Passau - Vienna - Passau: MS SE-Manon

The journey begins with your individual journey to Passau, the episcopal city on the border between Bavaria and Austria. Picturesquely situated between the Inn, Ilz and Danube rivers, Passau can be easily reached from Frankfurt in around 4.5 hours by car or train. Embarkation in Passau takes place between 4 pm and 5 pm. Your floating home will depart at 7 pm and sail towards Engelhartszell, where you will arrive at around 9 pm. During the journey, you will be officially welcomed as guests of the cruise on the Danube. The evening ends with a cosy dinner.

In the morning, you can look forward to a visit to Engelszell Abbey, whose collegiate church is mainly built in rococo style. The abbey is also famous for the herbal schnapps produced here. You then cycle downstream on the former towpath along the Danube from Engelhartszell. A highlight of your day's stage is the trip on the small longitudinal ferry through the Schlögener Schlinge (approx. 6.00 euros per person). Enjoy this impressive natural spectacle, where the Danube changes direction twice by around 180 degrees and flows in the shape of an S-bend. The MS SE-Manon awaits you in Brandstatt. Enjoy the following cruise on the Danube, which takes you directly to the centre of Linz. In Linz, the bright yellow Cityexpress awaits you, offering you the best opportunity to get to know this city worth seeing.

In the early hours of the morning, the MS SE-Manon leaves Linz and takes you to Mauthausen, where your idyllic cycle tour along the Danube begins. This picturesque route takes you to Grein and offers numerous highlights for those interested in history, including the Celtic village in the market town of Mitterkirchen. You cycle through the fertile plain of Machland to your destination today, the charming town of Grein. Here you will find many charming baroque facades in the town centre and the oldest municipal theatre in Austria. Another highlight is Greinburg Castle, the oldest residential castle in Austria. As part of an optional excursion, you can marvel at the extraordinarily diverse representative rooms from the Middle Ages, Renaissance and Baroque periods.

Your holiday begins today with a cycle tour through the fascinating landscape of the "wild Strudengau". Let yourself be enchanted by the picturesque, wooded valley of the Danube, a narrow section of the river that was once feared by boatmen. Cycle along the well-maintained Danube cycle path to Melk, where the magnificent Benedictine abbey awaits you. Marvel at this impressive baroque building, which is a landmark of the Wachau and one of the most important baroque buildings in Austria. Melk Abbey is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and provides an impressive backdrop for your tour of the town. After this interesting exploration, you will disembark in Melk. During the night, the MS Prinzessin Katharina will take you on to the garden city of Tulln.

You can look forward to today's cycle tour to Vienna, which offers numerous experiences. Just outside Vienna lies Klosterneuburg Abbey, whose imposing dome can be seen from afar. This magnificent 900-year-old Baroque building is home to the "Verdun Altar", a masterpiece of medieval goldsmithing. From the wine tavern village of Kahlenbergerdorf, we recommend a short hike through the picturesque vineyards to the viewing terrace of the Kahlenberg. A breathtaking view of Vienna awaits you there. Afterwards, you can get to know the capital of Austria better on a city tour or a round trip (optional) and explore the numerous sights.

Today, the numerous sights of the Danube metropolis are on your programme: perhaps the imposing St. Stephen's Cathedral and the magnificent Hofburg, the Ringstrasse with its impressive buildings such as the Burgtheater, the State Opera House and City Hall? There are countless opportunities to discover Vienna's cultural and historical treasures. Nevertheless, take enough time to stroll through the streets or visit one of the famous Viennese cafés. At night, your ship continues its journey and takes you to Dürnstein or Rossatz in the picturesque Wachau region.

A highlight of your cycling and boat holiday on the Danube awaits you today. You cycle through a gentle hilly landscape adorned with dreamy villages, wine terraces, castles, monasteries and ruins. The blue tower of the Dürnstein collegiate church is another Wachau landmark that you will discover along the way. In Weissenkirchen, cosy wine taverns right on the cycle path invite you to enjoy a wine tasting. At the stage finish in Pöchlarn, you will once again have a marvellous view of the imposing Melk Abbey. In the evening, savour the festive farewell dinner on board the MS SE-Manon before the ship sails back towards Passau at night.

Enjoy the first rays of sunshine and the morning tranquillity of the Danube valley on deck one last time. The MS SE-Manon reaches Passau at around 10 am., where your unforgettable cycle and boat tour on the Danube ends with disembarkation.

The planned route is always subject to possible changes due to nautical, meteorological or organisational reasons. If, for example, a route cannot be travelled due to low water, high water, bad weather or construction work, the captain reserves the right to change the route for your safety. This is not a legally valid reason for cancelling the trip free of charge. The same applies in the event of officially ordered lock or bridge repairs or in the event of engine or propulsion damage to the ship through no fault of the captain.

As your ship usually sails to the next harbour on the same day, your time frame for your own activities and sightseeing is limited. On some bridges, the clearance height is so low that the sun deck is closed for your safety.