Wachau

Wachau Valley, Lower Austria, approx. 30 km long, meandering section of the River Danube between Melk and Krems an der Donau; much-visited tourist region because of its sights and beautiful landscape (particularly when the fruit trees blossom and at the time of the wine harvest). The Wachau valley forms a narrow gap through the south-eastern part of the Bohemian Massif, from which it separates the Dunkelsteinerwald Hill Region south of the River Danube. West of the Wachau valley lies the Nibelungengau, to the east the Wachau valley fans out into the Tullnerfeld plain. The edges of the Wachau valley, partly covered by woods, partly by sloping vineyards, are a hilly region, broken up by lateral valleys; includes some steep slopes (e.g. Hohe Wand near Dürnstein and Teufelsmauer near Spitz). The Jauerling (960 m, near Willendorf in der Wachau) and Sandl (723 m, near Dürnstein) hills are the highest elevations in the Wachau valley. The Wachau valley was settled very early on (Venus von Willendorf, Gudenus Cave north-west of Krems an der Donau). It formed a heavily fortified section of the northern border of the Roman Empire. The fortified villages and churches and numerous fortress ruins still bear witness to the valley´s traditional function as a trade route and passage for armies. First documented mention of the area around Spitz as "Wahowa" around 820. Some of the most important sights and villages of the Wachau valley (on the right bank of the River Danube) are the Benedictine abbey of Melk (alt. 213 m), built by J. Prandtauer, the castle in Schönbühel-Aggsbach (alt. 210 m), the ruins of the Aggstein (alt. 501 m) castle of the Kuenringer family and Göttweig Abbey (alt. 425 m) located about 5 km south of Krems. On the left bank of the River Danube lie Willendorf in der Wachau (alt. 209 m), the castle, navigation museum and the Tausendeimerberg mountain in Spitz (alt. 207 m), the fortified church of Weißenkirchen in der Wachau (alt. 206 m), the fortress ruins, castle and palace and abbey in Dürnstein (alt 209 m), dubbed the pearl of the Wachau valley and Krems an der Donau (alt. 203 m) with its perfectly preserved old town and the district of Stein. Other villages in the Wachau valley are Aggsbach Dorf (alt. 208 m), Rossatz (alt. 225 m) and Mautern an der Donau (alt. 201 m) on the right bank of the River Danube and Emmersdorf an der Donau (alt. 240 m), Aggsbach Markt (alt. 214 m) and Schwallenbach (alt. 212 m) on the left bank. The Wachau valley features frequently in literature, song and film. An additional attraction is the traditional Wachau women´s costume with its golden bonnet. The mild climate in the Wachau valley - spring there begins about a 1½ months earlier than in the Waldviertel region to the north - and the fertile loess ground provide excellent conditions for wine growing and fruit (mainly apricots). Wine was cultivated here as far back as Roman times. Today the main wines grown on terraces in the Wachau valley are Riesling, Grüner Veltliner, Neuburger and Müller-Thurgau. Navigation used to be very dangerous in the meandering section of the River Danube in the Wachau valley. Road bridges cross the Danube near Melk- Emmersdorf an der Donau and near Mautern- Krems an der Donau. Car ferries are operated at Spitz- Mitterarnsdorf and Weißenkirchen- St. Lorenz. The Donauuferbahn railway line and the Wachaustraße road run along the northern bank of the River Danube, roads running from Melk via Rossatz to Mautern an der Donau on the south bank. Tributaries of the River Danube in the Wachau valley are the River Pielach and Fladnitz river on the right bank and the Spitzer Bach stream and the River Krems on the left bank.

Literature: G. Rüttnauer, Wachau, 1983; E. Schüler, Die Wachau und ihre Sehenswürdigkeiten, 1984; V. Maier and R. Sommer, Die Wachau mit Strudengau, 1994.