3 DAYS

Krems
City Break

Day 1. Arrival & Wachau Valley

Arrive in Krems an der Donau — the historic gateway to the Wachau, Austria’s most celebrated wine region and a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape of extraordinary beauty. The Wachau (35 km of the Danube between Krems and Melk) is the most scenically spectacular section of the Austrian Danube, with steep terraced vineyards, apricot orchards, medieval fortifications and Baroque monasteries perched on clifftops above the river. Explore the remarkable Krems Altstadt — one of the best-preserved historic town centres in Austria, with the Gozzoburg (1270), the Dominican Church and the medieval city gates. Visit the Kunstmeile Krems — one of Austria’s most vibrant contemporary art zones. Overnight in Krems.

Day 2. Melk Abbey & Danube Cruise

After breakfast, take the boat along the Wachau Danube to Melk — a magnificent 90-minute cruise through the heart of the Wachau. Visit the Melk Abbey (Stift Melk) — one of the most breathtaking Baroque monasteries in Europe, dramatically perched on a 60-metre-high granite promontory above the Danube, its extraordinary golden library housing 100,000 volumes and an extraordinary Imperial Staircase. Return by boat through the remarkable Wachau wine villages — Dürnstein (where Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned in 1192), Weißenkirchen and Spitz — stopping for wine tasting at a Riesling or Grüner Veltliner estate. Overnight in Krems.

Day 3. Göttweig Abbey & Departure

Morning: excursion to Stift Göttweig — the ‘Austrian Montecassino’, a Benedictine abbey (founded 1083) perched on a hill with extraordinary views over the Danube Valley and the Wachau. The Baroque church and the Imperial Staircase are among the finest in Austria. Transfer to Krems Bahnhof for train connections to Vienna.

Must see

ATTRACTIONS

Options

ACCOMMODATIONS

Krems

★★★★★

Arte Hotel Krems
Hotel Unter den Linden Krems
Hotel Stadt Krems

★★★★

NH Hotel Krems
Hotel Steigenberger Krems
Hotel Klinglhuber Krems

★★★

ibis Krems
Hotel Ibis Budget Krems
Gästehaus Krems

Must try

FOOD

Marchfeld Asparagus

A famous, tender white asparagus with a delicate aroma and soft texture, grown in the fertile Marchfeld plain east of Vienna; the spears are boiled with melted butter and served with new potatoes, fresh parsley and a hollandaise sauce.

Wachauer Laberl

A specialty bread roll made from wheat and rye flour; the raw dough is hand-rolled and shaped in circular motions on a rough surface, creating a cracked surface that results in a larger crust after baking; often baked with caraway seeds for additional flavour.

Cremeschnitte

Also known as a vanilla slice or custard slice, this dish is a cream cake dessert commonly associated with the former Austro-Hungarian Monarchy; it consists of two to three layers of puff pastry filled with cream, which are then glazed or dusted with powdered sugar.