Must-see attractions in The Danube Valley

  • First courtyard of Baroque Benedictine Abbey Stift Melk.

    Stift Melk

    The Danube Valley

    Of the many abbeys in Austria, Stift Melk is the most famous. Possibly Lower Austria's finest, the monastery church dominates the complex with its twin…

  • Landesgalerie NÖ

    Krems an der Donau

    From one side it looks like a squashed cube, from the other as though it's about to topple over – welcome to the latest addition to Krems' Kunstmeile: a…

  • Forum Frohner

    Krems an der Donau

    Part of Krems' Kunsthalle network, this contemporary white cube is named after the artist Adolf Frohner and is housed in the former Minorite monastery. It…

  • Stift Göttweig

    Krems an der Donau

    Founded in 1083, the abbey was devastated by fire in the early 18th century and so sports an impressive baroque interior. It's still a working monastery…

  • Domäne Wachau

    The Danube Valley

    If you're intent on tasting the best of what the Wachau has to offer, it's a good idea to do a broad range of vineyards, from the innovative family-run…

  • Egon Schiele Museum

    The Danube Valley

    The Egon Schiele Museum, housed in a former jail near the Danube, vividly presents the story of the life of the Tulln-born artist. It presents around 100…

  • Piaristenkirche

    Krems an der Donau

    Reached by a covered stairway (Piaristenstiege) from Pfarrplatz, Krems' most impressive church has a wonderful webbed Gothic ceiling and huge, austerely…

  • Kunsthalle Krems

    Krems an der Donau

    One of the main attractions on Krems' Kunstmeile, the Kunsthalle has a program of changing exhibitions. These might be mid-19th-century landscapes or hard…

  • Kuenringerburg

    The Danube Valley

    Kuenringerburg, the castle high on the hill above the town, is where Richard the Lionheart was incarcerated from 1192 to 1193. His crime was insulting…

  • Schloss Artstetten

    The Danube Valley

    Built from the ruins of a 13th-century medieval castle and tinkered with for 700 years, Artstetten castle gained fame and glory after passing into the…

  • Schloss Schallaburg

    The Danube Valley

    This palace is famous not only for its stunning architecture but also for the innovative exhibitions it houses, along with its lovely gardens. A wonderful…

  • Pfarrkirche St Veit

    Krems an der Donau

    Known as the ‘Cathedral of the Wachau’, the large baroque parish church boasts colourful frescos by Martin Johann Schmidt, an 18th-century local artist…

  • Schloss Grafenegg

    The Danube Valley

    About 6km south of Diendorf is this historicist castle with the look and feel of an ornate Tudor mansion set in English woods, although look a little…

  • Egon Schiele Birthplace

    The Danube Valley

    This interpretive, interactive museum is based in a touching recreation of Egon Schiele's actual birthplace and family home. The son of the local station…

  • Karikaturmuseum

    Krems an der Donau

    Austria’s sole caricature museum occupies a suitably tongue-in-cheek chunk of purpose-built architecture, its spiky facade tearing the blue Austrian sky…

  • Museum im Minoritenkloster

    The Danube Valley

    This city-promoted museum space features some excellent changing exhibitions based around mostly Austrian artists. Schiele has made a couple of…

  • Weissenkirchen Parish Church

    The Danube Valley

    This 15th-century Gothic church sits on a hilltop overlooking the town; its front doors are approached along a labyrinth of covered pathways. Look out for…

  • Pfarr-und Wallfahrtskirche Maria Taferl

    The Danube Valley

    Rising high above the Danube Valley, this baroque church was created by Jakob Prandtauer (of Melk fame), and has two onion domes and dark dome-frescoes…

  • Burg Aggstein

    The Danube Valley

    A fabulously evocative castle ruin from the 12th-century, set high above the Danube. The views from the ramparts are worth the climb and various events…

  • Pfarrkirche St Stephan

    The Danube Valley

    This parish church combines Gothic and baroque elements, along with the wonderful 13th-century frescoed Romanesque funerary chapel.

  • Minoritenkirche

    The Danube Valley

    Alongside the tourist office, the rococo Minorite church from 1739 is decorated with magnificent ceiling frescoes dedicated to St Johannes Nepomuk.

  • Wachau Museum

    The Danube Valley

    Directly below the church, the tiny, pretty Wachau Museum showcases artists of the Danube School.

  • Rathausplatz

    Krems an der Donau

    Stein's pretty and impressive central square: look for the 18th-century Steinerathaus.

  • Schürerplatz

    Krems an der Donau

    Stein's lovely square with the baroque Mazzettihaus at its centre.

  • Chorherrenstift

    The Danube Valley

    Of the picturesque 16th-century houses and other prominent buildings lining Dürnstein’s streets, the meticulously restored Chorherrenstift is the most…

  • Museum Krems

    Krems an der Donau

    Housed in a former Dominican monastery, the town’s museum has collections of religious and modern art, including works by Kremser Schmidt, who painted the…

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