Durnstein .... walking tour or bike along the Danube???

Calvados

Hello ...

The 2 options in Dustin are very appealing for different reasons .... walking through the Old Town or bike along the Danube. I welcome opinions in oder to make our selections.

Thank you!

jane

AshvEd

We did the walking tour in Durnstein. It was enjoyable and ended with a tasting of local wines. The bicyclists also seemed to have a good time.

AlanS

Calvados wrote:

Hello ...

The 2 options in Dustin are very appealing for different reasons .... walking through the Old Town or bike along the Danube. I welcome opinions in oder to make our selections.

Thank you!

jane

We are on the 12 April eastbound tour. I chose the walking tour (which also usually includes an optional hike up to the Castle overlooking the town) because I signed up for the long bike ride from Engelhartszell to Aschach. My wife signed up for the Durnstein bike ride which is considerably shorter.

If you haven't received your options email from Tauck (it should arrive 60 days before departure), here is what ours says:

Walking Tour of Dürnstein

Tauck Classic Shore Excursion

Activity: 2 Pace: 2
2 hours

A walking tour along the narrow cobblestoned lanes of the picturesque Austrian village of Dürnstein, set on the Danube in the heart of the Wachau Valley, reveals 16th-century Baroque houses, a 13th-century Romanesque church, the Rathaus (town hall), the pillory and Kremser Gate. If you wish, visit Dürnstein Abbey, a 15th-century Augustinian monastery rebuilt in the Baroque style. During free time in town, you can also join your Tauck Director for an invigorating climb up to the ruins of Kuenringerburg, a hilltop castle above the town where Richard the Lionhearted was held for ransom during the Crusades, offering glorious views of the town and river. Sample the fruits of the Wachau Valley vineyards with a wine tasting at an authentic Austrian tavern.

Cycling Excursion Through the Wachau Valley

Activity: 2 Pace: 2
2 hours

A leisurely bicycle ride through countryside along the Danube with your local guide is a perfect way to experience the centuries-old castles, lush vineyards and other scenic wonders of the Wachau Valley wine-growing region, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its well-preserved medieval landscapes.

Calvados

Thank you for your comments.

bruce powers

why would you go on a bike ride when you can see a historical town. I was there 2 years ago and the town and Cathedral were fabulous. the castle -- wow

British

Choices are given because not everyone wants the same thing from a tour. Tauck are starting to give more choices these days for that very reason. All that concerns me is that my upcoming tour is one with several choices but the guidelines say’Subject to Availability’ which concerns me, because if I was offered walking or biking for example amd I was told I had to bike because no walking spaces left, I would not be happy, get the idea!

AlanS

bruce powers wrote:

why would you go on a bike ride when you can see a historical town. I was there 2 years ago and the town and Cathedral were fabulous. the castle -- wow

My thoughts exactly and my plan! I will have taken the long 26 mi. bike ride on Day 4 from to Engelhartzell to Aschach while others ride the boat and have a lecture (by that time, I'll be ready to burn some calories anyway! : ) ) I'm in training now, but if I wimp out before the end, I can ride the chase car to Aschach!

Everyone should take notice of the banner photos on the Blue Danube tour page on Tauck's website. Shown below, is one that was taken from the castle ruins and shows a group of Taucktourians who made the climb. The Danube, Durnstein, and iconic blue-trimmed, white Stift Dürnstein (Abbey Church) tower are in the background.

AlanS

British wrote:

Choices are given because not everyone wants the same thing from a tour. Tauck are starting to give more choices these days for that very reason. All that concerns me is that my upcoming tour is one with several choices but the guidelines say’Subject to Availability’ which concerns me, because if I was offered walking or biking for example amd I was told I had to bike because no walking spaces left, I would not be happy, get the idea!

I wasn't too thrilled having "options"- I want to do it all! That is one reason we are going early so we can take a day trip on our own to Cesky Krumlov (a Day 5 option) and go with Tauck to Salzburg (the other Day 5 option). We've been to Salzburg but wanted to go back.

