The Thaya Tour
Cycle along former railway lines in Thayland.
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Thaya Tour cycle route©
On the 111km Thaya Tour, cyclists will explore Waldviertel while riding along a path made up of former railway lines some of the way. The route, which crosses the border between Austria and the Czech Republic, passes a number of interesting sites such as Raabs Castle. And whole families including grandparents and children can enjoy the relaxed cycle with or without electric bicycles – because tired calves will soon recover with a refreshing dip in the river.
The lines formerly used by the Thaya Valley Railway (Waidhofen-Slavonice) and the Göpfritz-Raabs Railway form part of the route, and it is thanks to the old steam engines that used to run along the lines that the path is flat today. As they weren’t able to negotiate any major inclines, the engineers constructing the railways levelled the land required for the lines. This is what makes cycling on the Thaya Tour as easy as child’s play.
A cyclist’s paradise for families
Roads with very little traffic take pleasure-seeking cyclists from one railway line to the other. The Thaya Tour is easy to get to by train from Vienna and very well connected. In addition, it provides cyclists with a good opportunity to get a taste of the Kamp-Thaya-March Cycle Route and the Iron Curtain Trail (EuroVelo 13), which are both top bike routes. There is plenty to see on the Thaya Tour, be it the old the railway relics (the stone signposts that tell you how many kilometres you’ve ridden), the wild fruit hedges, which tempt you to stop and sample their produce, or the large bridges, which offer a view of the tranquil River Thaya. In the summer, the many bathing places and swimming spots in the river are great places to cool off.
The route also includes a taste of one of Austria’s neighbours and the opportunity to explore the renaissance town of Slavonice and the old summer holiday resort of Písečné. Písečné is home to a Jewish cemetery that is well worth seeing. The numerous palaces, monasteries, convents,, castles and ruins in the Thaya Valley are also good places to visit and linger.
