Danube route..

[eileithyia]

...hope no one is attempting at the moment or if so hope they packed their snorkels..... Did I really hear right, rivers at their highest levels since 1954!!!! 2 months rain in 2 days, seems we are not the only ones with weather issues...

[MickTheCyclist]

and according to BBC this morning, the level at Passau is highest since 16th century!

[vjosullivan]

The same reports also mention levels of the Elbe "approaching those seen in 2002"; so like all floods, the severity varies widely from one location to another and depends heavily on local conditions.

[jamesgilbert]

I'm just hoping the floods will have subsided by the end of June!

[edwin]

I'm just hoping the floods will have subsided by the end of June!

I think the water will have gone by the end of the week. I'm quite sure that the cycle path will be cleaned till the end of June. At least in Germany and Austria. The cycle tourists mean too much money. No one will afford to have the path blocked longer than necessary.

The main drawbrack will be the damages in the cities. It will take longer untill places like Passau or Regensburg regain their sparkling beauty.

[theflyingspanner]

Very sad pictures. We toured on the Elbe and Danube a couple of years back and there were often flood markers showing where the water reached in 2002 - well over my head. Passau and Meissen are beautiful places and it's such a shame to see them spoiled again.

[wherenow]

Have persuaded my non cycling wife to do Passau - vienna in early July. Do people think path will be clear by then. Also does anybody know a website that could keep me updated on conditions along the cycle path.
Final payment for the holiday needs to be made in next couple of days and wife getting jittery

[MickTheCyclist]

Have persuaded my non cycling wife to do Passau - vienna in early July. Do people think path will be clear by then. Also does anybody know a website that could keep me updated on conditions along the cycle path.
Final payment for the holiday needs to be made in next couple of days and wife getting jittery

Yes. http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&rurl=translate.google.co.uk&tl=en&u=http://www.deutsche-donau.de/Aktuelles/Aktuelle-Hinweise&usg=ALkJrhilIl95sxFpRWE6HaaZHfZ8SKwT9w

Are you going on an organised tour? If so I would think your holiday company can advise.
I think the path should be fine by then. I would be more concerned about whether hotels and campsites are fully operational by then

[wherenow]

Thanks for the link. It is a self guided tour, with luggage movement and accommodation organised by a company. They have said everything is fine, but just want to check before final payment is made.

[MickTheCyclist]

Thanks for the link. It is a self guided tour, with luggage movement and accommodation organised by a company. They have said everything is fine, but just want to check before final payment is made.

Enjoy it. I've done exactly the same self-guided trip twice with my children. Hope the weather sorts itself out.
Oh and welcome to the forum.

[edwin]

Hi everyone,

in spite off my message further up in this thread, the water is still there. The water-level is only declining very slow and now it starts to rain again. It might take a week longer till the paths are free again.
I found two links for the Austrian part of the Danube path:
Oberösterreich
Niederösterreich
I tried switching the pages to English but it does not show the text in English and for me it is too much text to translate in detail. Maybe google translate helps.
At the moment the pages for the Austrian states say: No way!
In most parts of Bavaria, the path will be blocked, too.
In Baden-Württemberg, the situation looks much better, the path should be free except for rubble, mud and driftwood in some places.
If you have questions about the translation of details on the linked pages, feel free to ask here!

Edwin

[jamesgilbert]

Thanks Edwin, very useful information. Google translate works quite well.

[iviehoff]

2 months rain in 2 days,

To be clear, such high rainfall totals (over 200mm) were recorded in only a fairly small area mainly representing the mountainous border of the Austrian Tyrol and Bavaria, and a small area in central W Austria. However rather large rainfall totals of 100-150mm in a week were experienced over very extensive areas of S German, E Austria and SW Czech, which all feed into these river systems, and that quantity of rain over such a large area comprising the headwaters of these rivers was no doubt very significant. See http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMa ... rynum=2432

[edwin]

Hi,

The pages that I linked have been updated in the morning.
The situation in Austria is much better now. The path is being cleaned.

Update 13.06.2013: The Austrian part of Danube path is open again. There might still be some small deroutes and some of the ferries are not operating yet.
So, have fun on your trip Passau-Vienna.

I think, on the Bavarian part there are still problems between Kelheim and Passau. I don't have reliable news, but, well,...

[wherenow]

Apparently all clear south of Passau. Holiday paid for and fingers crossed