Austria · Schlogen Find a hotel
🌐 EN ▾
עבריתEnglishРусскийEspañolFrançaisDeutsch

Schlogen: what to see, where to stay and how to get around

Now in Schlogen--:--:--
·
--°

Schlögen is a hamlet of a hotel, an inn and a campsite, and it exists because of one bend in the river. The Danube cuts here through the hard granite of the Bohemian Massif, and unable to wear it away, it swings almost all the way round a spur of rock. The Romans already kept a post at this bend. This walk climbs to the famous view, comes down to the water and crosses by ferry to the inside of the loop; about three hours, with one steep climb, and the ferries run only in the season.

The ten best sights in Schlogen

  1. 1
    Schlögen Loop

    The Danube turns back on itself around a granite spur; the reason anyone stops here

  2. 2
    Schlögener Blick

    The famous view from above; a steep forest path from the hamlet

  3. 3
    Roman bath of Schlögen

    Low walls of a Roman bath under a shelter by the hotel; five minutes

  4. Schlögen riverside area
    4
    Schlögen riverside area

    Campsite and lawns on the water; the evening place to sit

  5. Haichenbach ruin
    5
    Haichenbach ruin

    Ruined castle on the spur inside the loop, reached on foot from the ferry

  6. Schopper and Fisher Museum
    6
    Schopper and Fisher Museum

    Wooden boat building in Aschach; a short stop on the ride east

  7. Engelszell Abbey
    7
    Engelszell Abbey

    Austria's only Trappist abbey, 20 minutes upriver

  8. Wilhering Abbey
    8
    Wilhering Abbey

    A Cistercian abbey with a dazzling rococo church on the way to Linz

  9. Schaunberg ruin
    9
    Schaunberg ruin

    A huge castle ruin on a hill above the Eferding basin

  10. Eferding
    10
    Eferding

    Old market town with a long square, for supplies and a proper coffee

sleepntripNine conditionsA double bed and your own shower. Always.

A hotel, not a hostel. Air con, Wi-Fi, a score of 8 or more.

How we choose

What is an audio walk?

Tours in Schlogen →

A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Schlogen:

Inside the loop

Free walking tours in Schlogen

Inside the loop

Schlögen is a hamlet of a hotel, an inn and a campsite, and it exists because of one bend in the river. The Danube cuts here through the hard granite of the Bohemian Massif, and unable to wear it away, it swings almost all the way round a spur of rock. The Romans already kept a post at this bend. This walk climbs to the famous view, comes down to the water and crosses by ferry to the inside of the loop; about three hours, with one steep climb, and the ferries run only in the season.

  1. Roman bath of Schlögen · The bath belonged to a small Roman fort on the Danube frontier, the Limes, whose Danube section became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021.
  2. Schlögener Blick · From the platform the river is seen going in both directions at once, which is why the loop appears on almost every Upper Austria poster.
  3. Schlögen riverside area · The river here is broad and slow because the Aschach dam downstream holds it back for tens of kilometres.
  4. Au ferry point · There is no path along the north bank between Au and Grafenau, so a small boat carries cyclists down that stretch or straight across to Schlögen.
  5. Haichenbach ruin · The castle stood on the neck of the spur, the one point from which the whole loop could be watched.
  6. Schlögen Loop · The granite here belongs to the Bohemian Massif, one of the oldest rock bodies in Europe, and the river has kept its winding course while cutting down into it.

Downriver to Aschach

East of Schlögen the gorge runs on through forest with almost no villages, the quietest stretch of the whole cycle path. It ends at Aschach, where the river opens into a flat basin of fields and orchards. This is the ride or drive you will do tomorrow anyway, so it can also be an evening outing for supplies. About 15 km each way; the path is flat and paved.

  1. Haibach ob der Donau · Schlögen is not a village of its own but part of Haibach, a farming community up on the plateau above the gorge.
  2. Schloss Neuhaus · The castle sits on a rock high above Untermühl, placed to control the river traffic and its tolls.
  3. Aschach dam · Built in the 1960s, the dam's lock lets the big river cruisers pass; from the bank you can watch a ship being lifted or lowered.
  4. Schopper and Fisher Museum · Schopper were the builders of wooden Danube boats, named after the moss they stuffed, schoppen, into the seams to make the hulls tight.
  5. Aschach an der Donau · The old houses on the waterfront are tall and narrow, a sign of a town that lived by river trade and tolls.
  6. Schaunberg ruin · It is one of the largest castle ruins in Upper Austria; the counts of Schaunberg who built it were for a time rivals of the Habsburgs themselves.

