fertile plateau of sandy loess (fine wind-blown soil) formed from silt brought down by the Danube. The construction of extensive flood dykes in the Pannonian basin and the Iron Gates dams, constructed in the late 20th century between the two basins, have permanently changed the pattern of regular flooding. This has enabled the flood plains to be developed agriculturally. Farming on the plateau above the river terrace is typically arable, with wheat, maize, oilseed rape and sunflowers the main crops cultivated in very large farms. On the floodplain, smaller farms grow a mixture of crops, fruit and vegetables in addition to raising livestock. Traditional farming methods are followed in many areas, including local styles of haystacks in Serbia, mobile beehives pollinating the crops and extensive use of horse and carts in Romania and reed cultivation in the Danube Delta.
Mobile beehives on the back of large trucks are used to pollinate fields of rape and sunflowers in Romania
As the boundary between tectonic plates the region is subject to occasional earthquakes. Strong tremors greater than magnitude 7 occur on average every 58 years. The most recent (mag 7.4) was in 1986, while a mag 7.1 earthquake in 1977 severely damaged the Romanian town of Zimnicea (Stage 22).
Wildlife
While a number of small mammals and reptiles (including rabbits, hares, red squirrels, voles, water rats, weasels and snakes) may be seen scuttling across the track and deer glimpsed in forests, this is not a route inhabited by rare animals. European beaver, which had been hunted to extinction throughout the lower Danube during the 19th century, have been successfully reintroduced in a number of locations including the Gemenc national park (Hungary, Stage 4), Kopački rit nature reserve (Croatia, Stage 6) and River Olt (Romania, Stage 21) from where they have spread down river as far as the Danube Delta. As they are mainly nocturnal, your chances of seeing a beaver are slight, although you may spot a lodge. Wild boar are indigenous throughout the route, being particularly numerous in Kopački rit.
There is a wide range of interesting birdlife. White swans, geese and many varieties of ducks inhabit the river and its banks. Cruising above, raptors, particularly buzzards and kites, are frequently seen hunting small mammals. Birds that live by fishing include cormorants, noticeable when perched on rocks with their wings spread out to dry, and kingfishers. These exist in many locations, mostly on backwaters, perching where they can observe the water. Despite their bright blue and orange plumage they are very difficult to spot. Grey herons, on the other hand, are very visible and can often be seen standing in shallow water waiting to strike or stalking purposefully along the banks.
Perhaps the most noticeable birds are white storks. These huge birds, with a wingspan of two metres, nest mostly on man-made platforms. They feed on small mammals and reptiles, which they catch in water meadows or on short grassland. They are common throughout the route, particularly in southern Romania where many villages have what looks like avenues of stork nests balanced precariously on almost every telegraph pole.
Most villages in southern Romania have a number of stork nests, like this one in Năvodari (Stage 22)
Among a wide variety of reptiles, dice snakes are common around Kopăcki rit while wild land tortoise can be found in Romania’s Đerdap National Park (Stages 15–16).
Preparation
When to go
The route is generally cycleable from April to October. The best times are probably late spring (May–June) and early autumn (September–October) as it can be very hot during July and August when 40ºC is not uncommon on the Hungarian plain and in southern Romania.
How long will it take?
The main route has been broken into 32 stages averaging 54km per stage, although there is a wide variation in stage lengths from 30km (Stage 30) to 96km (Stage 19). A fit cyclist, cycling an average of 90km per day, could complete the route in 19 days. However, the main determinant of how long the trip will take is not the distance you can cycle in a day; rather it is the distance between accommodation options, particularly in Romania. Unless you are camping, or are sufficiently fluent in Romanian to ask around in villages for private accommodation, you will find it difficult to achieve a steady daily distance and should allow at least three weeks for the journey. Travelling at a gentler pace of 60km per day and allowing time for sightseeing, cycling from Budapest to the Black Sea would take four weeks.
What kind of cycle is suitable?
Most of the route is on asphalt surfaced roads or cycle tracks. However, there are some long stretches of cycling along unsurfaced flood dykes in Hungary and Serbia, and some of the road surfaces in Romania leave a lot to be desired although since Romania joined the EU they are improving rapidly. As a result, cycling the route as described in this guide is not recommended for narrow tyred racing cycles. There are on-road alternative routes which can be used to by-pass the rougher off-road sections. The most suitable type of cycle is either a touring cycle or a hybrid (a lightweight but strong cross between a touring cycle and a mountain bike with at least 21 gears). There is no advantage in using a mountain bike. Front suspension is beneficial as it absorbs much of the vibration. Straight handlebars, with bar-ends enabling you to vary your position regularly, are recommended. Make sure your cycle is serviced and lubricated before you start, particularly the brakes and chain.
As important as the cycle is your choice of tyres. Slick road tyres are not suitable and knobbly mountain bike tyres not necessary. What you need is something in-between with good tread and a slightly wider profile than you would use for everyday cycling at home. To reduce the chance of punctures, choose tyres with puncture resistant armouring, such as a Kevlar™ band.
A fully equipped cycle
Getting there and back
You may have reached Budapest by cycling the Danube Cycleway from Vienna or even from the river’s source in the German Black Forest. If you did you will have reached Szechenyi chain bridge in central Budapest, the start point for Stage 1 of this guide. If you are starting from Budapest, you can reach the city by rail, air, road or river. For a list of useful transportation websites, see Appendix E.
By rail
International rail services allow passengers to reach Budapest from all over Europe, often with a change in Vienna. However the frequent high-speed ÖBB (Austrian Railways) Railjet service from Munich and Vienna to Budapest has no cycle provision, so having arrived in Vienna it is necessary to take a series of local trains either via Bratislava to Budapest Keleti or via Bruck an de Leitha and Győr to Budapest Deli. The routes from these stations to the chain bridge are shown on the Budapest city map in Stage 1.
If travelling by rail from the UK, you can take your cycle on Eurostar from London St Pancras (not Ebbsfleet nor Ashford) to Paris Gare du Nord or Brussels Midi. Cycles booked in advance travel in dedicated cycle spaces in the baggage compartment of the same train as you. Bookings, which cost £30 single, can be made through Eurostar baggage (0344 822 5822). Cycles must be checked-in at St Pancras Eurostar luggage office (beside the bus drop-off point) at least 40mins before departure. Numbers are limited and if no spaces are available your cycle can be sent as registered baggage (£25). In this case it will travel on the next available train and is guaranteed to arrive within 24hrs. In practice, 80 per cent of the time it will travel on the same train as you. Currently there is no requirement to box your cycle, though this may change. For latest information, go to www.eurostar.com.
When you reach the continent, you and your bicycle are faced with a problem. Many of the most convenient long-distance services across Europe are operated by high speed trains that have either limited provision for cycles (French TGV) or no space at all (Thalys service from Paris and Brussels to Köln, and German ICE services). Trains from Paris to Strasbourg depart from Gare de l’Est, a short ride from Gare du Nord. Services on this route are operated by TGV or ICE high speed trains,