Vineyards, towns and ruins in the Wachau Valley

After some discussion about the best alternative, we decided to follow the south bank of the Danube towards Krems.  This meant we would have morning shade and views across the river to some of the beautiful towns along the route.  

It was a steep climb out of town and then a sharp descent down to the river.  We soon reached Schloss Schonbuhel, built in the early 12th century, later owned by the Melk Abbey and now in private hands.  

The cycle route hugged the river, with little towns visible on the opposite bank.  Ahead we could see the ruins of Castle Aggstein, dating back to the 12th century.  There were lots of cyclists on the path, the majority riding e-bikes.  Some entrepreneurial locals were selling cherries along the way and we bought half a kilo for morning tea. 

It was lovely cycling as we made our way through the Wachau Valley, a designated UNESCO world heritage site, renowned for its little villages, terraced vineyards and historical sites, with ruined castles perched on many of the hills.

Our morning tea stop was a hive of activity, as we watched the car ferry make its way across the river from Spitz. We were soon cycling through vineyards, including the Domane Wachau vineyard.  We had purchased a bottle of their Gruner Vetliner at the supermarket the night before so I can attest to the excellent quality of their wines. 

As we were on the south side of the river, we didn’t pass through Dürnstein so appreciated the blue and white bell abbey tower from the opposite bank.  Richard the lionheart was once imprisoned in the now ruined fortress above the town, and only released when a ransom was paid.  

We continued towards Krems, forced to take another detour before looping back across the bridge. We stayed along the river so didn’t enter through the gates.  After a few kilometres we turned away from the river and picked up the Kamp-Thaya-March cycle path that would take us through upper Austria.

The first of the hills took us through more vineyards and the steepest part of the ride was along uneven cobblestones.  We stopped for lunch at Langenlois, next to a statue of King Josep II.  In the centre of the nearby town square, known as the Kornplatz, was a baroque statue, the Holy Trinity Column, erected as a symbol of gratitude for deliverance from the dangers of war, fire and plague.  

The town extended into the hills and after climbing for a few kilometres, we crossed a bridge over the Kamp river. We continued along a forested path, with a quick break for a sugar hit from some chocolate biscuits, before continuing up a super steep hill. We made it without stopping but the couple behind us had to push their bikes to the top. We had passed a guy on a recumbent bike, and he managed the hill with ease, not even stopping as he began his descent. 

We finally reached Gars am Kamp and after a quick detour via the supermarket, attempted to activate our digital keys for the Smart Motel.  Mine worked, but G’s did not. Eventually G entered Crowle as the surname, and finally had remote access.  Si created a physical card so that we had backup access. 

The Motel was functional but we couldn’t find the promised fridge so Si did a quick trip back to the supermarket for a bag of ice.  We created a fridge in the shower, with all our cold stuff placed carefully under the ice. As we left the Motel in search of dinner, we helped an Italian guest navigate the check in system – which was translated into English and German only. 

We did a quick wander around town before settling on Pizzeria Di Lara for dinner, where we found a table in the courtyard.  G and Si ordered pizzas which they enjoyed, whilst I had an excellent moussaka.   

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