Grein Things to Do

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If you follow the road alongside the river from Grein to Struden, a little further on you will come to some River Locks. We stopped here for a while, as a Russian tourist boat was just about to go into the lock. We watched it come in and out, before heading to the car for our onward journey.

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The morning we left Grein, we followed the Donau Bundesstrasse [3], River road for 3kms to the small town of Struden. We saw wonderful scenery as the road follows the very edge of the River.
We arrived at Struden, a town as pretty as a picture, I loved it! It stretched along the river bank, as it couldn't extend in width because of the high hills behind the town. The River was so calm here, even though water traffic was going past all the time.

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Grein is a wonderful town to do this. Grein is situated on the bend of the River Danube.
The river bend was known for years as the "place where death resides," as it was one of the river's most hazardous stretches until the reefs were blasted away in the late 1700s.
These days, I saw plenty of water traffic making their way up and down the Danube, it was so interesting, especially seeing the amount of cruise ships that travel the Danube.
For cyclists, the River Danube cycling tracks passes through Grein.

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The Town square has a lot of historic buildings, I just can't put name to photo!
Quite a few date to the 1600's, others were built in the 1800's. I liked the Volksbank which had graffito and was a very ornamental building.
One of the buildings was once an old Inn, another the Boat-master's house. There is plenty of interest, and its a good place to rest your feet and people watch.

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This fountain is located in the Town Square. It was built in 1872, to honour the Count of Meggau, who cared for the social welfare of the people of Grein.
There are other old fountains built in the 1600's. If you throw coins in one of them, it is said you will return to Grein!

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You won't miss seeing this Church as it has a very tall tower.

Inside, the Gothic church is beautiful!
The main entrance used to be situated in the tower gangway, but in 1600 there was a murder, so it was walled up. Opposite this entrance is the headstone of the former Governor of Upper Austria, "Hans Lobl" who was the owner of Greinburg and died in 1562. Near the southern exit, is another gravestone, this time of the Count of Hardegg who died in 1502.
Of interest, is the beautiful Church pulpit which shows the four church doctors. I loved the stained glass windows, altogether, it is worth visiting the inside of this church.

The Rathaus was dated 1468, and the Grein Theatre, 1791, making it the oldest, still regularly used town theater in Austria. Inside are well maintained stalls, a Toilet separated only by a curtain from the auditorium, a prison, from which the prisoners could watch for the performances and much more.

OPEN...1ST May to 26 October
Monday to Saturday 9:00 to 12:00 and 2-6PM
Sunday / holiday ...2-4PM

GUIDED TOURS....Monday to Saturday 9 & 11am, 2 & 5PM
Sundays 2pm
ADMISSION IN 2012....adults....€ 4.50 Students € 2.50
Children under 6 years FREE

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Schloss Greinburg is an impressive Castle that we couldn't miss seeing on entering Grein. Built between the years, 1488 - 1493, it is one of Austria’s oldest occupied castles. It is an architecturally beautiful, late Renaissance Castle, with an arcaded inner court which is integrated into the Gothic structure. The Castle overlooks the Danube and the picturesque town of Grein, well worth coming up to see the view if the Castle is closed like when we were here.

If you do get a chance to go inside, expect to see lovely furniture and paintings, some of which had been part of the private collection of Queen Victoria of England. After the end of the Second World War and the occupation of Greinburg by the Russian army, a large part of the art treasures were carried off.

VISIT.....Castle & Upper Austria Maritime Museum
May 1 - October 26.... daily 9 am 5 pm
Adults.... 4 euros

PALACE TOUR....April-October.....From 10 persons (only to order)
Tel. + 43 (0) 664-9861981

TOURS
30 Minutes (4 euros per person): Arcaded courtyard, diamond vault, Grand Knight's Hall, Chapel, Sala Terrena

TOUR... 60 Minutes (6 euros per person): including Coburg Festival rooms

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The day started gray and windy. Decided was take the south shore to the city Melk. Our destination for today is Ebersdorf / Leben near Melk. A bicycle tour of about 61 km. After a strong descent from Gasthof Aumuhle to Grein (we did this with the bus and trailer) followed a difficult crossing on a busy road and then over the Danube bridge to the southern bank. Here begins a beautiful bank road through the wooded Strudengau. A local narrow stream valley, one of the nicer parts of the Danube valley. Near the locality Wiesen you have a beautiful view of Grein. Beyond the black wall you pass the locality Freyenstein. According to a legend lives here at the bottom of river the legendary Danube monarch "Nock", but only at full moon to see (if you have luck). By locality Willersbach with a Gasthof and camping was time for a cappuccino. From this point is the Strudegau real passet. Around noon, we arrive in the town of Ybbs, under sunny weather conditions. A charming town with remnants of city walls and old houses from the 16th and 18th century. Take your time to visit this town with in the center a bicycle museum. From this town follow you a tow-path along the Danube towards the town of Melk. At Krummussbaum we have a picnic with a magnificent view of the Wallfahrtskirche (Sanctuary) Maria Taferl. On a reasonable time we arrived in Melk so we decided to visit the famous Abbey. A unique Benedictine Monastery of rare beauty, therefore an absolute must. After the visit and a terrace in the center back to the dam to the north bank. And then the last part of 9 km to our destination Ebersdorf / Lehen, the Gasthof Dürregger.

For a visual impression of this bicycle day see my home made video Grein-Ebersdorf/Lehen near Melk.

If you drive from Vienna by Deutsche Romantikstrasse, then after Melk I recommend to stop at Grein to see Greinburg castle. Entering Grein, you can park your car near Donau and go uphill where castle is situated. There are signs, so it is impossible to go astray. I was there early in the morning and saw only two people, so it was pro, but cons was that castle was closed. But I could get in the courtyard which was inside the castle and was very beautiful. This arcade yard was very wide and in all three floors were animal horns. There are also well and fountain in the centre of courtyard. Since the beginning of 19th century castle belongs to Dukes of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Castle is famous with Queen Victoria who lived here.
It did cost me nothing to enter at courtyard.