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World Heritage Trail Wachau, 8 days
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World Heritage Trail Wachau, Krems – Melk

Wine and culture on beautiful blue Danube

8 Days / 7 Nights
Walking
193  kg
CO₂-Emissions get compensated
grapevine

Here in the Wachau area the Danube is even more beautiful than anywhere else. The mild climate and steep hills make it ideal territory for orchards and vineyards. Our hiking week leads thought the long-distance trail World Heritage Trail Wachau along the ridges of the Danube valley. On the varied walking routes you can enjoy magnificent views of one of Austria's oldest cultural landscapes with characteristic vineyards, apricot gardens and the impressive Danube stream in the valley. A varied walking tour leads past steep rocks, across soft hills and through aromatic vineyards. Little hamlets dot the landscape and apart from the famous wine, delicious apricot delicacies belong to the outstanding regional specialities.

Hiking paths through the vineyards
Melk Monastery
Hiking snack
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Verena Winkler
Verena Winkler
+43 6219 60877 171
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Wine, culture and nature create a unique symphony on the hiking holiday in the Wachau. From the mountain ranges in the Danube valley you have unique views over Austria’s largest river and one of the oldest cultural landscapes in the country, the Wachau region. En route along the World Heritage, long-distance hiking trail, you will pass pretty towns and wine villages such as Weißenkirchen, Spitz and Krems.

  • Hike in the vineyards: What makes the Wachau region so special are definitely the numerous vineyards perched on the slopes. On a hiking holiday, the route sometimes even takes you along the vineyard paths.
  • Wine & Culinary art: pancakes filled with apricot jam, fine spirits and of course the wonderful wines of the Wachau – on the hiking holiday in the Danube river valley you experience culinary highlights every day.
  • Discover the Wachau from the river Danube: Of course, a boat trip must not be missing on the hiking holiday along the Danube! Between Melk and Krems you have the opportunity to gain completely new impressions of the Wachau.
  • Hiking with a dog: The Wachau World Heritage Trail is also ideal for your four-legged friend thanks to the optimum route guidance without long ascents. Find out more about walking holidays with a dog.

You start your hiking week with your individual arrival at Krems. The UNESCO World Heritage city features winding streets and wineries. Your hiking holiday begins the very next day with the first hike to Dürnstein. The route takes you via Weißenkirchen and Spitz to Melk, before returning to Krems by boat on the Danube. Every day you hike between 12 and 14 kilometres and climb several Wachau peaks, which are not high but steep. Surefootedness is therefore an advantage in certain sections.

Hiking paths through the vineyards
Melk Monastery
Hiking snack

Itinerary at a glance

In the Danube valley between Krems and Melk, you will hike along the river, over vineyards and up to viewing points as well as to the ruins of Dürnstein. A visit to the imposing Melk Abbey and a boat trip round off your hiking trip.

Hotel example: Unter den Linden

Walk up into the vineyards to the tower with view on blue Danube, the city Krems and impressing monastery Göttweig. Cross the hills to the cozy Fesslhütte and reach the Dürnstein ruins on a trail with great views before reaching the banks of the Danube.

Hotel example: Sänger Blondel

Take the ferry from Dürnstein to Rossatz. Continue past the largest apricot growing area of Austria, on old tracks up to Seekopf with stunning views to the Alps. Optional take a walk along Danube through orchards to the ferry.

Hotel example: Hotel Kirchenwirt

Surrounded by sunny vineyards and green forests the mighty gothic parish church of Weißenkirchen is  remarkable sight. The wine grower villages Joching, Wösendorf and St. Michael form together with Weißenkirchen the biggest wine grower community of Wachau. Visit museums, beautiful walking trails or take a boat tour on Danube. Enjoy a glass of Wachauer wine in one of the wine taverns. Or do a short hike on the Achleiten circuit to stop by the winegrower!

Hotel example: Hotel Kirchenwirt

Leave Weißenkirchen via the wine trail, past picturesque wine cellars and ascend to Seiber. Walk through the forest, initially quite steep to Buschandlwand where an observation platform allows stunning panoramic views. An alternative route passes through vineyards to the famous wine grower community Spitz an der Donau.