Calvados

bruce powers wrote:

why would you go on a bike ride when you can see a historical town. I was there 2 years ago and the town and Cathedral were fabulous. the castle -- wow

Hello Bruce,
As the original poster, I must agree with you. When traveling in Europe, I want to see every village, church and winding street. During a conversation with a Tauck guide, he highly recommended the bike ride which led to my post.
Still considering options.
jane

MCD

I really enjoyed walking around Durnstein. There's a lovely shop that sells jewelry made from stones from the Danube. I wear my necklaces from there often.

50joanie

Just returned from the cruise. We did the Durnstein bicycle trip. We needed a break from walking in little towns, although it was charming. We also did the biking in Budapest, which we LOVED. You ride from the Pest side, over one of the bridges, and then ride along the river, to another bridge to get back to Pest. Once there, we rode through a park on Margaret Island. It was a lovely sunny day. We got a view of the parliament building from the Buda side of the river, and then bicycled to it, on the Pest side to see it up close. It is all flat cycling, except for one small hill once you come out of the park at Margaret Island. We asked the guides about buying t-shirts, like they wore...so they phoned ahead,and asked their associate to bring t-shirts so we could purchase. 15 Euros. IbikeBudapest. Loved it!

cdunn1954

We did the walking tour. Very impressive church. Wine tasting was very nice.

AlanS

Wow, Joanie beat me to posting!

Dürnstein is a VERY small town and there is not much to see. Both groups did most of the short walking tour, but those who biked had to leave before we entered the Augustinian Monastery and church. Though there are not as many churches on this tour as Classic Italy which is sometimes referred to as the "ABC" (another beautiful church) tour, you will see plenty, most are larger and/or more ornate than the one in Dürnstein.

My wife biked with Joanie in Dürnstein and loved it as well. I did the walking tour of the town/church, walked/climbed up to the ruins, then attended the wine tasting. I enjoyed my day as well- of course, I never met a ruin or castle I didn't like. Also, on Day 4, I had done the long, 43 km, bike ride from Engelhartzsell to Aschach, so I already had my biking-along-the-Danube fix.





A very quiet day in Dürnstein! I waited a few minutes for people to walk out of the frame and was lucky!





Gillian, one of our TD's, and me at the castle ruin. Only about 6 people climbed to the ruin. On his way back from the Crusades, Richard the Lionhearted was supposedly imprisoned and held for ransom here.

chocobill

AlanS wrote:

My thoughts exactly and my plan! I will have taken the long 26 mi. bike ride on Day 4 from to Engelhartzell to Aschach while others ride the boat and have a lecture (by that time, I'll be ready to burn some calories anyway! : ) ) I'm in training now, but if I wimp out before the end, I can ride the chase car to Aschach!

Everyone should take notice of the banner photos on the Blue Danube tour page on Tauck's website. Shown below, is one that was taken from the castle ruins and shows a group of Taucktourians who made the climb. The Danube, Durnstein, and iconic blue-trimmed, white Stift Dürnstein (Abbey Church) tower are in the background.

How much of a walk up to that old castle I heard is where they held King Richard? Thanks

AlanS

The walk isn't too far, especially if you take the shortcut like we did. However, the shortcut is very steep in some sections and really not much of an established trail. It is dirt and gravel, and has few roughly shaped rock and stone steps as opposed to rectangular granite steps. In one or two places you are actually stepping over exposed tree roots on a short but fairly steep incline, so a few of us were briefly on all fours, actually placing our hands on the steep bank to one side to steady us. The long route which we used to descend is not nearly as steep, is wide, but is covered with pea gravel so a bit slippery and can be a bit hazardous as well if you try to go too fast downhill or are not careful. If you are in fair shape and have no mobility issues you should have little problem with either route.

The long route has illustrated signage about King Richard and his imprisonment along the way. The "castle" is a true ruin, with no roofs, parapets,etc. What you see in my photos and online is exactly what is there- not much is left, but I like castle ruins and the view of town, abbey, and Wachau Valley was fabulous.

I did the long bike ride earlier from Engelhartzsell, while my wife did the short ride from Durnstein to Weisenkirchen. Her group stopped at a cafe for beverages/snacks and to rest before taking a short walk to see the exterior of the church then biking back to Durnstein.