World Heritage Trail Wachau with Charm

Spitz, Dürnstein, Weißenkirchen, Melk - these delightful places in the Wachau offer culture, hospitality, cuisine and much more. You could also say that they are bursting with beauty and are perfect destinations in Austria for the daily stages on the 8-day hiking tour along the Wachau.

Details about the hiking holiday in the Wachau

The city of Krems, the Göttweig Monastery, Dürnstein and its ruins - even the first stage is full of highlights. The next day you will first enjoy a ferry ride before the hike passes Austria's largest apricot-growing area.

There has to be a break and therefore day 4 is a rest day. It is perfect for taking a stop at one of the wine taverns around Weißenkirchen. Spitz and Melk are not only world-famous but also other destinations on our tour. On the way, you hike the ruin Aggstein, which towers imposingly over the Danube and offers impressive views of the region. On the return journey by ship, the journey ends in Krems.

The highlights of this walking holiday at a glance:

• Idyllic vineyard hikes: The famous Wachau stone terraces may have been built around the 13th century and still shape the landscape today.

• Discover the Danube on ridges: The special geography of the narrow valley offers great hiking opportunities, although the elevations are never higher than 1,000 metres. From the Seekopf and Buschandlwand, you have unique panoramas over the Danube or the Alps.

• Culinary highlights: Let's be honest - good food is simply part of a holiday! The first-class wines go well with light fish dishes as well as a hearty ‘Jause’ (snack) (including Wachauer Laberl!).

• Wine villages: Wachau is one of the most popular regions in Austria, to which the unique climate certainly contributes. When different climatic influences come together, the quality of the grapes and thus the wines are improved significantly.

Worth knowing about the hiking tour in the Wachau

The Wachau World Heritage Trail not only offers numerous scenic, cultural and culinary highlights, but it is also one of the “Top Trails of Austria”. So here you can confidently say that the journey is the destination. Another plus point is that some of the routes can be designed by yourself, depending on your fitness and experience levels.

Route summary

Hiking tours along well-maintained paths and in parts on asphalted vineyard paths. Depending on the route you can either enjoy the tours at a leisurely pace or make it more challenging. Summits in the Wachau area are not high, but partly steep. Hence surefootedness is required in a few places. This week of walking offers a beautiful combination of nature, sights and enjoyment.

This tour has been graded as Medium. Find out more about our walking holiday difficulty levels.

About our Active holidays with Charm

On our ‘Hiking Tours with Charm’, you can enjoy the full service of our active holidays while staying in very special accommodations with that extra something in the best location. That means you can look forward to luxury furnishings and decor in the local style, as well as cuisine at the highest level. Many of our hotels with charm also offer large pools and a wellness area where you can relax after a lovely day of hiking.