Upper Danube Hiking Trail Status quo report of the hiking infrastructure in Germany and Austria

1: © Donau OÖ/Weissenbrunner

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1 2 Status Quo in Germany In Germany the organization “ARGE Deutsche Donau” is responsible for marketing in the German Danube region. The organisation has developed the offer “Hiking with and without luggage along the Danube” starting in Donaueschingen and ending in Passau. The hiking path is 666 km long and consists of 31 stages starting in Donaueschingen (where the Danube has its spring) and ending in Passau. The trail is neither signed nor marked explicitly, but there are detailed maps, route descriptions and GPS-data, which can be used for orientation. (http://www.deutsche-donau.de/Karte-der-Donau). 2: Hiking along the Danube with/without luggage, ARGE Deutsche Donau

The Eastern-Bavarian tourist board in cooperation with the rural districts between Kelheim and Passau is currently working on a project for continuously marking the 175 km long trail between Kelheim and Passau(should be finished in 2014). Aims of this project are to connect the cultural and natural highlights along the Danube between Kelheim and Passau. Additional loop tours might be established as well. With this project the region of Eastern Bavaria will be accessible and attractive for hiking tourists (which it hasn’t been before). Furthermore it is possible to connect the hiking trail along the Danube with the well-known and well-established Goldsteig via loop tours. A connection to the Donausteig (Passau – Grein) will be possible in Passau. Planned measures: • Find appropriate routes for the hiking track, involve all rural districts and municipalities, analyse the infrastructure of the chosen routes, involve accommodations/gastronomes along the route, determine positions for signposts, etc. • Marking of the route. • Position signposts along the route. • Improvement of the infrastructure (resting places, etc.) • Involve accommodations and gastronomes (Wanderbares Deutschland…) • Geo-referenced capture and display of the routes. Marketing measures: • brochures, information material,… • maps, guide books, etc. • Websites, smartphones, etc. • Public relations & press work • Establishment of a professional distribution network. • Development of offers and packages.

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3 Status Quo in Austria The hiking infrastructure in Austria is of high quality and very long parts along the Danube are well developed for hiking tours. Two organisations – WGD Tourismus GmbH and Donau Niederösterreich Tourismus GmbH – are responsible for the marketing in the Austrian Danube region and have – after the great success of the Danube cycle path – initiated and developed hiking paths along the Danube. The hiking areas in Austria are easily accessible by public transport (mostly by bus). Hiking tours can be combined with a river cruise on the Danube or a train ride. As Welterbesteig and Donausteig only started in 2010 there aren’t any long-time statistics and evaluations concerning hikers available yet. 3.1

Donausteig in Upper Austria In Upper Austria there is the Donausteig, which mostly runs on both shores of the river. On the Northern shore it starts in the Bavarian city Passau, leading via Linz to the Strudengau region and ending in St. Nikola. On the Southern shore the Donausteig runs from Passau via Linz to Enns. The whole path is divided to 23 stages. On 41 loop-tours it is possible to leave the main trail and discover the surroundings of the Danube region. On the Donausteig hikers find standardized markings, signposts and resting places with consistent Donausteig furniture and information boards. Qualified accommodation facilities and hosts provide tailor-made amenities for hikers (www.donausteig.com).

3: Signposts at Donausteig

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Welterbesteig Wachau in Lower Austria

4: Resting spot at Donausteig

Along both shores of the Danube in Lower Austria between Melk and Krems runs the WelterbesteigWachau which is 180 km long. Standardized markings and signposts allow hiking experiences in both directions on 14 stages. A hiking tour along the WelterbesteigWachau can easily be combined with a tour on the Jauerling-loop (the Jauerling with its 960 m is the highest mountain along the Danube).(www.welterbesteig.at).

5: Way-mark,

Welterbesteig Wachau 6: Welterbesteig Wachau –© Robert Herbst

3.3 Austrian Way of Saint James As the Austrian Way of Saint James pilgrim route is located near the Danube in Upper and Lower Austria it could be used as connection between Donausteig and WelterbesteigWachau. Starting in Wolfsthal it runs via Vienna, Krems, Melk in Lower Austria, continuing in Upper Austria near Enns and leaving the Danube region in Wilhering after crossing Linz. As there isn’t any organisation/institution responsible for the infrastructure, renewing signpost and markings, etc… Donau Niederösterreich Tourismus GmbH has developed parts of the Way of Saint James in Lower Austria: from Göttweig near Krems to Melk and from Wolfsthal to Vienna. In Upper Austria the Way of Saint James touches the Donausteig on the Southern shore of the Danube after crossing the bridge in Mauthausen and runs to Ybbs in the south (www.jakobswege-a.eu). But as the Way of Saint James is only marked in one way (upstream) it is definitely not an ideal option for linking the Austrian trails.

