Dürnstein Travel Guide

 balhannah Says:  The old town is wonderful to walk around. I saw an old Rathaus, old walls that surround the town of Durnstein, narrow cobblestoned streets, beautiful buildings, ruins and interesting shops.In my opinion, it is the only way to see the town. 

 balhannah Says:  From the Esplanade, I had a wonderful view of the exquisite blue and white steeple of the Blue Church.Blue, I thought an unusual colour, evidently this it what is was originally painted. Blue & white represents heaven, and grey & yellow represents earth. The Abbey, which is... 

 balhannah Says:  As we were entering Durnstein by car, we were stopped before entering the town by roadworks.There was quite a hold-up, so I got out the car and walked the esplanade, a paved path into Durnstein. An easy walk, flat and level, and right beside the Danube. I'm glad I did this... 

 dustmon Says:  Even when it is drizzling, like when we were there a few weeks ago, Durnstein is still fun to walk the streets, stopping there for a beer, there for a shot of schnapps, here for some warm strudel, and snapping photos all the while. This is prime walking area, with great... 

 dustmon Says:  I love slightly odd sights around the world---I remember very clearly as a 16 year old seeing St James' finger bone in a church in Northern Spain (or maybe Portugal), and this skeleton inside the Durnstein Abbey Church is amazing---Very Indiana Jones-ish looking through the... 

 dustmon Says:  Just kind of a no-brainer, but try and get your camera ready for this shot----an awesome view of the town in all its glory all at once coming in on our Viking Sky cruise ship around 3 in the afternoon..... 

 dustmon Says:  The old Castle ruins are free to visit, after the 30 minute hike up.....Take good shoes for this one, folks...On a sunny day this would be well worth the climb for the view of the beautiful Danube and the Wachau Valley.... 

 dustmon Says:  My son turned 30 this trip, and is an actor/puppeteer/director and poses in front of the Hell plaque in the first courtyard after entering the abbey proper---there are roses in the middle of this courtyard---make sure and look at all the plaques around the outer edge. 

 dustmon Says:  I love finding photogenic cemeteries around the world, and this one rates near the top! There are beautiful iron-scroll work headmarkers galore, with roses blooming amongst them, twining around the iron and stone with their fragrance and color. The enclosed boneyard in the... 

 dustmon Says:  The courtyard, church, exhibits(which are very interesting! some 3-D) and the Danube Terrace are all included in the 2.60 Euro admission, very much worth it, if for nothing else than the views from up top. Take the spiral stairs up if open... 

 Kathrin_E Says:  Flood marks on a wall by the river promenade recall the heights of Danube floods that hit the town. The major part of the town is located high enough to be safe but the buildings by the river are prone to damage. The valley is narrow, so the floods reach remarkable levels.... 

 Kathrin_E Says:  The ruin of a gothic church is a notable landmark in the townscape. This used to be the church of the nunnery of the Poor Clare Sisters. The church is roofless and has long ben out of use. The baroque convent buildings are now used by a hotel. 

 Kathrin_E Says:  Alter Klosterkeller is a Heuriger, a place that serves local wines and plain local food of good quality. The restaurant is located on the edge of the town next to a vineyard. If the weather allows you can sit on the terrace with a view of the valley. The terrace has a... 

 balhannah Says:  I think the best way to see historic Durnstein, is to walk. It is situated on the side of a hill, and I happened to be at the bottom beside the Danube River, this meant I had an uphill climb to reach the town centre.What is good, is there are short cuts, in the way of... 

 Kathrin_E Says:  A local train route runs through the Wachau from Krems via Dürnstein to Spitz. In Krems you connect to trains to Vienna and elsewhere.These local trains are small, consist of only one railcar, but they run every hour. 

 Kathrin_E Says:  Cruise boats run on a regular timetable along the Wachau valley from Melk to Krems. This is an easy and enjoyable way of experiencing the landscape. Fares are not cheap, though - 20€ from Melk to Dürnstein. No prebooking, buy your ticket at the booth next to the landing...