The KTM Rivers Tours (Kamp, Thaya & March)
When I look back on the KTM bike route, I can’t help but smile. It was an adventure filled with laughter, incredible landscapes, and a fair share of lessons learned. My friend Wendi and I embarked on this seven-day tour through Austria, each of us experiencing a first—her first bike tour in Austria and my first time doing a tour with a friend.
Spending a week together, mostly in the saddle, was intense and rewarding. At times, we were lost in our thoughts, admiring the scenery; other times, we were deep in conversation, solving the world’s problems like only two women on a bike tour can. We laughed so hard at times that it made my face ache and left me desperately needing to find a toilet. It was a great experience, and I look back on it smiling.
The Ever-Changing Landscape
One of the most surprising aspects of this ride was the diversity of landscapes. I’ve cycled through Austria many times, but this route was a new experience. The Waldviertel (Forest Quarter) and the Weinviertel (Wine Quarter) were striking in their beauty. We started along the Danube in the wine town of Krems an der Donau, following the River Kamp north, winding through farmland dotted with pumpkins and potatoes. Apparently, Niederösterreich’s pumpkin seed oil rivals the famed oil from Steiermark—though my unrefined palate couldn’t tell the difference. Sorry, pumpkin oil connoisseurs!
Day 1: Trains, Rain, and a Greek Pizza Surprise
Our adventure kicked off with a train ride from Salzburg to St Pölten, where we enjoyed our lunch while crammed into a packed carriage, thankful we had reserved seats. We began our whole tour by miscommunicating and perfectly pealing off in the opposite directions from each other out of the train station. After sorting ourselves out and facing in the same direction, we headed from St Polten to Langenlois; it was a lovely, smooth path but pretty wet. We took shelter from a torrential downpour in a farm steading, setting the tone for a day of damp cycling. We encountered vineyards, a huge power plant, and a field of dead sunflowers along the way. It didn’t dampen our spirits, and we stayed in a fabulous B&B called Catalleya Haus, which offers a safe, dry place for your bikes and a welcoming host.
Dinner was an unexpected delight—a combination of pizza and Greek food served by a waiter who bore an uncanny resemblance to Liev Schreiber. We also learned that snails come out in full force after a rainstorm, so navigating the streets was tricky. Who knew?
Day 2: Green, Greener, and Cake
Langlois – Ottenstein – The morning greeted us with sunshine as we cycled through vineyards before moving into the lush greenery of Waldviertel. We stopped for coffee at Altenburg Stift, a serene monastery, and indulged in cake—because cake makes everything better. We conducted a week-long experiment on how cake consumption can affect your ebike tour, and our findings were surprising. I can confirm after extensive research that cake increases your enjoyment of an ebike tour and your overall mood. Today’s route featured rolling fields, deep forests, and an exceptionally long reservoir that tested our patience.
Battery anxiety became a theme of this tour as I miscalculated our height gains, nearly running out by the last few kilometres. Miraculously, we rolled up to a “Lower Austria Electric” charging point close to Ottenstein, which literally saved my day!
I wouldn’t rate where we stayed overnight that highly, so enough said on that. However, there are plenty of other places to choose from. Just take a look at the Waldviertel website, Waldviertel Accommodation. I would recommend eating at the Seerestaurant Ottenstein – Dinner spot. The food was good and filling after a day on the bike, but the best part was watching the sun go down over the reservoir with a cold beer!
Day 3: Cornfields, Wrong Turns, and New Shorts
Ottenstein – Waidhofen an der Thaya – (River Thaya) – We meandered through tiny farms and golden fields, chatting with locals about potato harvesting, reminiscing about the days when it was all done by hand. People love to talk about where they live and what they do. I love to learn about farming wherever I go in Europe, as I grew up on a farm in Scotland. So it was particularly nice to chat with a really lovely lady about the potatoes that she was growing and how things have changed over the years. We set off again after a good natter, but a navigational mishap took us into the woods, proving that paper maps are still worth carrying.
Wendi was battling a cold, so we needed a pharmacy stop, where we encountered the rudest pharmacist ever. After lots of discussion and questions from said rude pharmacist, we left armed with the fantastic Austrian cold remedy (NeoCitran); Wendi slept off her cold, and our spirits remained high as I treated myself to new cycling shorts after I realised mine were giving way at the seams and no one needed to see any of my anatomy not usually on show.
Day 4: Castles, Cold Coffee, and Crossing Borders
Waidhofen an der Thaya – Hardegg – The day began with pumpkin-filled fields ending in Austria’s smallest city of Hardegg. In the morning, we navigated our way through some freshly laid tarmac as the detour would have been an additional 18 km, which neither of us fancied. We were desperate for coffee and a bun, but arriving in a tiny village, we had to be content with an iced coffee and a shrink-wrapped bun from the supermarket. After shaking off the disappointment of the lack of a great cake, we continued our adventure in the sunshine.
