Melk to Krems

Wachau Experience:
Relax and enjoy sailing through the Wachau Valley from Melk to Dürnstein, a magnificent UNESCO World Heritage site. For pictures and additional information, you can scroll through each point of interest, whilst the Wachau Experience provides you with excellent gps triggered commentary, explaining all the sights. Make sure to check for updated content in the settings tab.

Wachau:

The Wachau Valley has a remarkable geological landscape with craggy steep slopes, loess-covered plains in the wider parts of the valley, and narrow valley floors. It was formed by the Danube’s water gap through the Bohemian Massif and borders on Austria’s granite-gneiss plateau.

Grapes & Apricots:
The valley has been inhabited for thousands of years and since the 9th century during the reign of Charlemagne the steep south facing slopes have been terraced for viticulture. The loess covered parts of the valley in combination with the fertile sediments deposited by the Danube make the inner bends suitable for agriculture and in the case of the Wachau it is ideal for the cultivation of fruit, especially apricots.

UNESCO Site:
The natural beauty of the riverine landscape is interspersed by terraced vineyards and dotted along the Danube’s banks are orchards surrounding small historical towns that seem to come straight out of a fairytale. It is no wonder then, that in 2000, the Wachau Cultural Landscape, which includes the Abbeys of Melk and Göttweig was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list for its natural, agricultural and architectural history.