Krems an der Donau Restaurants

All along the Wachau and around are many good and famous restaurants but one should not miss to visit a "Heurigen". "Heuriger" is originally the name of the youngest wine. According to an about 250 years old law farmers growing wine are allowed to sell their wine and other products they made themselves at their places and pay lower taxes for that. But the number of opening days is limited so they mark by a bunch of twigs above the entrance door that they are open. In good weather one sits in lovely gardens and to the young wine often very delicious local snacks are served. The ideal time to visit a Heurigen is from late afternoon until early evening. In many wine villages you find in the centre a board named "Ausg'steckt" on which all addresses are given which are open this day.

If you happen to see a Tourist bus parking near a Heuriger it is better not to enter. Just look out to find an other one!

Favorite Dish: Local young wine and snacks

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I was invited by one of my good friends to Landhaus Bacher (in Mautern) in May 2004 as a treat for my birthday. My friend read that Landhaus Bacher is the "holy grail" of all wining and dining places in the Wachau area. We discovered that this is a fine-dining restaurant and boutique hotel for the "Geniesser," which translates as "gourmet" or "pleasure-lover."

Mrs. Liesl Wagner-Bacher is one of Austria's finest chefs, and her husband, Klaus Wagner, is known as a world-class gourmand (defined as "a person with a hearty liking for good food and drink") with a deep cellar full of great Austrian and International wines.

We found the dishes to be tastefully delicate but excellent, visually inventive and creative, and the wine list extensive; however not reasonably priced. It's one of the few restaurants in the world with a wine sommelier and a cheese sommelier.

The services were also good, with a dedicated waiter/waitress (dressed in Austrian traditional outfits) hovering around your table, catering to your every need.

Landhaus Bacher, an absolute fine-dining and wine-lovers' paradise (well, in my humble opinion, that is!)