Niederranna to Linz

After yesterday’s drizzle it was a relief to see the sun rise on an almost cloudless sky. The Austrian air was clear and sweet as we rode out of Niederranna and onto Schlogen. This region is one of the most famous regions of the entire Danube as this is where the river makes several, almost complete changes of direction as it makes its way through the Bohemian Highlands. Here we left the bikes and completed a steep walk up to the Schlogen Blick which rewards your walking effort with a spectacular panoramic view over the sweeping river far below. We sat here for some time, just soaking up the scene and watching some huge barges make their way aroud the tight bends in the river.

Back down at Schlogen we ejoyed a lovely morning tea by the river before remounting and continuing along the south bank. The trail stayed very close to the river and was shaded by a canopy of lovely forest trees. As we looked across to the far side of the river we passed a succession of beautiful “chocolate box” houses and small villages. This was truly the type of experience we had come so far to enjoy.

Anoter 30 km later we stopped at the town of Aschach for lunch.With the sun still shining brightly we sat down at an outside restaurant to eat and doner (local delicacy) and watch more large river cruisers make their way down towards Vienna. The final 32km of the ride followed close by the river bank and took us to Linz. This is the second largest city in Austria and (less well known) as the birthplace of Adolf Hitler.

Linz is a cosmopolitan city with a number of beautiful old buildings and churches. We arrived at about 4 pm and had a few hours before dinner to do a little exploring.