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.
Much like the Blue Danube Waltz, the Spitzer Graben Panoramaweg seemed to capture the same quintessential elements of Lower Austria’s Danubian countryside: very romantic, with gentle, picturesque, although sometimes suddenly dramatic, landscapes. One indelibly romantic memory includes seeing a mist-shrouded, romantic castle-hotel crowning the heights above Muehldorf. Shortly thereafter a baroque-style church rose from an incredibly green hillside looking as if made from soft pink cotton candy. A dramatic highlight later appeared as I rounded a curve high on a hill to look down a valley to the distant Danube, flowing smoothly eastwards. From that point on, it was mostly in sight as vineyards began to dominate the landscape. The brilliantly-colored, late fall foliage provided a stunning contrast to the grey skies; the rising mist enhanced the romantic views of the mountains and the hamlets clinging to their sides.
For wine enthusiasts wanting to explore Austria’s Wachau wine country along the Danube, this is the day trail to hike. While it begins near orchards, just beyond the last vineyards in Muehldorf, this trail soon alternates between old growth copses and vineyards. Signs from the local cooperative, Domaene Wachau, keep you on track, so to speak, by designating the type of grape in each area. Just outside the Spitz trailhead, the route intersects a wine education path, providing yet more opportunity to learn about this area’s delicious wines. In between, there are vineyards, some of them famous named Ried (slopes), terraced with beautiful, dry stonewall terraces; small, family wineries; an upscale wine bar (in Spitz); and even a 24/7 tasting opportunity right on the trail: a self-serve, well-stocked wine refrigerator filled with bottles of wine from a local vintner, available for a few euros. The trail winds its way through all this, before entering the outskirts of Spitz, well known in wine circles. The trail then follows up the other side of the Spitzerbach, providing an opportunity to view the valley from the opposite perspective, to return to the Muehldorf trailhead.
In spite of rain the previous day, the trail surface was in great condition, even where it was dirt or grass. It included steps in a couple of places. The trail surface was often asphalted, especially when passing through a village or settlement. In these cases, the route provided close-ups views of various architecture styles that make up Austria’s rich palette of architectural color and design: from Oberranna’s medieval castle, to the Baroque hilltop church, to medieval village homes, a Renaissance palace in Spitz; and most often, traditional vintner houses and huts – decked with flowers even in November!
I also loved the trail layout which included several ascents and descents, and sometimes meandered through darkened, quiet copses. At first, the trail would emerge from the trees into fields or apricot orchards, the other agricultural specialty here. Further along the route, the trail would emerge from a copse into the midst of vines arrayed up and down steep slopes in a sun-burst of fall color. Interestingly, some of the vines were still laden with shriveling grapes destined for the Wachau’s famous late harvest wines.
Variety is the spice of life, of wine, and of hiking. The various wines produced from the vineyards along this trail were both unique, in the case of Gruener Veltliner; and unusual, in the case of the Rieslings, which had a definitive taste, quite unlike German Rieslings. Having the chance to experience them in situ was a great opportunity. Likewise, this trail provided delightful variety at every corner, making every step of this hike a truly enjoyable experience.
