My friend and I spent a few days driving around Lower Austria and Burgenland at the beginning of…read morethis month. We stopped in Aggstein to see the ruins of Aggstein Castle, which was well worth our time! The castle was built in the 12th century but after years of neglect beginning in the 17th century, fell to ruins. The ruins sit atop a hill above the Danube River, and there are some incredible views. The castle has a small restaurant (they had inside seating, which wasn't open when we visited, but they had plenty of outdoor seating, which was lovely), where we enjoyed lunch when we arrived at the castle. We had some frankfurters with rolls, horseradish, and mustard - super simple and delicious. They also serve lemonade, beer, and other food. It was packed when we ate lunch, because a school group was visiting (lots of orders of French fries), but the food was fast, and it couldn't have been more convenient. But the reason to visit is definitely, easily the experience of walking through the structure of the ruins. It's really very cool to explore and take photographs of the structure - and the wonderful views you can see though the window and doorframes of the ruins. There wasn't much in the way of signage that I could see, but it's interesting to walk around and you can Google the castle before you walk around to get some context for your visit. A great stop in Lower Austria (we visited between stops at Melk and wineries in the Wachua Valley)!

Drive up the hill all the way to the carpark which is right next to the ruins. Unusually perched…read morehigh on a hill on solid rock these ruins offer great panoramic views of the area and Danube. The audio guide was helpful for creating even more atmosphere. There is a Tavern in the courtyard, closed this week but I am sure great in Summer. We like to intersperse Ruins with Schloss's and Abbeys, contrast is good. There are a number of walks you can set off on from the Abbey all signposted with distances.

4.7 stars for Dürnstein Castle…read more We came to Dürnstein Castle as part of our river cruise tour along the Danube. The hike up to the castle ruins only takes about 20-40 minutes depending on how athletic you are (or let's be real- how often you stop for scenic photos). I am not very athletic, but I found this hike to be quite leisurely. Honestly, the ruins of the castle are not the highlight of Dürnstein in my opinion. Rather, it is the breathtaking views of the surrounding scenic vineyards, Danube river and small towns from the higher altitude that make this castle hike so spectacular and worthwhile. The small town is also fun to explore, as it is a cute and quaint village worthy of photographing. They also sell little souvenirs/postcards and apricot products (such as apricot chocolate or apricot wine) since they are known for their apricots. I would highly recommend hiking up to the castle if you are physically able! And Dürnstein itself is such a peaceful and endearing small town!

Dürnstein Castle was a really fun excursion for us. It's located above the town of Dürnstein on…read morethe Danube river. I saw some river cruise boats docked close to here but we were actually bussed in from a dock that was further away. You really need to wear your walking shoes if you want to visit the castle because the only way to get to it is to hike. You start off by going up an uphill paved street past what looked like a residential area. After a while you'll transition a steeper uphill dirt road. Eventually you'll also have to traverse some somewhat sketchy stone steps. If you have mobility issues this might not be the excursion for you. It was more challenging than I expected to get to the castle but I enjoyed the views on the way. The ruined castle is where King Richard I of England was imprisoned, which was fascinating to hear about. The views from the castle ruins were quite stunning. You not only get wonderful views of the town below, but of the Danube as well. You'll want to make sure you bring coins with you on this trip because the only public restroom I could find in town required specific coins to get in with no method of making change. Don't even get me started on that.

Melk Abbey Visited…read morethe abbey on an all-day tour starting in Vienna, then heading to Hallstatt and Salzburg. We were only there for 45 minutes, so I just had time to run in and admire the beautiful church. That was more than enough to know I have to return to Austria to properly explore the abbey and the entire Wachau Valley. What a place!!!

My friend and I spent a few days driving around Lower Austria and Burgenland at the beginning of…read morethis month. Melk was our first stop after leaving Vienna. We were there for the Melk Abbey and for an afternoon in the Wachau Valley. The Melk Abbey makes a visit to Melk totally worth it. The abbey was founded in 1089 (!!!), but the Baroque abbey you'll see when you visit was built between 1702 and 1736. The abbey sits at the top of a rocky outcrop in town, so it's a little bit of a walk through town and then up to the abbey (but not as strenuous as it seemed when we were looking up at the abbey from town). There's a lot to see at the abbey - the church, the library, the views... You can't take photographs inside the abbey, but you can see pictures of it online to get an idea. It's really stunning. It was really beautiful, and I'm so glad we made a stop in Melk to see it!