Iron Curtain route
We bounced along beside the Czech border in the afternoon, checking out the Iron Curtain route, which is now on the “list” for me to do. I followed the wrong route again, Thaya Runde and not KTM, adding a few kilometres to our day. The path for part of today follows the old railway line, which makes for some nice smooth cycling and the ability to catch up time after my detour!
Finally, the descent into Hardegg was fantastic—maybe not fast and furious, but slow and steady. We were treated to a small village that was very picturesque, with an austere castle presiding over the area. You are on the border with the Czech Republic, and there is a blanket of all sorts of deciduous trees, which apparently are at their most amazing on October 26th, so that goes on the “list,” too.
We stayed in the Thalyablick apartments which have a lovely view over the river and the forest. Ingrid, our delightful and helpful host, provided the most fantastic breakfast, which we enjoyed on the terrace with the incredible view.
Day 5: Pumpkins, Vineyards, and Nearly Naked Wendi
Hardegg – Falkenstein – What goes down…. Well, the climb out of Hardegg was a beast first thing in the morning, even with an ebike. I was carrying 16kg in my panniers, my bike weighs 28kg, and then my own weight, which is more than it should be. My point is, it’s not easy, especially when you are trying to save battery for what was supposed to be an 85km day.
Transitioning from pumpkins to vineyards, we cycled past a surprising amount of cannabis fields. I had no idea what they were until my far more worldly-wise friend pointed out they were cannabis. It prompted me to take videos of them and send them to all my friends as if it were something new! (I live a sheltered life). A very helpful chap in a bike shop in Retz saved the day with some much-needed adjustments and oil for my chain. After that, we treated ourselves to coffee and cake to help with our experiment. Lunch was at a nice sheltered spot on a quiet side road, after which involved some wild peeing (when nature calls, it calls), and Wendi nearly got caught with her pants down, literally. The older you get, the funnier farts and wild peeing becomes.
Lost Again!
We got lost yet again (my fault again), and my battery anxiety peaked. Our 85km day turned into 108km with no battery for the last 5 km. Moving a heavy bike with panniers and my weight under those circumstances nearly resulted in a sense of humour failure. Still, thanks to Wendi’s encouragement, we made it to Falkenstein, staying in the delightful Weinhof Luckner. We were exhausted but grateful for the owner waiting around for us.
We were advised to eat at Sieben Schläfer, which was well worth it. After being fed and watered, we were so exhausted that we were in bed really early. (We really are so rock ‘n roll). Feeling refreshed and replenished after an excellent night’s sleep and a delicious breakfast. Lots of local produce and some Irish tea, which made us smile. The owner has a friend who brings some when he visits. You will never understand the delight of a proper cuppa to start your day on a bike tour until you do one yourself.
Day 6: Fairy Tales, Apples, Pears and Ice Cream
Falkenstein – Hainburg We set off on another uphill start from Falkenstein, not quite as arduous as Day 5 but still enough to leave our thighs aching. The village of Falkenstein and its surrounding area charmed us with its lovely vineyards, apple orchards, and five different varieties of pears. We dipped down into Poysbrunn, which has a very interesting and somewhat disturbing array of fairytale figures on display in the village.
Following the March River, you weave closely to the Slovakian border; there are plenty of ferry points over the river into Slovakia if you want to pick up the Iron Curtain trail. For the most part, it is flat cycling alongside the river, so you can put a lot of miles into your day.
With the Danube in sight, you cycle over the bridge into Hainburg. Yet again, I miscalculated the length of our day and my battery capacity, which ran out entirely in the centre of Hainburg, luckily right in front of an ice cream shop. So, after an ice cream the size of my face, which also served as dinner, I officially learned that my bike’s battery can handle around 20 km per bar on hilly terrain with a full load. It may have been better to know that before embarking on this tour, but lesson learned!!
Day 7: Vienna or Bust and Accidental Nudist Photography
The final stretch into Vienna followed the Velo 6 path along the Danube. Though a bit monotonous in parts, the grand arrival into the city was exhilarating. As we cycled past the Danube, I excitedly snapped photos until I realised we were in a nudist area. The locals were unbothered, but my British sensibilities were mortified. Note to the more prudish: Watch out for areas labeled “Freikörperkultur” or FKK—free body culture.
We celebrated our journey with overpriced yet delightful drinks in Stephansplatz, laughing about our ridiculous tan lines and my first sip of alcohol in two years. Finding everything funny on our natural high, with only a little of it coming from the “Hugo” we had been sipping, we headed to the Prater, an amusement park in the heart of the city. There, we watched thrill-seekers scream on terrifying rides while happily stuffed ourselves with street noodles.
Final Thoughts
This tour was more than just a cycling adventure; it was a journey of friendship, discovery, and learning (mostly about battery management, our bodily functions, the fact we find the same things funny, and sometimes our humour can be very dark). Whether it was the scenic landscapes, the unexpected encounters, or the sheer joy of being on two wheels, the KTM tour left us with memories to cherish forever.
Would I do it again? Absolutely. But next time, I’ll plan my battery usage better and maybe steer clear of nudist zones.
