Starting in Warna, Bulgaria
After a short flight I make my bike ready and head directly for the hotel. Since I only have one day I use it to check out the beach.
Warna
Checking out the beach
Warna
The black sea
Warna
Windows view out of the hotel room
Warna
The beach
The path conditions in the first few days could be better. I fight my way to the Danube. From Silistra I stick to the official route. Cycling through a swamp isn’t what I expected for EuroVelo 6.
This doesn't look too bad
Hoping for better roads after reaching the EV6
Should I really go this way?
Well, I definitely should have taken the main road
Road conditions slowly getting better
Good that I don't have fenders
In the swamp I got eaten by Mosquitos. It took me 3 hours for 3 km. It really sucked and I already struggled with motivation after these first few days. I had the choice between cycling on big streets with trucks passing me with gaps of only 20 cm or I can cycle through swamps. That was not what I was looking for on this trip.
After I escaped the swamp, I got to a little town where I was looking for some accomodation. I stopped at a rustical fish restaurant to ask. The owner spoke a little german and we had some good conversation. I then ate an awesome catfish soup with some raki. When I wanted to check out the hotel to make sure I have a room, he told me to come back afterwards, his fishers friends will be there too. One of the fishers knew a little more german and we had a great evening.
Now everything was fine again and the misery of the past days have been forgotten.
It’s pretty hot. Around 40°C a lot of the time. Sometimes I’m not sure I drink enough with 5l/day.
Before I flew to Bulgaria my mechanic mounted a kickstand on my bike. Because my frame doesn’t come with matching eyelets, he mounts it on the quick release axle. It doesn’t work with a loaded bike. I can bareley get it out of the hub and now need replacement in a little town in Bulgaria. The hotel manager drives me through town from mechanic to mechanic and we are extremely lucky to find one who actually has the matching part.
Fields and meadows along the Danube
There weren't many sections with shadows like this
Bridge over some side arm
Sexy sky
An old fortress
Oak avenue (welcomed shadows)
I now leave Bulgaria. In Serbia I take a detour to some old wine village. It’s a tough ride with remarkable elevation gain. I know that there is a host somewhere in the village. I cycle through there and get chased by a little dog. The owner comes out and calls his dog back, we get into conversation and it turns out he is the host I was looking for. His wife is there too and we all communicate with google translator. He does it this way often. It works but feels a little weird. He has to go to his field for an hour, I am all drained out and prefer to chill out in their garden.
In one town I want take a cheap room. I want to wash my clothes and eat at a restaurant. Unfortunately communication with the old lady doesn’t really work. She doesn’t want to tell me where the restaurant is (I know that there is one in town.) and only tells me ‘magazin, magazin’. So in the end I go to the village shop and buy some food. There I meet a friendly guy from austria. He seems like an alcoholic and asks if I can buy him beer, I tell him no and in the end buy him something healthy. He helps me out in the shop and we chat for a while. Communicating in my mother tongue feels good.
After I come back to my host, she is painting the fences (she is about 80 yo and still does all the work, much respect) and soon tells me that cooking and washing is not possible at the same time. The washing machine takes a while and it`s already 10 pm when I finally get to eat. I’m a little disappointed.
The Danube in Serbia
Good road conditions in Serbia
One of many dams
View out of my guestroom
The Danube in Serbia
Rock Sculpture of Decebalus
Elevation meters even directly along the river
The Danube in Serbia
For once I encounter a real cycle path, but then it suddenly stops...
I really enjoyed riding the part along the Danube to Belgrade. There were quite a few resting areas supported by the EU. The part that has really annoyed me were the straying dogs. They really are everywhere and many are quite aggressive. I didn’t have to use my pepper spray but held it in my hands a number of times. I just bought a cheap spray can that leaked a little and so I got it everywhere.
I even touched my eyes and ran into some restaurant to wash my face. I was alone in the restaurant and the owner spoke some german. I’ll never safe on such stuff again. Better directly get the quality version.
2 days before I arrive in Belgrade I lose my bikeline map (which ends in Belgrade anyway). I only mess up once and cycle an additional 20 km. Cycling into Belgrade wasn’t pleasurable. I wasn’t sure if I even am allowed on the roads until another cyclist passed me.
