Three Day Individual Tour through Austria's Wine Country

Smolka Tours’ three-day itinerary is designed to balance wine, culture, scenery, and culinary delights, and offers a maximum of flexibility with a combination of public and self-transportation.

Day One begins with your arrival in Krems, the 1000 year-old winegrowing village in the Wachau Valley. The Wachau is the most beautiful stretch of the Danube Valley, marked by vineyards, ruins and rolling hills. You’ll check into the first-class Hotel Steigenberger, a “country house in the vineyards” with splendid views over the valley. A personal folder will provide you with an itinerary, brochures, background materials, and maps of the area. In the afternoon, you’ll meet with a local guide, then travel by car to Spitz, a market village on the banks of the Danube that dates back to Celtic times. A boat ride will take you back to Krems while you enjoy an introduction to Austrian wine and taste some of the local vintages. Back in Krems, your guide will give you tips on where to stop and what to see; you’ll find additional information in your folder. You are free to spend the afternoon as you like, but be sure to be back at the hotel for the 4-course dinner pairing gourmet dishes with local wines.

On Day Two, you’ll start with a sumptuous buffet breakfast (served on the terrace of the hotel, weather permitting), then take a short drive to Melk, where you will tour the Abbey of Melk, a masterpiece of Baroque Architecture high on a bluff overlooking the Danube Valley. For lunch, choose between the Abbey and the small inns along the Danube. Afterwards, continue on to Dürnstein, a little town enclosed within a triangle of walls and towers. The castle ruins mark the spot where Richard the Lionhearted was imprisoned in the 12th century. Then it’s on to the vineyards of the Bäuerl Family for a tasting of the wines of Weingut Bäuerl. The rest of your day is free until a taxi picks you up at the hotel at 7:30 p.m. for a trip to Joching and a wine dinner highlighting local specialties and regional vintages at the Restaurant Prandtauerhof.

After breakfast at the hotel on Day Three, you’ll head north to Austria’s prime white-wine growing area, the Kamptal Region. In Langenlois, you’ll visit the LOISIUM, a completely different “world of wines,” where you’ll explore the exhibits with an English-language audio guide. Afterwards, you’ll enjoy a wine tasting at the Visitors’ Centre Vinotheque and a light lunch. In the afternoon, you continue on to Gobelsburg Castle (or Schloss Gobelsburg), dating back to the early 11th century. Schloss Gobelsburg is internationally renowned for its white wines; you’ll get to taste some of these award-winning vintages, then take a guided tour of the vineyards.

On your way back to Krems, there is another important stop: the estate of the Moser Family where you’ll have a chance to taste still more wines directly at the source. Finish the day with dinner at a local restaurant or country inn; you’ll find plenty of recommendations in your folder.

After a great night’s sleep and a final breakfast at the hotel, your three-day wine experience is complete!

The cost of this package is U$ 815.00 per person, based on double occupancy.