“Many thanks for an outstanding and astounding tour of the Wachau. It was an amazing trip that I will never forget!” ♦ J. Meyers
“Thank you for the wonderful trip to Austria. It exceeded my expectations. I love the personal touches like the tea house
visit and the bus tour through the hills. They add so much to the trip.” ♦ J. Howard“Thank you so much for everything that you did in arranging the trip to Austria, it was awesome! We saw so many things
and learned a lot.” ♦ L. Jones“I had a great time!! Thanks for doing extra things so we could see more.” ♦ W. Locke
Itinerary
Day 1 – Wednesday, April 5
We will meet as a group in Vienna Airport then travel with our own coach to Emmersdorf, where we will check into our hotel (Hotel Donauhof) and after settling in our rooms, come back together and dine at the hotel.
Day 2 – Thursday, April 6
After breakfast at the hotel, we will spend the late morning and early afternoon exploring the village of Melk (Melk), just across the Danube River from Emmersdorf with the opportunity for us to have lunch at one of the many local places. In the afternoon, we will enjoy an English-language guided tour of one of Europe’s most famous religious sites, Melk Abbey (Melk Abbey). Dinner will be provided back at our hotel.
Day 3 – Friday, April 7
A full day trip to Linz (Linz) is on the schedule for the day. But before we will stroll through the pedestrian zone of Linz to explore the old town, we will stop at the concentration camp Mauthausen to find out more about this dark and tragic episode in the more recent Austrian history.
In Linz proper we have the chance to visit the home of the Linzertorte, sample local eateries for refreshments, and then either visit the ultramodern Museum of Technology (Ars Electronica) or the more traditional castle museum and gallery with its treasure of Upper Austrian Gothic artefacts.
Day 4 – Saturday, April 8
The Saturday morning brings us by coach into Vienna and the Hofburg to visit a performance of the world famous Spanish Horse Riding School followed by a guided city bus tour and later a guided tour of Vienna’s landmark cathedral, the Stephansdom (Vienna Cathedral). After that, saturated with culture we happily strike out and explore the city and see where the mood takes us. Sachertorte, anyone? We return to Emmersdorf after dinner which we will take along the route in a local eatery.
Day 5 – Sunday, April 9
Palm Sunday – Option to attend a catholic church service at the historic village church St. Nikolaus in Emmersdorf. Afterwards we return to Vienna and visit the Easter Market at Schloss Schoenbrunn (Schoenbrunn Palace) The group will be on their own to explore the beautiful palace and its grounds in the afternoon. We will travel back to the hotel in the evening with dinner along the way in one of the many small towns’ scenic restaurants.
Day 6 – Monday, April 10
Today after breakfast we will travel to the pilgrimage church Maria Taferl (Maria Taferl). After touring the site, we will stop for lunch at a very special kind of farm stand (Kaesehuette Maria Taferl) that offers locally raised and produced food and beverage items as well as many other crafts,soaps,souvenirs, etc. Next we travel east along the Danube to the picturesque village of Dürnstein, often described as the single most romantic destination in the Wachau to wander among the ancient streets and shops. In the afternoon we have the great pleasure to enjoy an English-language guided tour just for our group of the Augustinian Abbey in Duernstein.
Day 7 – Tuesday, April 11
Krems (Krems) is on the schedule today. This city, with its mix of medieval and modern, offers a great day of exploration on foot. Breathtaking architecture and interesting shops and eateries will fascinate you as much as it did us when we discovered it. On our way back to Emmersdorf, we will take the time for leisurely stops along the way in some of the many cozy villages on the Danube, such as Weissenkirchen and Willendorf, where we could visit the founding site of the as ancient as world famous figurine ‘Venus of Willendorf‘.
Day 8 – Wednesday, April 12
We will spend the first part of the day exploring Emmersdorf (Emmersdorf) with an opportunity to explore and stock up on snacks and refreshments in the local bakery and miniature supermarket, and in the afternoon we start out on an easy hike to the Gasthaus Langthaler (Gasthaus Langthaler) in the hills above Emmersdorf, to enjoy refreshments in a true Austrian Scheunencafe, or barn café. We then hike back to our hotel for dinner. Alternatively, motor transportation back can also be arranged for those of us who would prefer not to hike back.
A last Dinner at the hotel concludes the day and we get ready for a very early departure the next day.
Day 9
After a very early breakfast we say “Auf Wiedersehen” to Emmersdorf and set out to Vienna airport via coach to return home.