View from Belgrade Fortress
Belgrade Fortress
Belgrade Fortress
Belgrade Fortress
Hotel view
Boats in river Sava
Post - Hotel Moskau
Important building 1
Important building 2
Important building 3
Important building 4
I continue my way and soon leave Serbia. In croatia I stay on a campsite with a beach attached to it. I set up my tent on an ant-road 🙁 Nearby is a loud party late into the night and because in the morning there is a triathlon taking place the music start again. Atleast I meet some other cyclists, one from South Africa who at the times lives in London but has already been cycling for half a year now.
A few days later I meet a group from france – 4 woman and 1 man. We eat lunch together, the owner lets them camp on his land but I still want to pedal. (Eventhough they only made 18km that day and I already cycled 85km.) It was one of my stupidest ideas and I ran into a huge storm.
Cycling on a dike while a thunder storm is brewing.
Cloud formations
Rain up ahead
I'll soon be in the middle of it
I tell myself it’s a stupid idea cycling on a dike without any protection in a thunderstorm and look for some place to hide. I jump over a fence and hide under a roof. Waiting for the storm to calm down I get plagued by Mosquitos. Lighnting strikes only abou 200 m away from me. I am a little scared but it’s all over soon.
Budapests suburbs area already beautiful. When cycling to my campsite in Budapest I already notice the amazing architecture. But when we head out at night, Budapest reveals its truely astonishing beauty.
‘We’ are the swiss guy that set up his tent right when I arrived on campsite. After both our tents were set up we started talking and soon went to explore the city. We grouped up with a spanish couple he met a few times before they all arrived in Budapest. They stayed on a different campsite. We had a great evening seeing Budapest at night.
The next day I did some additional sightseeing at Fisherman’s Bastion and took a long bath in one of Budapests old thermal baths.
Cycling towards Budapest
Budapests suburbs
Budapest at night
Budapest at night
Budapest at night
Freedom Bridge
Fisherman's Bastion
View from Fisherman's Bastion
Inside Fisherman's Bastion
View out of Fisherman's Bastion
Inside Fisherman's Bastion
Matthias Church
View from Fisherman's Bastion
View from Fisherman's Bastion
Széchenyi Thermal Bath
On my way to Bratislava I come by Esztergom and its Basilica. The cultural center Kaleidoszkop Haz offers cheap rooms and i stay a night. Sharing kitchen and bathroom with some students, I get a cool room made of clay in the middle age. By cool I really mean that. The room is around 20°C while it still is 35°C outside.
Taking the ferry
Basilica of Esztergom
Beautiful lake near Bratislava
Bratislava from afar
Side arm
After Budapest, Bratislava is kind of underwhelming. I don’t stay long and look forward to Vienna. After I arrive at my campsite in Vienna I soon feel sick. I get bad stomach cramps and puke my guts out. Actually I wanted to go sightseeing the next day, but I still feel sick and stay on the campsite all day. The next day I bike through Vienna, stop at some sights and in the afternoon cycle out of the city.
Vienna
Vienna
Vienna
Vienna
Vienna
Vienna
Vienna
Nature reserve in the west of Vienna
If I could cycle only such paths...
Austra is beautiful and the cycling infrastructure is well developed. But that also causes a lot of casual cyclists. So when the weather is good, the cycle paths are well populated.
I arrive in Germany and soon leave the Danube to cycle through eastern Germany and later into the northwest, to get back home.
While I set up camp in a forest a local passes by. He is genuinely interested in my adventure and we talk for hours. The next day while I start packing he appears again. He was foraging and brought me new supplies. Water, Bananas and other stuff. What a great gesture I won’t forget.
Back in Germany
Camp in a forest
Chilling out at some lake
Sexy sky
Foxes around my tent
On my way home I meet friends in Wittenberg and Hannover. The day I come back home friends and family are awaiting me.
I enjoyed this tour so much, that I now wonder how it’d be to do this without a definitive goal and only stop if I wanted to. It all results in me planning an unlimited tour for the next 4.5 years.