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Travel guide
The Wachau Valley
4 days · 5 things to do
Best time to go: April to June, and September to October
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Welcome
The Wachau Valley, in a few days
A UNESCO-listed wine valley on the Danube between Melk and Krems: Melk's baroque abbey, terraced vineyards, winegrowing villages and a gentle river cruise.
- Day by day
- D1 Day 1 2 things
- D2 Day 2 1 thing
- D3 Day 3 1 thing
- D4 Day 4 1 thing
- Worth sorting before you go
- Words that help
- The practical page
- Packing checklist
The trip
Day by day
Map of the sights (numbers follow the suggested order). It prints with the base map.
D1
Day 1
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Melk Abbey · about 1 h 30A Benedictine abbey rebuilt in baroque style in the early 18th century above the Danube, with a painted library and a lavish church.
- Afternoon · A Danube cruise · about 1 h 30Boats link Melk and Krems, passing terraced slopes, castle ruins and villages; the downstream direction is the quicker one.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Gartenhotel & Weingut Pfeffel Dürnstein ↗ · All places to stay by budget →€150 a night
D2
Day 2
1 thing to do · at your own pace
- Morning · The wine villages free · half a dayDürnstein, Spitz and Weißenkirchen, with vineyard terraces behind them; Dürnstein's castle ruins are where Richard the Lionheart was held.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Gartenhotel & Weingut Pfeffel Dürnstein ↗€150 a night
D3
Day 3
1 thing to do · at your own pace
- All day · Cycling along the river · a full dayThe Danube Cycle Path runs flat along both banks, and bikes can be hired in the villages and taken on the ferries.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Gartenhotel & Weingut Pfeffel Dürnstein ↗€150 a night
D4
Day 4
1 thing to do · at your own pace
- Evening · The Heurigen (wine taverns) · an eveningWinegrowers' taverns serving their own wine with cold platters, open only part of the year; look for the green branch over the door.
Before you go
Worth sorting before you go
📶 eSIM data
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
🛡️ Travel insurance
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
💳 Fee-free card
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
🚐 Airport transfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
Some links are partner links: we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
Good to know
Flavours & local habits
🍽️ Worth tasting
- Wiener Schnitzel: veal beaten thin, breaded and fried, served with a slice of lemon.
- Sachertorte: chocolate cake with a layer of apricot jam under a dark glaze, with unsweetened whipped cream on the side.
- Tafelspitz: boiled beef with apple and horseradish sauce, said to have been Emperor Franz Joseph's favourite.
- Apfelstrudel: paper-thin pastry rolled around apples, raisins, cinnamon and breadcrumbs.
- Kaiserschmarrn: a thick pancake torn into pieces, caramelised, dusted with icing sugar and served with plum compote.
⚠️ Best avoided
- Skip the cafés facing Stephansplatz in Vienna: you pay for the view, not the coffee.
- Tip around 5 to 10% in restaurants, and say the total as you pay rather than leaving coins on the table.
- A boxed Sachertorte from the supermarket is not the Hotel Sacher original.
- Stay off the marked cycle lanes in Vienna, where bikes come through fast.
Getting by
Words that help
English ↔ German
| English | German |
|---|---|
| Hello | Hallo |
| Thank you | Danke |
| Please | Bitte |
| Yes | Ja |
| No | Nein |
| Excuse me | Entschuldigung |
| Goodbye | Auf Wiedersehen |
| Do you speak English? | Sprechen Sie Englisch? |
| I don't understand | Ich verstehe nicht |
| How much is it? | Wie viel kostet das? |
| Where are the toilets? | Wo sind die Toiletten? |
| The bill, please | Die Rechnung, bitte |
| Help! | Hilfe! |
| Cheers! | Prost! |
The essentials
The practical page
CurrencyEuro (EUR, €)
BudgetAbout €125 a day, mid-range
Best seasonApril to June, and September to October
PlugC/F · 230V
Tap waterSafe to drink
TippingRound up, around 5 to 10%
Emergency112
EntrySchengen area: an ID card or passport for EU citizens, 90 days visa-free for UK, US, Canadian and Australian passports.
HealthNo vaccinations required. Make sure tetanus, diphtheria, polio and MMR are up to date. Tick-borne encephalitis is present across Austria, so walkers should consider the vaccine.
Scan to open this guide online, always up to date.
https://offwegooo.com/en/guides/wachau
Don't forget
Packing checklist
Have a good trip.
Guide made on offwegooo.com · Photos via Pexels · Details are indicative, check before you leave.