World Heritage Trail Wachau

In the Wachau area, the Danube is exceptionally beautiful, boasting a unique charm. The mild climate and steep hills create perfect conditions for orchards and vineyards to flourish. Our week-long hiking adventure takes you along the "World Heritage Trail Wachau," a long-distance trail that follows the ridges of the Danube Valley. Along these diverse walking routes, you'll be treated to magnificent vistas of one of Austria's most ancient cultural landscapes, characterized by vineyards, apricot orchards, and the majestic Danube flowing through the valley.

During this varied hiking tour, you'll traverse steep cliffs, gentle hills, and thriving vineyards. The landscape is dotted with picturesque hamlets, and in addition to the renowned wines, you can savour delectable apricot delicacies, which are among the region's outstanding specialities.

Details about the hiking holiday in the Wachau

In the Danube valley, between Krems and Melk, your hike will take you along the river, through vineyards, up to scenic viewpoints, and to the ruins of Dürnstein. Your hiking experience will also include a visit to the impressive Melk Abbey, and you'll cap it off with a delightful boat trip, making for a well-rounded and memorable journey.

The highlights of this walking holiday at a glance:

• Hike in the vineyards: What makes the Wachau region so special is the numerous vineyards perched on the slopes.

• Wine & Culinary art: Pancakes filled with apricot jam, fine spirits and of course the wonderful wines of the Wachau – on the hiking holiday in the Danube river valley you experience culinary highlights every day.

• Discover the Wachau from the River Danube: Between Melk and Krems you have the opportunity to gain completely new impressions of the Wachau.

Worth knowing about the hiking tour in the Wachau

You start your hiking week with your arrival at Krems. The UNESCO World Heritage city features winding streets and wineries. Your hiking holiday begins the very next day with the first hike to Dürnstein. The route takes you via Weißenkirchen and Spitz to Melk, before returning to Krems by boat on the Danube.

Every day you hike between 12 and 14 kilometres and climb several Wachau peaks, which are not high but steep. Surefootedness is therefore an advantage in certain sections.

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.