Ybbs an der Donau and Persenbeug face each other across the Danube in Lower Austria, connected by a hydroelectric dam that was one of the first built on the Austrian Danube after the war. Persenbeug is dominated by its castle, perched on a rock above the river, which belonged to the Habsburgs and was the birthplace of Emperor Charles I, the last emperor of Austria-Hungary. On the Ybbs side, the remains of a small Roman fort have been found, part of the Danube frontier of the Roman Empire.
The Romans fortified the Danube with a chain of forts and watchtowers, and the small fort at Ybbs guarded the river and the mouth of the Ybbs valley. The Danube Limes in Austria is part of the UNESCO Frontiers of the Roman Empire site. Little remains above ground at Ybbs, but the location is significant, and the river views help to explain why the Romans chose it. Ybbs itself is a small town with a pleasant old centre, with houses from the Renaissance and Baroque periods and a long riverside promenade.
The area between Ybbs and Melk is known as the Nibelungengau, after the Nibelungenlied, the medieval epic poem, part of which is set along this stretch of the Danube. Pöchlarn, downstream, is identified with Bechelaren, the home of a character in the poem. On the hills above the river, the pilgrimage church of Maria Taferl offers wide views over the valley and on clear days to the Alps.
The riding along this stretch of the Danube is gentle and scenic, with the road following the river on both banks. The roads that climb from the river into the hills, toward Maria Taferl or into the Strudengau, offer good bends and views. South of the river, the roads into the Mostviertel, a region of orchards and pear cider, are pleasant and quiet, with rolling hills. Traffic is moderate, and surfaces are good.
Ybbs has fuel and food, and Amstetten, about seventeen kilometres away, is the nearest larger town. The Mostviertel is famous for its Most, a cider made from pears and apples. Spring, when the pear trees blossom, and autumn are the best times to ride here.