Wachau: the Danube wine valley

Route description

Leave Vienna westwards on the A1 motorway, which crosses the Wienerwald hills and reaches Melk in about an hour. Melk Abbey stands on a rock above the Danube; its church, marble hall and library with painted ceilings are the main sights.

Cross the Danube at Melk and follow the B3 along the north bank through the Wachau, a narrow valley of terraced vineyards, apricot orchards and small wine villages such as Spitz and Weissenkirchen. Apricots blossom in spring and are harvested in summer, when stalls sell fruit along the road.

Dürnstein is known for the blue-and-white tower of its abbey church and the castle ruin above the village where Richard the Lionheart was held captive. The main road bypasses the village in a tunnel, so park at the edge and walk in.

The route ends in Krems, where the Steiner Tor gate leads into an old town of Renaissance houses and wine taverns. Small ferries cross the river at a few points in the valley, and a cycle path follows both banks if you want to explore without the car.