Hiking holidays on the Danube Trail 2025

Hiking tours on the Danube Trail

The Danube Trail, incredibly moving.

For many years, the Donausteig has been offering hikers extraordinary insights and views of the varied and captivating landscapes along the Danube under the motto ‘simply fabulous’.
The Donausteig long-distance hiking trail runs along both banks of the river for 450 kilometres from Passau via Linz to Grein. Along the way, you will encounter wondrous legendary figures, impressive landscapes and unique cultural treasures on this hiking tour in Austria. 

The Donausteig - simply legendary hiking tours in Upper Austria

Coming from the historic three-river city of Passau, the Danube first winds its way through the wooded ridges of the Donauengtal valley. The hiking tour along the Donausteig starts in the Bavarian border town.

The Schlögener Schlinge - famous & infamous

The highlight of this section of the Donausteig is the Danube Loop in Schlögen. Over millions of years, the river has not managed to excavate the hard rock. It therefore had to change direction twice: This resulted in a double river meander - today's Danube Loop. Hikers have the best view of this natural spectacle from the Schlögener Blick. Short and steep with fabulous panoramic views is the best way to describe this hiking tour in Upper Austria.

Leisurely through fertile farmland in Austria

As soon as the ridges of the Upper Danube Valley clear, the fertile plain of the Eferding Basin, the vegetable garden of Upper Austria, follows. Between the Mühlviertel and the massive ridge of the Kürnberg Forest, the second longest river in Europe makes its way to the provincial capital of Linz and on into the alluvial forests around the confluences of the Enns and Traun rivers. The Machland region in the north of the Danube is once again fertile flatland before the Danube Trail flows into the romantic Strudengau region just before the small town of Grein.

Refreshing hiking tours along the Donausteig

There are numerous gorges and ravines along the Donausteig - perfect for cooling off in hot temperatures. Well signposted hiking trails lead through the Klamschlucht gorge, the Stillensteinklamm gorge and the Wolfsschlucht gorge in the lower Mühlviertel.