Wine and Monasteries of the Wachau
How monks shaped the Wachau’s wine landscape
Without its monasteries, Wachau wine would not exist in its current form. This tour traces how monks shaped the terraced landscape over centuries, and how that became the wine culture the region is known for today.
The route
- Melk Abbeythe Benedictine monastery’s history and its role as a wine landowner.
- View of Göttweig Abbeya monastic landscape on the opposite bank of the Danube.
- Dürnstein’s parish churchonce an Augustinian monastery, now the Wachau’s landmark.
- A wine cellar lanethe architecture and history of monastic and farming winegrowing.
- Vineyard terraceshow steep slopes became a cultivated landscape over centuries.
- Krems and Steinthe historic trading town for the region’s wine.
What you take away
- Monasteries as pioneers of winegrowing
- Melk Abbey and a view of Göttweig Abbey
- The history of cellar lanes and terraces
- Krems as a historic wine trading town
Who this tour suits
For anyone with a cultural or historical interest in how monasteries shaped winegrowing in the Wachau.
Price (2026 rates)
| Guided tour up to 2 hours | €230 |
| Half day up to 4 hours | €390 |
| Full day up to 8 hours | €600 |
| Additional hour | €70 |
All prices net and as a group rate for up to 25 people. Entrance fees, the travel allowance (min. €30) and third-party services are not included. Full price overview.
Frequently asked questions about this tour
Do we taste wine on this tour?
The focus here is on history and landscape, not tasting. If tasting matters to you, we recommend adding our wine tasting tour instead.
Do we go inside Melk Abbey or Göttweig Abbey?
We see Göttweig Abbey from the Wachau across the Danube; a visit on site is not part of this route. For Melk Abbey, it depends on the agreement whether we also go inside; entrance tickets are not included in the guide’s fee.
Is the tour mostly indoors or outdoors?
The largest part takes place outdoors, in cellar lanes and vineyard terraces. Only individual stations, such as parts of Melk Abbey, may be indoors depending on the weather.
