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Cycling in Austria is a great choice for a relaxed activity holiday. While the country may be famous for its towering Alpine peaks, it is also home to plenty of gentle terrain where roads meander along riverbanks and through idyllic countryside. You will discover a number of great routes are available through Austria and one of the most popular of them is from Passau in Lower Bavaria to the capital, Vienna. It follows the mighty River Danube, so you are guaranteed plenty of beautiful scenery as you travel through pretty villages and past fairytale castles and historic churches. In addition to relaxing rural settings, you will visit some fascinating towns and cities. Many of them retain a wonderfully old-fashioned feel and as you explore the cobbled streets, you will see centuries of history in the well-preserved local architecture. Your cycling holiday will begin across the border in Germany at the town of Passau. It benefits from a wonderful location on the banks of the Danube and you will find it is worth spending a couple of hours sightseeing before you depart. Passau's old town district is packed with Baroque buildings, including the imposing domed Cathedral of St Steven, the Veste Oberhaus fortress and the Town Hall. Your first two days on the road will set the standard for your break, as you will ride on paths through wooded valleys and reed marshes until you reach Austria's third largest city, Linz. The itinerary should allow you a day of leisure here, so you will have the opportunity to explore its many sights. Among the highlights are the Old Castle Museum, spectacular Neo-Gothic St Mary's Cathedral and the Lentos Art Gallery, where you can enjoy an impressive collection of contemporary art in an eye-catching building. While exploring the city, make sure you stop at one of the local cafes to try a slice of Linzer Torte, which is reputed to be the world's oldest cake recipe. If you are interested in modern history, you may also want to spend a couple of hours in nearby Mauthausen, where you can visit the site of a notorious Nazi concentration camp where around 200,000 people died during World War II. The next stop on most cycling holidays that call at Linz is the town of Melk, which can be reached by riding 30 miles through idyllic countryside in the Danube Valley. Like many of Austria's towns, it has lots of historic attractions. Chief among them is a vast Benedictine monastery, which is located on a clifftop overlooking the river. The abbey's eye-catching facade is matched by the magnificence of its interior, which features frescos by Paul Troger and Johann Michael Rottmayr. Spend the next day cycling through one of Austria's main wine-producing areas to the pretty town of Krems, where you will be able to visit a 13th century Dominican monastery that houses a collection of Martin Johann Schmidt paintings and an exhibition dedicated to the history of the local vineyards. A further two days of cycling through pretty scenery will take you to your final destination, Vienna. Before preparing to head home, make sure you take in a concert or production at the capital's many theatres and opera houses, and eat at one of the selection of world-class restaurants that dish up local and international cuisine. Planning to go cycling in Austria? Get in touch with Headwater Holidays for details of the best cycling holidays in Europe. The specialists in relaxed activity holidays, we have great itineraries available in some of Austria's most scenic areas.
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cycling in Austria, cycling holidays, relaxed activity holidays,
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