← Wachau Marathon·2 nights

Melk and the Danube: Two Nights Along the Valley

A baroque abbey above the river, a night in Melk and a second night in the valley, with the boat as the slow option and a bus as the fallback.

Duration2 nights
TransitDanube boat, seasonal Wachaubahn or regional bus from Krems; check timetables
DepartsKrems an der Donau

After the Wachau Marathon: Melk and the Danube

The Route: Krems → Melk → Dürnstein → Krems → Vienna Airport (VIE) Logistics: Danube boat, seasonal Wachaubahn or bus up the valley to Melk, one night there, one night in Dürnstein, then back to Krems. Marathon Month: September Duration: 2 nights

Krems ──(boat, rail or bus)──> Melk ──(back down the valley)──> Dürnstein
                                                                    │
Vienna Airport (VIE) ◄──(Krems, then rail)──────────────────────────┘

The Wachau Marathon starts in Emmersdorf, across the river from Melk, and runs downstream to Krems. This itinerary goes back up the valley on the Monday, which is slower and kinder on the legs than anything with a climb.

September in the valley: daytime highs of about 20°C, cooler nights, early grape harvest and a low sun by late afternoon. Stift Melk is open for the season from 20 March to 1 November, so late September falls inside it. Keep a layer for the boat.

Getting to Melk

The boat is the best option. The Danube operator DDSG runs seasonal sailings through the Wachau, and low water has cut sailings in September, so check the sailing before you plan around it and have a bus as a fallback. The seasonal Wachaubahn is another choice, and a regional bus along the valley road is the dependable one. Check the timetables on donau.com's Wachau bus page and wachaubahn.at. Journey times vary by mode, so check them for your date.

Night One: Melk

Melk is a small town at the foot of the abbey rock. The old town is a compact grid of lanes below the abbey, with pavement most of the way, and the abbey stands on the rock above and the approach climbs, which is hard on the day after a marathon. Take it slowly, and ask at the ticket desk about lifts inside.

Stift Melk is the big baroque monastery on the rock above the town. The operator's visiting page lists an adult ticket at €16.00. German tours run hourly from 10:00 to 16:00, and English tours at 10:55, 13:55 and 14:55. Check the day's programme before you set out, since opening and tour times change by season. Expect stairs inside, so ask at the desk about lifts and step-free routes.

Stay at the Wachauerhof, a hotel in the town, and check availability and breakfast times for your date. For dinner, ask the hotel for a restaurant in the old town that serves valley wines by the glass. Order a Grüner Veltliner with something local.

Night Two: Dürnstein

Go back downstream on the Tuesday morning by boat, bus or rail and take a room in Dürnstein. The Hauptstraße is a short cobbled lane on the flat, and the pale blue tower of Stift Dürnstein is the landmark. Skip the climb to the castle ruin, where Richard I of England was held in 1192 and 1193. The path is steep and uneven.

Stay at Gartenhotel & Weingut Pfeffel, or compare Hotel Schloss Dürnstein and Hotel Richard Löwenherz. Ask the hotel which wine taverns are open that week for dinner.

Getting to Vienna Airport

From Dürnstein, take the bus or Wachaubahn back to Krems. From Krems, trains connect to Vienna and onwards to Vienna Airport (VIE). Check the ÖBB timetable for the journey time and build in a margin for a delayed local service.