For a Half Day

Krems an der Donau: Along the River Danube, to the west of Vienna, lies Krems, a 1,000-year-old town surrounded by vineyards. The western end, Stein, is the old part of the town, which contains the street Landstrasse with its old buildings, including the 16th-century town hall. Above Landstrasse, the Renaissance town house, narrow streets and small squares show the structure of the original town. Both the Piaristenkirche, Frauenbergplatz, and the Wienstadt Museum, Dominikanerplatz, celebrate the work of medieval artist Johann Martin Schmidt. The 15th-century Steiner Tor, Obere Landstrasse, gateway marks the end of Stein. Just before the Kremer Tor, at the other end of Landstrasse, is the town's Kunst Halle Krems, Steiner Landstrasse 3 (website: www.kunsthalle.at), a major arts venue. The Gozzoburg, at Margarethenstrasse 14 near the bottom of Hoher Markt, serves reasonably priced local dishes (closed Tuesday), while m.kunst.genuss, Franzzellerplatz 3, has excellent seasonal dishes and wine from it own celebrated cellars.

Trains leave Vienna Franz Josef Bahnhof every hour (journey time - 1 hour). The last train back to Vienna is at around 2100. Krems Tourismus, Undstrasse 6 (tel: (02732) 82676; website: www.krems.gv.at or www.krems.info), is located halfway between Stein and Krems and provides further information.

For a Whole Day

Wachau Valley: Between Krems an der Donau and Melk, the River Danube winds through one of the most beautiful areas of Austria. A variety of outdoor activities are available on this stretch, including watersports, hiking, cycling, boat cruises and wine-tasting tours. The Danube Bike Path follows the river on both banks. There are bike hire spots in most villages along the valley, including Spitz, where bicycles can be rented direct from the train station (tel: (02713) 22220); reservations are needed for a group of cyclists. More bike hire sites are listed on the websites below.

Trains to Melk, Pöcham and Ybbs depart from Westbahnhof, while trains to Krems and Spitz depart from Franz Josef Bahnhof. Further information on the region is available from the Region Wachau-Nibelungengau-Kremstal, Schlossgasse 3, Spitz (tel: (02713) 300 6060; website: www.wachau.at or www.tiscover.com/wachau).

Melk: Founded in 831 and situated on the north bank of the River Danube, approximately half way between Vienna and Linz, Melk is an attractive town with a stunning abbey. Stift Melk, Abt Berthold Dietmayrstrasse 1 (tel: (02752) 555 225; website: www.stiftmelk.at), sits atop an escarpment, commanding a large stretch of the river valley. It is a physical testament to the power and authority of both the Babenbergs, who built it over 1,000 years ago, and the Benedictine monks, who have occupied it since 1089. The Abbey, which features in Umberto Eco's novel, The Name of the Rose (1983), contains a museum, a restaurant and park and garden pavilion. The one-hour guided tour of the abbey is available all year round. Even those who do not have time to visit the abbey cannot fail to miss it as they approach Vienna by rail or road from the west.