Vienna Woods + Danube Valley

This excursion takes us south of the Vienna Woods. Passing by the Höldrichsmühle, the summer residence of the famous composer Franz Schubert, we will arrive at Heiligenkreuz, a Cistercian monastery notable for its medieval cloister. We will continue our journey to the small village of Mayerling, the former hunting lodge of the Imperial family and a tragic location known for the deaths of Crown Prince Rudolf and his mistress Mary Vetsera.
Afterward, we will head towards the Danube Valley. The highlight of this excursion will be a visit to the Benedictine Abbey of Melk, the birthplace of Austria, built on a rock on the banks of the Danube and famous for the novel The Name of the Rose. After lunch, our tour will take us through bucolic landscapes, along the Danube River to Dürnstein, home to the castle ruins where, according to legend, Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned. Passing through Krems, the wine capital of Austria, we will return to Vienna.