Hotel example: Goldenes Schiff

Cross the Danube by ferry to Maria Langegg. Here you follow St. Jacob’s trail to ruin Aggsbach. Visit the fortress with scenic views across the Danube valley and stop for a snack. Down you walk to Aggsbach where you catch the coach to Melk.

Hotel example: Hotel Restaurant Zur Post

Visit the impressive monastery with beautiful grounds before you board the Danube boat. During the cruise to Krems you pass the highlights of the week, see all the vineyards as well as Spitz and Dürnstein.

Hotel example: Unter den Linden

Day
08
Departure or extension

Itinerary at a glance

In the Danube valley between Krems and Melk, you will hike along the river, over vineyards and up to viewing points as well as to the ruins of Dürnstein. A visit to the imposing Melk Abbey and a boat trip round off your hiking trip.

Hotel example: Unter den Linden

Walk up into the vineyards to the tower with view on blue Danube, the city Krems and impressing monastery Göttweig. Cross the hills to the cozy Fesslhütte and reach the Dürnstein ruins on a trail with great views before reaching the banks of the Danube.

Hotel example: Sänger Blondel

Take the ferry from Dürnstein to Rossatz. Continue past the largest apricot growing area of Austria, on old tracks up to Seekopf with stunning views to the Alps. Optional take a walk along Danube through orchards to the ferry.

Hotel example: Hotel Kirchenwirt

Surrounded by sunny vineyards and green forests the mighty gothic parish church of Weißenkirchen is  remarkable sight. The wine grower villages Joching, Wösendorf and St. Michael form together with Weißenkirchen the biggest wine grower community of Wachau. Visit museums, beautiful walking trails or take a boat tour on Danube. Enjoy a glass of Wachauer wine in one of the wine taverns. Or do a short hike on the Achleiten circuit to stop by the winegrower!

Hotel example: Hotel Kirchenwirt

The wine trail leads you out of Weißenkirchen, past small cellar alleys and up into the unique wine landscape high above the Danube. On the World Heritage Trail, you hike through the heart of the Wachau. At the landmark of Spitz, the “Red Gate”, you descend into the famous wine village beside the Danube.

Hotel example: Goldenes Schiff

Cross the Danube by ferry to Maria Langegg. Here you follow St. Jacob’s trail to ruin Aggsbach. Visit the fortress with scenic views across the Danube valley and stop for a snack. Down you walk to Aggsbach where you catch the coach to Melk.

Hotel example: Hotel Restaurant Zur Post

Visit the impressive monastery with beautiful grounds before you board the Danube boat. During the cruise to Krems you pass the highlights of the week, see all the vineyards as well as Spitz and Dürnstein.

Hotel example: Unter den Linden

Day
08
Departure or extension

Other variations of this tour

View to Spitz
World Heritage Trail Wachau, Krems – Spitz
5 Days
19 ratings
Views during a hike
World Heritage Trail Wachau with Charm
5 Days
14 ratings
View of the Danube from the vineyards
World Heritage Trail Wachau with Charm
8 Days
14 ratings
View to Spitz
Apricot dumplings with apricot spritz
Hiking break
View of Weissenkirchen
Peach tree by the path
Wine bar on the street side

Difficulty level

Walking

You walk mainly on good trails and some paved vineyard paths. Depending on the route, you can make the stages more comfortable or more challenging. The peaks in the Wachau region are not high, but steep in places. Surefootedness therefore is required in some places. This week offers a perfect blend of nature, culture and culinary delight.

Prices & Dates

Prices per person in EUR

Sustainably on the go

Offsetting your carbon footprint

193 kg
CO₂-Emissions get compensated
The total value of all emissions per travel and per person is carefully tracked using the CO2 calculator 'Carmacal,' which was specifically developed for tour operators. The individual components that make up this value are shown in the diagram. The overall impact is contributed to by accommodations, luggage transport, on-site catering, and activities, and it is fully offset through our climate protection projects.
Accommodation (76%)
Meals (17%)
Transport (7%)
Activities (1%)
100%

Services & Information

Further details about this tour

Included

  • Accomodation in 3***-hotels and 4****-hotels and country hotels
  • Breakfast
  • Luggage transfer
  • 1 Boat trip from Melk to Krems*
  • 1 Wine tasting (German, English)

 

  • Carefully elaborated route description
  • Detailed travel documents 1x per room (German, English, French)
  • App for Navigation and GPS-data
  • Servicehotline

* Boat trip is only possible starting from mid-April, bus ride as an alternative.

