Ride Vienna - Slovakia - Hungary

Wednesday, June 19, 2019
Komárom, Hungary
Monday 17 June: Vienna - Bratislava: 75 km
Now that the riding tour was actually starting, there were immovable time frames for breakfast and departures, so packing had to be done, breakfast had and bags brought down at particular times so I won’t go into that each day. Logistics were organised through a WhatsApp group, which was also useful for sharing photos among the group.
Today we were reunited with our bikes and after some practice ride group signals we set off along what were very busy bike paths along the Danube to Hasslau an der Donau. The weather was hot (over 30 today) so we had a few drink stops as we then rode through an agricultural, including some unpaved tracks and country roads.
Lunch was at one of Austria’s most eclectic mix of Roman ruins and modern reconstructions - Carmuntum, which we wandered around after lunch and as always marvelled at the extent and nature of the Roman Empire, and the work done here both excavating remains and rebuilding authentically to show how they lived.
From there we rode over various surfaces and arrived in the Slovak capital Bratislava, about which we heard some history, before we checked into our hotel and then went back to the old town.
My e-bike was a huge plus and I am surprised to say how much I enjoyed the ride (albeit with a slightly sore butt because of an existing injury which sadly wasn’t alleviated much by my padded pants).
Tuesday 18 June: Bratislava- Lipot: 60km
The hotel served a good breakfast and we prepared to leave, though a slight change of plans for me as the bike being used by one of my fellow travellers was not working properly, and as she was too short for the spare e-bike on hand, I was asked if I would swap. Not that it was really a major issue, but my new bike (described as an adventure e-bike) functioned differently to the previous one (better for urban riding). While it meant a change in how I rode and managed the functions, the important thing was that I could actually zoom up hills without screaming knees, and clock up 15kms without a break or slow death!
Today’s ride took us into Hungary, past lush farmlands, through pretty villages and along leafy paths through lowland forests, to the village of Hedevar, home of a 13th century Hedevary Castle. 
Then on to our destination Lipót, and accommodation in a recreational camping area with small cabins, swimming pool, lots of kids activities, and vast numbers of mosquitoes! These were quite troublesome - our mozzy coils sort of put them off - but the weather was warm and humid and in a 4-person cabin it was not the most luxurious accommodation so far, still the swimming pool had a good bar and the afternoons free time slipped away!
Dinner was a buffet at a local hotel (a 20 minute walk) where the food was food, service attentive
and the piano/organ player made the evening enjoyable. Maybe it was the ride (or maybe the many wines), but despite the heat and mozzies, sleep came easily!
Wednesday 19 June: Lipot - Komaron: 70 km
We headed off from the cabins quite early and rode back to last nights dinner venue for breakfast, before setting out across various surfaces and changing scenery. For morning tea we stopped in the baroque city of Gyor, with is charming central square, pretty buildings and lovely iced coffee!
The next leg was on good paths and some roads, as well a thunderstorm that left us all a bit soggy, before stopping at a on to a roadside cafe / pizza shop for lunch - which for me meant salad and coke!
We waited a bit for the weather to clear, but as there was another storm ahead which meant lots of busy highway then a very rough off-road option, I so chose to take time out from riding and went in the van / support vehicle with some others ... which was very comfy and we arrived  slightly earlier than the others to Komaron, which straddles the Borders of Hungary and Slovakia.
This was a very picturesque small town, with an interesting old town showing a mixture of architectural types set around the inevitable church and fountain. After a bit of a wander I opted for the ‘sit quietly and have a drink’ option, which morphed onto dinner. The nature of the food on the menu meant there weren’t too many food options for me, but it was a good night with the team and with most of the oldies down one end of the table, it was a a good night!
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Comments

Chrissy
2019-06-22

Just amazing Jenny! The Roman ruins sound fascinating. Hope your traveling companions are a fun and interesting mix Thanks sonmuch for sharing this all with us - definitely living vicariously!! X

Pennie
2019-06-23

We are enjoying your descriptions Jenny. The weather, apart from the storm,sounds great and the paths you are following look really interesting culturally and scenery wise. Wishing you both a great onward journey. XX

2025-02-10

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