EuroVelo 13 runs along the Austrian border with the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary, where the contemporary history of the East-West division of Europe can be experienced as you cycle along the former death strip, now the “Green Belt”, which has turned the area into a habitat for rare and endangered animal and plant species. As historically interesting and naturally beautiful as the route is, the often hilly topography requires a certain level of fitness.
Arriving from the Bavarian–Czech border, the route takes in Iron Curtain sites and cultural landmarks, from the Cistercian monastery at Vyšší Brod (CZ) and Green Belt museums of Leopoldschlag and Windhaag to historic towns like Weitra, Slavonice (CZ), Austrlia's smallest town of Hardegg and Mikulov, with its castle and “Gate to Freedom” monument. Highlights include former border fortifications near Satov, the wine town of Retz with its underground cellars, the UNESCO Lednice–Valtice cultural landscape, and the wetlands of the March–Thaya floodplains. Crossing the striking Bridge of Freedom to Schloss Hof, the trail continues via Devín Castle to Bratislava, then follows the border past Andau to Lake Neusiedl, Sopron, and onward into Hungary towards Lutzmannsburg and Szentgotthard (HU).
The development of EuroVelo 13 – Iron Curtain Trail is supported by the Interreg Central Europe project ICTr-CE. In the context of the project, ECF together with project partners developed an innovative cycling product - known as Good Impact Cycling - sold by official EuroVelo 13 Booking Centres to allow cyclists to experience the Iron Curtain Trail while leaving a positive influence. Using tools such as the CARMACAL carbon footprint calculator and the Impact Measurement System, the offers estimate the environmental and social impact of the tours. The Good Impact Programme reduces these impacts by allocating funds to projects focusing on environmental, social, and economic impacts, strengthening the positive contributions of cycling tourism to the regions.
In Austria, you can find the Good Impact Cycling tours Vineyards and River Floodplains, From Granite Landscapes to Vineyards, and Mysterious Granite Worlds.
Natuurlijk Erfgoed
UNESCO-werelderfgoed
Cultureel Erfgoed
Culinaire Hoogstandjes
Maritime Heritage / The Rhine / The Meuse
Other Point of Interest
Bus station
Train station
Mobility info center
The Austrian EuroVelo website offers an online map with railway stations and Bed+Bike accommodations, tracks in GPX and KML formats for download and detailed route descriptions in German in PDF format with maps, highlights and contacts for more information. The website was created by Austria's cycling organisation Radlobby.
The official Austrian Travel Guide, the website of the Austrian National Tourist Office
Website of the ÖBB: timetables of public traffic. Tickets can be booked directly. Look at special offers.
"Radtouren in Österreich" (Cycle routes in Austria) is the national marketing cooperation for the best cycling routes in Austria. It provides information on cycle trails, accommodation and cycling maps.
[email protected] +43 (0) 316 4003
In this web portal dedicated to EuroVelo 13 – Iron Curtain Trail, you can find an interactive map and plenty of information on the relevant sites along the Slovak and Austrian sections of the route. The website is available in Slovak, English, German and Hungarian.
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On Austrian territory there are train stations along the route about every five kilometres. The combination with the many Bed+Bike accommodation establishments allows for very flexible travel, depending on the weather or personal preferences. The certified Bett+Bike accommodation establishments welcome cyclists for just one night, offer safe parking spaces and help with minor breakdowns.
This English-language brochure presents the history of various countries separated by the Iron Curtain. With supplementary overview maps and route descriptions of all stages of the Iron Curtain Trail, this brochure is the perfect travel preparation for EuroVelo 13.
A 290 kilometer long section of the "Iron Curtain Trail" leads along the border of the Burgenland in Austria and Hungary. The leaflet comprises Information on the different route sections with maps and detailed descriptions. Click on the link to download it.
This cycling guide describes EuroVelo 13 in Czechia, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia (1.760 km). The perfect tool to guide you during your journey preparation and on the road: precise and very informative maps at a scale of 1:85,000, elevation and distance profiles, GPS tracks, accommodation and service directory, LiveUpdate, handlebar bag format, and spiral-bound. Also available in German.