Abbeys of the valley

Before the road and the railway, the Danube valley belonged to monks and lords who taxed the river. Two great abbeys still stand within half an hour of Schlögen, one upstream and one down, and they could hardly be more different: a silent Trappist house and a Cistercian church covered in rococo gold. Between them lies Eferding, one of the oldest towns in Austria. A day by car, about 100 km in all; check the abbey church hours before you set out.

  1. Engelszell Abbey · It is the only Trappist abbey in Austria, and its beer and liqueurs are sold in the abbey shop.
  2. Haus am Strom · The nature centre stands by the Jochenstein dam, where a rock in the river marks the border with Germany.
  3. Schloss Obernzell · Just over the German border, the prince-bishops' castle now holds a ceramics museum of the Bavarian National Museum.
  4. Eferding · Eferding appears in the Nibelungenlied: Kriemhild stops here on her journey down the Danube to marry Attila.
  5. Schaunberg ruin · From the walls the whole Eferding basin is visible, the flat farmland that is now Upper Austria's vegetable garden.
  6. Wilhering Abbey · The Cistercians have lived here since 1146, and the church rebuilt in the 18th century is counted among the finest rococo interiors in Austria.
sleepntripApartmentsA whole apartment instead of a room

For a week in one city, when you want more space than a room.

To the apartments

Getting to Schlogen and getting around

  • Neufelden station · The nearest railway, on the Mühlkreis line to Linz, a short drive up the hills
  • Au ferry point · The north-bank path stops at the loop; small cyclist ferries run from here in season
  • Aschach bus stop · Regional buses from the nearest real town, 12 km downriver

Cheap eats in Schlogen

Be honest with yourself about Schlögen: there is no shop, and food means the hotel, the inn and the ferry house. Upper Austrian inn food is solid and simple: a clear soup with dumplings, a schnitzel, roast pork with bread dumplings, and a Most, the local cider, to drink. For bread, cake or a real choice, Aschach is a quarter of an hour away.

  • Hotel Donauschlinge terrace · Coffee and strudel over the river, about €7
  • Gasthof Schlögen · Soup or a schnitzel at the inn, about €8-16
  • Zur Fährfrau · Snack by the ferry while you wait, about €5-10
  • Moser bakery, Aschach · Rolls and pastries, about €1-4 each
  • Weltzer Café Konditorei · Cake and coffee in Aschach, about €6

Museums in Schlogen

  • Roman bath of Schlögen · Small, free, five minutes from the hotel
  • Schopper and Fisher Museum · Wooden boats and fishing in Aschach
  • Engelszell Abbey · Abbey church and shop of Trappist beer
  • Wilhering Abbey · Rococo church on the road to Linz
  • Schloss Obernzell · Ceramics museum over the German border

Nature and day trips near Schlogen

  • Schlögener Blick · The classic view; go early or at sunset
  • Schlögen Loop · Walk or ride round the inside bank
  • Haichenbach ruin · Forest walk to a ruin inside the loop
  • Schaunberg ruin · Woods and a big ruin above the plain
  • Wesenufer · Quiet riverside village a short ride upstream

Things to do in Schlogen with kids

  • Schlögen riverside area · Lawns and the river edge to play by
  • Ferry ride · A short boat crossing is the highlight for small children
  • Haus am Strom · Hands-on river centre, 25 minutes upstream
  • Aschach dam lock · Watch a river ship go through

Where to eat in Schlogen

  • Hotel Donauschlinge · The main dinner choice in Schlögen; Danube fish when available
  • Gasthof Schlögen · Plain inn cooking and Most cider
  • Zur Fährfrau · Simple food on the inside of the loop; check it is open
  • Gasthaus Fischerhof, Aschach · Fish by the river in Aschach
  • Gasthof Sonne, Aschach · Austrian classics on the main street
sleepntripMy tripAll your bookings in one place

Everything you planned for the trip, kept on your phone.

To my trip

Frequently asked questions about Schlogen

What is there to see in Schlogen?

The top sights in Schlogen are Schlögen Loop, Schlögener Blick and Roman bath of Schlögen. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.

How many days do you need in Schlogen?

Three to four days are enough to see the best of Schlogen without rushing, including at least one walking tour.

Is there a free walking tour in Schlogen?

Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Schlogen, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: Inside the loop.

How do you get to Schlogen and get around?

The main ways are Neufelden station, Au ferry point and Aschach bus stop. Full details are in the transport section on this page.

Where to stay in Schlogen, and for how much?

sleepntrip shows only rooms in Schlogen that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.

Looking for a hotel in Schlogen for your dates?

Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.

All hotels in Schlogen
Plan a trip across AustriaWaltzes, lakes and Alpine peaks→