TheDonausteig is a hiking trail that passes through parts ofBavaria andAustria. Since the summer of 2010, the trail follows both banks of theDanube, fromPassau viaLinz up to St. Nikola andGrein.
The Donausteig trail is a non-alpine,long-distance trail. It has a length of around 450 km, with 23 stages, and it extends through 5 Bavarian and 40Austrian municipalities. TheDonausteig runs mostly through natural landscapes, and includes popular scenic spots and viewing areas.[1]
In addition to the main routes, 41 official Donausteig routes have been marked; 135 start, rest and viewing areas have been set up along the trail; and 4000 trail markers have been set up. In Passau, the route connects to the "Golden Trail", which was opened in 2007.[1]
As well as theDanube Cycle Path, the ‘Boat Trip along the Danube’ and ‘Culture on the Danube’, the Donausteig is a project created by the Danube Tourist Board ofUpper Austria, with its 37 member municipalities. It was partly funded by the public purse (EU, Country, Municipality).[2]
The Donausteig leads through theNatura 2000 andHabitats Directive-protected areasOberes Donau- und Aschachtal, where the landscape is characterized by hillside and ravine forests. It also runs through the bird sanctuaryOberes Donautal; the FFH- and the bird sanctuaryTraun–Donau-Auen; the planned Natura 2000 and Northern Machland area; the nature protection areasDonauleiten in Bavaria undPesenbachtal;Rannatal, theTal des Kleinen Kößlbaches, andCastle Neuhaus.
Among the points of interest along the trail are theStrudengau with theStillensteinklamm, theWolfschlucht nearBad Kreuzen, theFloodplains of the Northern Machland, theKlamschlucht, thePesenbachtal, theObere Donautal Oberösterreichs with theSchlögener Schlinge, theRannatal and theTal des Kleinen Kößlbachs.[2]
TheDonausteig trail runs along the Danube River, starting in Passau and passing throughLinz, the former European Capital of Culture, to Grein, an Upper Austrian town with an altitude of 218 meters above sea level, the lowest in the region.
In several day-long sections, hiking enthusiasts can walk along theDonausteig’s 450 kilometers-long track. Starting in Passau and passing the chapelMaria am Walde, one arrives atFreinberg, from where one can enjoy theDreiflüsseblick, an elevated view of the surrounding area. From there, the path leads through the nature reserve calledKleines Kößlbachtal, past theDonauleiten and towardsVichtenstein. TheDonausteig then leads right alongside the Danube toWesenufer. From there it continues to theVier-Viertel-Blick and theSchlögener Blick, offering a great view of the boldest natural highlight of the Donausteig: theSchlögener Schlinge. FromAschach, the hiking trail then leads up to the castle ruinBurgruine Schaunberg, toEferding andWilhering. From there one has the possibility to cross the Danube on a ferry toOttensheim.
The next section of theDonausteig trail contains several highlights such as thePöstlingberg, which has one of the steepest adhesion railways in all over Europe: thePöstlingbergbahn. The next big stop along the trail is Linz, which offers interesting sightseeing spots such as its historic old town, the new and old dome, the baroqueLinzer Hauptplatz (town square), theArs Electronica Center, theLentos Art Museum, the Castle Museum Linz, the city museum Nordico, theBrucknerhaus, the Linz State Theatre and theVoestalpine Stahlwelt.
Starting in Linz, one can follow the gravel paths leading through the cultural landscape toRohrbach, St. Florian and eventuallyEnns. Taking the ferry from Enghagen, one can reachMauthausen and hike through the flat landscape along field paths on toPerg. From the town's central square theDonausteig continues toBaumgartenberg, toSaxen via theBurg Clam and theKlamschlucht, and eventually toGrein via theGobelwarte. The final legs of the trail lead the hiker via St. Nikola and Sarmingstein toWaldhausen and finally back to Grein viaBad Kreuzen.
The 41Donausteigrunden were created for frequent hikers. They branch off from the main route of theDonausteig and lead into the more remote countryside and to numerous viewing points.
The starting point for theBauern- und Holzknechtrunde (farmers and woodcutters tour) is the ferry terminal atWilhering. From the main road, in direction of Linz, the circular trail runs through the center of the town and onto a field path. From a little hill a beautiful view acrossOttensheim and Wilhering can be enjoyed. The trail continues from there uphill through the Kürnberger forest and then downhill again on a wooden natural trail to the settlement of Mühlbach. Over plain fields and small hills the trail leads back to the Danube. At the Ottensheim-Wilhering power station, the circular trail reconnects with theDonausteigand leads back to Wilhering.
Starting point is the information boardDonaussteig/Urfahrmarkt, adjacent to theArs Electronica Center. From here a direct view down Linz's cultural mile can be enjoyed, with theLentos Art Museum, theBrucknerhaus and the Linz Castle. The trail then leads alongside the Danube to the new town hall, before arriving at the streetObere Donaustraße. Subsequently, the trail crosses the path of thePöstlingbergbahn, the steepest adhesion railway in Europe. Turning left, the path continues along theSchablederweg, which runs alongside the tracks of thePöstlingbergbahn for the most part. Not far from here, the zooLinzer Tiergarten welcomes animal lovers.The trail continues all the way up to the 537 meter highPöstlingberg, which is also dubbedAcropolis of Linz. The Linzer Grottenbahn fairy-talegrotto, the baroqueWallfahrtsbasilika and the rose garden are further points of interest along the way. TheGrottenbahn runs through a colourful fairytale world with scenes from famous fairytales on display. In the lower part of the fortification tower, one can find a miniature model of what the town's main square looked like in 1900. The panorama terraceSieben Schmerzen Mariä offers a grand view of Linz.Via a steep path the Collegium Petrinum, an episcopal high school that was founded at the end of the 19th century, can be reached. From there the trail leads back to the information board at the Ars Electronica Center. After the hike, it seems legitimate to explore the nearby old town of Linz, which is easily accessible via theNibelungenbrücke bridge.
Out of the 45 municipalities that can be found on theDanube trail, five are in Bavaria (Germany) and 40 are in Upper Austria.
The trail runs through a total of seven upper Austrian ‘leader regions’ (from West to East):Sauwald, Donau-Böhmerwald, Hausruck Nord,Eferding, Urfahr-West,Linz-Land andStrudengau.
A description of the trail routes which start in the respective municipality is given in brackets.[3]