuburg on the Danube · Km: 315 - Historic old town with castle
  • Soft ring · Km: 328 - mostly on a gravel causeway to
  • Ingolstadt · Km: 341
→ Connection to the Schambachtalbahn cycle path (largely a railway cycle path) after Riedenburg at the Altmühl. If you wanted to branch off to Altmühl anyway, you have a shorter alternative with a better quality route here. You can also avoid the not so attractive section Kelheim - Riedenburg.

Ingolstadt - Regensburg: 85 km

Regensburg - city panorama with the stone bridge

Regensburg - Deggendorf: 92 km

Looking up from the Danube Cycle Path to the Walhalla
View from the Danube Cycle Path to Wörth Castle on the Danube

The route now runs on the left bank.

  • Teggernheim Km: 434
  • Donaustauf · Km: 437
  • Brook on the Danube km: 44
  • Kiefenholz (district of Wörth) km: 449
  • Wörth on the Danube - Lock
  • Unterzeitldorn (district of Straubing) km: 476 → Change to the southern side of the Danube
  • Straubing - historical old city
  • Hornsdorf (district of Straubing) km: 483
  • arc · Km: 491 - pilgrimage church
→ Connection to the Danube-Regen cycle path

Deggendorf - Passau: 57 km

→ Connection to the Danube-Ilz cycle path to Hengersberg, Tittling and Kalteneck
  • Winemaker · Km: 540
  • → Hofkirchen
  • Vilshofen on the Danube Km: 555
  • Windorf · Km: 559
  • Schalding km: 569
  • Maierhof (district of Passau) → Change to the southern bank of the Danube
  • Passau · Km: 578 - well-known three-river city with numerous sights
Passau: the three-rivers corner of the Danube, Inn and Ilz

Note: If you are familiar with the route, remove the heading "Corner points of the route" and replace this section with a detailed route description with stages. The subdivisions selected here in the list of places can like to be changed. It is best to simply work the place names into the stages. You can find instructions on how to do this here .

An example of a fully developed cycle route with stages is here to find.

trips

References to literature and maps

For the entire route there is the Esterbauer publishing house Bike guides in the well-known "Bikeline series":

  • Danube Cycle Path Volume 1: German Danube
  • Danube Cycle Path Volumes 2 to 4: Passau - Black Sea

Web links

Usable articleThis is a useful article. There are still some places where information is missing. If you have something to add be brave and complete them.