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7: Signposts at Way of Saint James

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Nibelungengau&Mostviertel (Lower Austria) In November 2011 Danube NÖ GmbH started a project for developing hiking paths in Nibelungen area (Nibelungengau) from Sarmingstein (Upper Austria) to Emmersdorf (Lower Austria) in the north and from Ybbs to Melk in the south. Main target in Austria is to develop a continuous hiking path along the Danube and to guarantee a consistent quality in way-marking/signposting and infrastructure. In 2012 steps for developing the continuous trail along the Danube (Nibelungengau and Mostviertel)were made in Lower Austria. Donau Niederösterreich Tourismus GmbH is already working on a project on behalf of the ARGE Nibelungengau concerning the development of a hiking path in the Nibelungengau and the realization of differently themed loop tours in the whole region. Following municipalities are involved: • Artstetten-Pöbring • Erlauf • Kl. Pöchlarn • Krummnußbaum • Leiben • Marbach/Donau • Maria Taferl • Persenbeug-Gottsdorf • Pöchlarn • Ybbs/Donau The hiking trail in Nibelungengau runs through 10 municipalities along the Danube andhas connection points with the Donausteig in Upper Austria and the WelterbesteigWachau in Lower Austria. Therefor the stages between

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Sarmingstein(Upper Austria) and Persenbeug and between Leiben and Emmersdorf respectively Melk (Lower Austria) were developed. It might also be possible to expand the trail from Ybbs through the Strudengau to Grein, which would be another connection with the Donausteig on the southern shore of the Danube. This issue still has to be discussed with MostviertelTourismus GmbH. Stages of the hiking trail Nibelungengau: Sarmingstein (connection Donausteig) – Nöchling – Persenbeug Persenbeug – Marbach/Donau Marbach/Donau – Maria Taferl Maria Taferl – Artstetten Artstetten – Leiben (Lehen) Leiben (Lehen) – Kl. Pöchlarn Leiben (Lehen) – St. Georgen/Emmersdorf (connectionWelterbesteig Wachau) Kl. Pöchlarn – Pöchlarn Pöchlarn – Erlauf Erlauf – Krummnußbaum Krummnußbaum – Ybbs/Donau Ybbs/Donau – Persenbeug Loop tours: There are altogether 34 loop tours in 10 municipalities. Each municipality hast 2 to 5 different stages. At the starting point information boards with all important information concerning the hiking routes and possibilities in the surroundings of the municipality can be found. Status quo of the project: • Development and planning of the hiking route network with the region Nibelungengau. • The project has already been approved by the Federal Land of Lower Austria. • Coordination with the municipalities for the establishment of the stages. • Routing and inspection of the hiking routes. • Capture of the routes (geo-references, GPS) Further steps: • Development of stage-profiles and descriptions of the stages. • Transfer the routes (GPS-data, descriptions) to a digital mapping system (Alpstein). • Installation of the signposts. • Register the data in a GIS-sytem and route planner. • Preparation of the implementation of the routes and regional content in a new website. The BewegungsarenaNibelungengau consist of the main trail and the loop tours and is expected to be opened in Mai 2013.

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3.5 Further efforts in Austria Responsible persons of MostviertelTourismus GmbH have had talks about developing a hiking trail in Mostviertel between Enns (Upper Austria) and Ybbs (Lower Austria) but have not taken any further steps yet. The hiking trail along the Danube through Vienna has to be developed as well. A possible route could be: Kalenberg – Nussdorf – Donauinsel – Alte Donau – Lobau national park – northern shore of the Danube. The Donau Niederösterreich Tourismus GmbH already has in mind to establish a continuous hiking trail along the Danube between Krems (end of Welterbesteig) and Hainburg. First talks about this project already have been held but there are no concrete project-plans for this part of the Danube hiking trail.

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