A hike to the autumn-coloured Wachau

A trip to the Vogelberg near Dürnstein

Starting point

Parking in the village of Dürnstein (paid, 6 € all-day parking).
 

Description of the hike

I like to return to Wachau, the wine region on the Danube, between Melk and Krems. In the spring I climbed the highest point, the almost 1,000-metre high Jauerling, in early November I visited the autumn-coloured Dürnstein and hiked the nearby Vogelberg. I leave my car in a paid parking lot near the train station. You can't avoid paying parking fees here, Dürnstein is a picturesque historic town, one of the tourist draws of the Wachau.

It's a beautiful autumn day, a little after 9am, and yet the car park is almost empty. In the town I meet only a few people going to mass, no tourists. I can walk the narrow streets undisturbed, see the church and the baroque monastery with its blue and white tower. Above me, I can see the ruins of a medieval castle and also the rocks of the Vogelberg, which I want to climb. Before the end of the village I turn right along the marked hiking trail into the ravine. Just after the last house, the steep climb up to the rocks begins.

And it's a great hike! The narrow trail climbs on rocks, bypasses rockeries and overcomes granite slabs. 200 vertical metres for about half a kilometre. Paths lead off to viewpoints - the opposite sharp ridge topped with the ruins of a castle, the meandering Danube and the vineyards on its banks, the towns with beautiful churches. Small, twisted pines, resembling bonsai, grow on the rocks. Probably the most beautiful stretch is the Vogelbergsteig, a few dozen metres around a pointed rock. The Vogelbergsteig is secured by a fixed rope, but it is not a ferrata.

The trail is narrow but straight and safe, the rope is more for the peace of mind of parents and those who would be unnerved by the sight of a steep drop down into the gorge. I've been walking for over an hour and still no one is anywhere. I meet the first tourists at the end of the ridge, at the Kanzel lookout. There is a narrow bench and a dead tree decorated with hearts, a romantic place. From Kanzel you can see all the way to Jauerling (Tip for a hike through the vineyards to Jauerling, the highest point in Wachau | Natreku.cz). The very top of Vogelberg (546 m) is inconspicuous, unmarked. From Vogelberg it is only a few minutes to the Fesslhütte, a hiking restaurant at the crossroads of the hiking trails. A short distance above the restaurant is the small lookout tower Starhembergwarte. If you want to shorten the journey, you can take the green trail to the castle and then back to Dürnstein.

I follow the red and yellow trail down into the Mehntalgraben gorge. After a while the yellow trail disconnects and follows the contour line back to the vineyards. I follow the unmarked path along the ridge to the low hill Höhereck. There is a nice view to the east of the Göttweig monastery above Krems and the vineyards around. Between the vineyards, I then follow the Welterbesteig trail back to the town. Above me, climbers are training on the steep rocks above the castle (Klettergarten Dürnstein). One last hike up to the castle. There are already more people here, so I hurry to take a photo and down the stairs to the town. There are more tourists, guests sitting outside the restaurants, enjoying the sunny afternoon and enjoying white wine from the local vineyards. If you want to take away a bit of Wachau's sunshine and good cheer, you'll find cellars and shops selling local wine and fruit products in the alleyways.
 

Difficulty

An easy trek that can be done with older children. The route follows marked hiking trails, mostly through forest paths. The steeper climb is just after the village of Dürnstein.
 

Water availability

Refreshments are available at the Fesslhütte hut (closed out of season).
 

Sleeping options

The Wachau is a tourist area, with plenty of accommodation from campsites to hotels.
 

Mountain peaks

The route goes over the Vogelberg hill (546 m), which offers beautiful views of the landscape around the Danube River.
 

Danger

The route is not dangerous, a few dozen meters near the Vogelberg hill is secured with a steel fixed rope, but in good weather it is not necessary to use it.
 

Food

Just below the Vogelberg hill is the Fesslhütte restaurant. Otherwise, it's a good idea to have some food with you.