From Passau to Belgrade by Bike and Boat – MS Lisabelle

Welcome to the Danube! Your journey by bike and boat starts in Passau and takes you to Belgrade over the next few days. Excited? Don't worry, embarkation in Passau takes place between 4.00 and 5.00 pm. Then it's already time to set sail! You will cross the border to Austria almost unnoticed. Enjoy the first few hours on board as you approach Engelhartszell.

Off on your bike! Before turning your back on Engelhartszell, take a short detour to Engelszell Abbey, the only Trappist monastery in Austria. Continue on to the Donauschlinge near Schlögen. From one of the lookout points you can observe the Danube turning 180 degrees quite wonderfully. Only a few kilometers away you will reach Brandstatt. Stretch your legs a bit with a stroll through the historic town center before heading to Bratislava overnight in the afternoon.

In the morning, you have the opportunity to take a bike ride along the former Iron Curtain from the impressive castle ruins in Devín to Castle Hof. The castle dates back to the 17th century and is a real eye-catcher with its seven-terraced baroque garden and outbuildings. Continue to Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. If you like, you can take part in a sightseeing train tour (not included) and get to know the beautiful old town below the castle, which can be seen from afar.

The next capital city is waiting for you! In the morning you will already catch sight of some of Budapest‘s famous buildings, which are located directly on the banks of the Danube. Upon arrival, join a city tour (not included) or explore the Hungarian metropolis on your own. Visit the Parliament building, the Fishermen‘s Bastion and the Castle Palace and enjoy typical Hungarian specialties. If you feel like biking, we recommend a bike tour to the artist town of Szentendre. Overnight the ship brings you to Baja.

From the small town of Baja, known throughout the country for its fish soup, Bajai Halászlé, you cycle along the Danube through tranquil river landscapes and past fields. Before you reach Mohács, you cross the river by ferry. The town was made famous by two important battles in the 16th and 17th centuries. The Busójárás, a carnival festival, also attracts countless visitors every year. In the early evening, you set off on your tour by bike and boat from Passau to Belgrade.

In the morning you reach Belgrade. If you like, you can take part in a city tour by bike and bus (not included). Or you can simply explore the capital of Serbia on your own. Visit Belgrade Castle, located at the confluence of the Danube and Sava rivers. Stroll through the extensive grounds and enjoy the view of the city and the rivers. Or how about a detour to the artists' quarter of Skadarlija with its small galleries and restaurants? In the late evening, the ship sets sail towards the Iron Gate.

You will spend the day on the boat today. Enjoy the passing landscapes and sit back and relax. On this stretch, the Danube cuts through the Romanian Carpathians and the foothills of the Balkan Mountains. With the Iron Gate you reach one of the most famous Danube breakthrough valleys. There is something wildly romantic about old castles and monuments, dense forests and steep gorges passing you by. So beautiful and yet so eerie - who doesn't get a shiver down their spine?

In the morning you reach Novi Sad. The Petrocaradin fortress on the right bank of the Danube is particularly worth seeing. It was the most important fortress in Europe in the 17th century. The inverted clock in the clock tower is remarkable, with the large hand indicating the hour and the small hand the minutes. Back on the bike, we cycle along the Danube and the Fruška Gora National Park to Ilok, the easternmost town in Croatia. It is a center of regional wine growing. If you like, you can take the slow train to a wine tasting (not included). In the late evening, you take the boat to Batina in Croatia.

Welcome to the border triangle of Croatia, Hungary and Serbia! From Batina, cyclea short distance from the Danube through the Duna-Dráva Nemzeti Park. The national park is home to rare plant and animal species, some of which can only be found here. Make a stop en route and visit the memorial site commemorating the momentous Battle of Mohács in 1526. In the evening, the ship leaves Mohács and heads for the small Hungarian town of Kalocsa.

Enjoy the passing landscapes until you reach Kalocsa, the capital of paprika, in the morning. Usually available in ground form, it is an ideal souvenir to take home. Kalocsa is also known for its colorful embroidery. Cycle through the seemingly endless expanses of the Puszta. Along the way, there are always opportunities to cool off in the Danube. You reach Solt at a leisurely pace. There you have the opportunity to watch a show by the Csikós, Hungarian horse herders (not included). The ship will take you towards the Danube bend overnight.

On the tour by bike and boat from Passau to Belgrade, you will reach the Danube Bend in the north of Hungary in the morning. The Danube runs here in an almost right-angled bend and squeezes through steep mountain slopes. You cycle briskly through small farming villages. You soon catch sight of the imposing dome of Esztergom Cathedral. It is one of the largest churches in the world and looks back on more than 1,000 years of history. In the afternoon, you will travel overnight by boat to Vienna.

After the eventful last few days, relaxation is on the agenda today. Enjoy the view of the natural Danube floodplains and the approaching skyline of the Austrian capital as you sail into Vienna. After arriving in Vienna, hop on your bike and explore the long Danube island in the middle of the river, take a trip to the nearby Klosterneuburg Abbey or go on a hike through the vineyards of the Kahlenberg - including a panoramic view of Vienna. In the evening, you have the opportunity to attend a waltz and operetta concert at Schönbrunn Palace (not included).

Today you can leave your bike behind in Vienna and explore the city on foot. Visit the Vienna Hofburg, St. Stephen's Cathedral or stroll through the Museum Quarter. Treat yourself to a large slice of Sacher cake and a Viennese Melange in one of the traditional coffee houses and soak up the flair of the city. However, if you do want to pedal, take part in a guided city tour by bike (not included) or spontaneously opt for a sightseeing hop-on hop-off bus tour (not included).

After leaving Vienna yesterday evening, you reach the Wachau in the early morning with the small town of Krems. The Wachau landscape is characterized by wine terraces, castles and monasteries - simply wonderful! Stop off at a wine tavern in the small town of Spitz and sample a variety of wines (not included). Following the course of the Danube, you reach Melk. You can already see the Melk Abbey from afar. The Benedictine abbey is a landmark of the Wachau and impresses with one of the most beautiful baroque ensembles in Europe. In the afternoon, your ship will make its way back to Passau.

After reaching Passau in the early morning, disembarkation takes place at around 10.30 am. Your journey by bike and boat from Passau to Belgrade then ends and you start your individual journey home.