The Danube River brings to mind not only the Blue Danube Waltz, that compositional blend of romantic, gently swirling, rhythmic phrases – punctuated by the occasional dramatic phrase – it is also evocative of Lower Austria and Vienna, a graceful and refined area that includes great art in all forms, and wine, of course. Since wine country hiking here combines all these elements, it fell on the must-do list.
Continue reading The Wachau: Wine Experiences along Austria’s Danube
What I Learned:
Austria has 20 wine regions, one of which is the Wachau, situated along the banks of the Danube, upriver from Vienna.
Wine production in the Wachau region dates to at least the 1130s.
The geography helps to make grape-growing possible. The ancient Danube River helped created the loess soils, and now serves to moderate temperatures; the bowls formed by the steep hill slopes (called Ried), shelter vines from winds and capture the sun’s heat.
Trail Name: Panoramaweg Spitzer Graben (also advertised as Panoramawanderweg Spitzer Graben)
Trail Type: Long distance hiking trail, well maintained, and rather well-marked.
Length:
Total: 19.7 km/12.25 miles
Segment: @12 km/8 miles
Convenient to: Krems, Austria
Continue reading Panoramaweg Spitzer Graben: Trail in a Nutshell
