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The Donausteig is a backpack trail that can be found in parts of Bavaria and Austria. Since Summer 2010, the trail has been led on both banks of the Danube, from Passau via Linz up to St.Nikola, with a final short walk to Grein.

Description
The trail is a non-alpine long-distance trail in Austria, which has a length of around 450 km with 23 stages, extending through 5 bavarian and 40 austrian municipalities. To a large extent, the Donausteig runs through very picturesque areas and leads to some wonderful places to appreciate the landscape and surrounding areas.

In addition to the main routes, 41 official Donausteig routes have been marked. 135 start, rest and viewing areas have been set up along the trail, and 4000 trail markers have been set up. In Passau, the route connects to the Golden Trail, which was opened in 2007. Alongside the Danube Cycle Path, the ‘Boat Trip along the Danube’ and ‘Culture on the Danube’. The Donausteig is another project from the Danube Tourist Board of Upper Austria, with its 37 member municipalities, that has partly funded by the public purse (EU, Country, Municipality).

Areas of outstanding natural beauty
The Donausteig leads through the Natura 2000 and Habitats Directive-protected areas Oberes Donau- und Aschachtal with their picturesque hillsides and ravines, the bird sanctuary Oberes Donautal, the FFH- and bird sanctuary Traun–Donau-Auen, the planned Natura 2000 and Northern Machland area, the nature protection areas Donauleiten in Bavaria und Pesenbachtal, Rannatal, the Tal des Kleinen Kößlbaches and Castel Neuhaus. The Strudengau with the Stillensteinklamm und the Wolfschlucht near Bad Kreuzen, the Floodplains of the Northern Machland, the Klamschlucht, the Pesenbachtal, the Obere Donautal Oberösterreichs with the Schlögener Schlinge, the Rannatal und the Tal des Kleinen Kößlbachs are just a few of the incredible experiences of nature that Bavaria and Upper Austria have to offer.