Arrival / Parking / Departure

  • By train from Vienna to Krems and a few minutes walk to the starting hotel.
  • Vienna airport.
  • Parking: Partly chargeable hotel parking spaces approx. EUR 40 per week. Sufficient public parking spaces near the hotels for approx. EUR 50 per week, no pre-booking.

Things to note

  • Tourist tax, if due, is not included in the price
  • 3x ferry trips Danube, bus fare from Aggsdorf to Melk, approx. EUR 10 per person
  • Further important information according to the package travel law can be found here!

Join us in achieving greater sustainability by choosing our digital route book, rather than the printed version. As a small thank you we will give you a discount of €20 per room.

Services & Information

Further details about this tour

Included

  • Accomodation in 3***-hotels and 4****-hotels and country hotels
  • Breakfast
  • Luggage transfer
  • 1 Boat trip from Melk to Krems*
  • 1 Wine tasting (German, English)

 

  • Carefully elaborated route description
  • Detailed travel documents 1x per room (German, English, French)
  • App for Navigation and GPS-data
  • Servicehotline

* Boat trip is only possible starting from mid-April, bus ride as an alternative.

Arrival / Parking / Departure

  • Train journey from Vienna to Krems and a few minutes walk to the starting hotel.
  • Vienna airport.
  • Parking: Hotel parking garage approx. EUR 20 to EUR 40 per week, public parking spaces approx. EUR 6 per day.

Things to note

  • Tourist tax, if due, is not included in the price
  • 3x ferry trips Danube, bus fare from Aggsdorf to Melk, approx. EUR 10 per person
  • Further important information according to the package travel law can be found here!

Join us in achieving greater sustainability by choosing our digital route book, rather than the printed version. As a small thank you we will give you a discount of €20 per room.

Travel stories for this tour

Personally on site for you

Vineyard in the Wachau
Team Members on Tour
Travel story: In the vineyards above the Danube
In the last two years, I have explored beautiful Italy on two walking holidays: plesaure walking in Piedmont and on the east coast of Sardinia. After these walking holidays in Italy, this year's holiday is in my home territory, along the beautiful Wachau World Heritage Trail. With my sister, I drive along the “Romantic Road” on the northern bank of the Danube to Krems, the starting point of our walking holiday "World Heritage Trail Wachau, Krems - Spitz". Now, there will be three walking days along the Danube and right through the vineyards to Spitz. Alternatively, this tour is also offered as a longer variant over eight days, up to Melk. We are really looking forward to the next few days and raise a toast at our first dinner in Krems’ old town with homemade Austrian apricot iced tea. (Fun fact: in Austria, we call apricots “Marillen”, but in Germany, they are known as “Aprikose”!)
Hikers on the World Heritage Trail
Team Members on Tour
Helene en route along the World Heritage Trail Wachau
Vineyards, apricot orchards and cultural assets of all kinds characterise the World Heritage Region Wachau. Considering all of this it was an easy choice for a suitable hiking holiday. Our holiday along the World Heritage Trail Wachau started in the town of Krems and led us all the way to Spitz on the river Danube. As a crowning finale this hiking holiday contains a boat trip from Spitz back to Krems, taking you past the places of the Wachau, which you got to know and love during your hiking holiday.
Hiker with a view of the Danube
Autumnal Hiking in the Wachau
It wasn’t merely the golden October colours, the pleasant walking temperatures or the newly harvested wine that lured me to come walking in the Autumnal Wachau. It was mainly the newly signposted route along the World Heritage Trail here! Some of the best signposted footpaths on both sides of the Danube were simply waiting to be explored. Every variant of the walk, every panoramic viewpoint, every summit and every view view tower was needing to be discovered, checked and hiked to. That meant that I wasn’t leisurely walking one stage at a time but was trekking from dawn til dusk and upstream as well as downstream. The sheer diversity in this region meant that I never got tired. Sometimes I was going along panoramic paths through vineyards via cosy forest tracks and other times up steep ascents where at the top great views were awaiting me… I could even climb some small peaks here.
Verena Winkler

"We look forward to making your holiday dreams come true"

Verena Winkler
Travel Specialist
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+43 6219 60877 171
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Friday: 09:00 AM - 05:00 PM
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