Things to do in Wachau & the Danube

The Wachau stretch of the Danube is best seen from the deck of a DDSG Blue Danube ship between Krems and Melk, which stops at Dürnstein, Weißenkirchen and Spitz on a roughly three-hour trip upstream past vineyards and castle ruins. At the western end, Melk Abbey welcomes visitors to its abbey library, abbey church, museum and park above the river, while on the eastern edge the hilltop Göttweig Abbey, founded in 1083 and part of the World Heritage site, has a museum in its Imperial Wing. In Dürnstein, a trail climbs from the village to the Dürnstein Castle Ruin, where Richard the Lionheart was held captive, with wide views over the Danube valley, and in Krems the strikingly shaped Landesgalerie Niederösterreich on the Kunstmeile shows Lower Austria's art collections alongside Austrian and international art. Further down the Danube, on the Danube Limes World Heritage site, the Roman City of Carnuntum lets you explore the reconstructed Roman Quarter and the Museum Carnuntinum, and the amphitheatre and the Heathens' Gate can be seen without a ticket.

Good to knowThe DDSG Wachau cruises sail only from late March to early November, so check the low-water notices before you go, and the Roman City of Carnuntum is open from early March to mid-November. Melk Abbey is open year-round, but from November to early January visits start at 10 am with guided tours at set times, and its park opens only from late March to October. The Landesgalerie in Krems opens Tuesday to Sunday, making it an easy rainy-day stop before or after a cruise, and the museum at Göttweig Abbey is visited with an audio guide in German or English.