Just west of Vienna lies a twelve-mile stretch of pure magic: the Wachau Valley. Stretching between Melk and Krems, this UNESCO World Heritage site is a tapestry of picturesque castles, magnificent churches, and lush fertility. Here, vineyards march up the hillsides to meet heavy forests, while the valley floor is carpeted with groves of apricot and cherry trees. At the center of it all, the Danube River flows like a silver ribbon down the spine of a book.
The story of this land is ancient. While the Mediterranean influence brought grapes to this northern frontier during the Roman era, the land-use trends established then still thrive today. It’s a dream destination for epicureans and history buffs alike.
View to the village of Dürnstein in the Wachau Valley. The castle above the city was the place where King Richard I of England (“Lionheart”) was imprisoned in the 12th century.
We tied up at Weißenkirchen, a quaint village. Vicki, myself, and three other passengers stepped off the ramp and met our biking guide. Lise had the appearance of a weathered cyclist, but her demeanor was anything but tired. She was brighter than her burgundy hair and was delighted to see us. Weather and distance had scared away the others. Our little group would ride downstream on one side of the river, cross a bridge at Krems, then ride upstream to a ferry that would return us to Weißenkirchen, three hours and twenty miles later. I was pumped. Vicki wasn’t so sure.
“I haven’t ridden a bike this far in 45 years.”
“You’ll be ok. I’ll stay with you.”
The AmaVerde’s health coach would stay with us as well. She would bring up the rear.
We tested and adjusted the bikes to Lise’s satisfaction. Then we rode through Weißenkirchen to get a feel for the road. Afterwards we entered the vineyards.
It was glorious. We rode through lanes and alleys and trails. From time to time Lise stopped and explained the different kinds of grapes and the many uses of apricots. She even bought a box of cherries from a roadside stand for all of us to try.
The highlight of the day for me was a stop at Mautern an der Donau. Here, recent excavation continues to reveal the best preserved Roman fort in all of Austria. As in the case with Passau (see post here), this site was part of the line of defenses (Limes) built along the river to monitor the northern flank of the empire.
Lise emphasized how these fortresses of auxiliaries were defensive in nature, but were also used as trading points and lines for communication. “The tribes were not fighting the Romans all the time. In fact, it was the Romans who taught them how to grow the grapes.”
I wish we could have poked around longer, but we had to ride on.
New excavations of the Roman fort at Mautern an der Donau.
The return leg tested our mettle with a few rolling hills and a stubborn headwind, but the reward was worth it. We reached the ferry, crossed the Danube, and shared a round of high-fives as we arrived back in Weißenkirchen.
Twenty miles and three hours later, we hadn't just seen the Wachau Valley—we had felt its history under our tires.
Lise chatting up with the locals on the ferryboat.
We are having a relaxing time river cruising on the Danube. We are traveling from Vilshofen, Germany to Budapest, Hungary. Bus rides to Salzburg, walking adventures in Passau, bicycling in Vienna and other excursions fill in our days on the water. If this sounds like the kind of trip that you would be interested in, contact me at BibleLandExplorer@gmail.com.