The Drau river bicycle route (Drauradweg in German) is one of the most famous and popular European cycling routes: in Austria it is second only to the historic Danube Cycle Path. The Alpe Adria Radweg cycle route uses part of this route in its Carinthian section: from Mollbrucke to Villach.
The cycle route follows the path of the Drava river (Drau in German) from its source (in Italy, in the municipality of Dobbiaco) to the river's confluence with the Danube (on the border between Croatia and Serbia). To tell the truth, the best known part is the one from the source to Villach thanks also to the bike plus train intermodality.
Perhaps less frequented but still very beautiful from a landscape point of view is the remaining Austrian stretch of the Drauradweg. In this stretch the Drava Cycle Path often moves away from the river and sometimes climbs onto the surrounding hills, offering cycle tourists beautiful panoramic views of the valley and the surrounding mountains.
This part of the Drau river cycle route was renovated a few years ago by improving the signage and adding many new routes, all of good quality and perfectly signposted. The section of the cycle path that leads from the Austrian border to Maribor is a bit challenging: the route often moves away from the watercourse to climb the surrounding hills. Cycle tourists have to face some challenging climbs and must be careful not to get lost: in this section the signage would need a revision.
Beyond Maribor the cycle route continues in a less demanding area from an altitude point of view and you cycle in the Ptuj basin. We continue in Slovenian territory along an artificial canal up to Ormoz. Here ends the route partially signed by Slovenia thanks to a European project from a few years ago. The river, having entered Croatia, flows through rolling hills until it meets the Mura tributary near Legrad. We have entered the Pannonian plain, even though the Slavonian hills rise in front of us, which are already in Hungarian territory.
You continue pedaling along the right (Croatian) bank of the river in the midst of many wetlands made up of numerous meanders of the river, abandoned following the adjustments to the watercourse carried out at the end of the 19th century. The proposed cycle route continues along main roads to the large center of Osijek, a short distance from the Mala Dunav marshy area. A few more tens of kilometers and the Drava river meets the Danube. Here our ride along this majestic river ends. On the opposite bank of the Danube, in Serbian territory, the Eurovelo 6 route runs.