In a day-trip from Vienna, we biked from the town of Melk to Krems along the Danube River. This region in Lower Austria, known as the Wachau, is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for architecture (monasteries, castles, ruins), urban design (towns and villages), and agricultural use (principally for the cultivation of vines). Overall, it was probably my favorite day-trip so far on the trip, and we have done many!
The tricky part was figuring out the logistics - train schedules to and from Vienna, and most importantly, how to rent a bike one way. It turns out that there’s a bike rental shop right by the river in Melk that allows drop-off in Krems. By 11am, we were on our way with our bikes!
We stopped at many places along the way, including the monastery at Melk, several hilltop castle ruins, towns, and wineries. Wine from the region is surprisingly good and cheap! We found a great wine garden by the river that offers tastings of local wine by the glass.
The bike ride itself is only about 30km and mostly flat, but it took us an entire day with the stops. The weather was just perfect, and the views from everywhere were spectacular. I particularly enjoyed walking up to the hilltop castles for views over the region, and biking alongside vineyards and through villages. There were so many great pictures from the day, but here are my favorites:
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| Taking a break near the monastery at Melk |
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| View of the valley |
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| One of the several hilltop castles we visited. Although left in ruins, the castle offers superb views of the region. |
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| Passing through an old town. |
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