Welcome to Melk – the gateway to the Wachau – and one of the most beautiful towns on the Danube! Once you’ve arrived, there’ll be time for a leisurely stroll through the charming old town and to explore the impressive Melk Abbey. Enjoy your first views of the Danube, soak up the delightful atmosphere of the Wachau, and look forward to a variety of hiking days in the region.

From Melk, take the bus to Aggsbach. From there, the route leads uphill to the Aggsbach ruins, where the impressive observation towers and cozy places to stop for refreshments make it well worth a visit. You'll then follow the Way of St. James to Maria Langegg and through a sprawling forest down to the Danube, from where you'll take the ferry to Spitz.

Starting in Spitz, you'll first ascend to the town’s landmark, the ‘Rotes Tor’ (Red Gate). Following the World Heritage Trail, you’ll walk through the heart of the Wachau and enjoy the unique wine-growing landscape high above the Danube. The route then leads downhill through the vineyards and past small alleys lined with wine cellars to Weißenkirchen.

Surrounded by sun-drenched vineyard-covered hills and green forests stands the imposing Gothic parish church of Weißenkirchen. Together with the wine-growing villages of Joching, Wösendorf and St. Michael, Weißenkirchen forms the largest wine-growing community in the Wachau region. Weißenkirchen offers plenty of options for a relaxing day off: museums, beautiful walking trails or a boat ride on the Danube. Take some time to savour a glass of Wachau wine in one of the wine taverns. Or go for a short walk along the ‘Achleitenrunde’ trail to stop for a bite to eat at a local winemaker's!

From Weißenkirchen, you’ll first take the flying bridge to St. Lorenz, where your hike begins. There, you can choose either a short route through the orchards along the Danube or the scenic route via old roads up to the ‘Seekopf’. Along the main route, you’ll be treated to an impressive panoramic view stretching all the way to the Alps. The trail then leads through Austria’s largest apricot-growing region to Rossatz on the banks of the Danube, from where you’ll take a ferry to today’s destination, Dürnstein.

From the banks of the Danube, you’ll ascend a scenic path up to the ruins of Dürnstein. The route continues over a gentle range of hills to the viewing point and on to the cozy Fesslhütte. Along the way, enjoy magnificent views of the blue Danube, the town of Krems and the impressive Göttweig Abbey, before hiking down through the vineyards towards Krems.

In Krems, you should definitely visit the famous ‘Steiner Tor’ landmark and take a stroll through the historic old town before boarding the Danube cruise ship. On the way to Melk, you can reflect on your walking holiday and the highlights passing by – Dürnstein and Spitz with their vineyards.

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.

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.

Surrounded by sunny vineyards and green forests the mighty gothic parish church of Weißenkirchen is a remarkable sight. Wine growing villages such as Joching, Wösendorf and St. Michael form together with Weißenkirchen the biggest wine grower community of the Wachau region. Visit museums, seize beautiful walking trails or take a boat tour on the 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!

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.

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.

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 Durnstein.