Wachau Valley

Day 11 (cont.) - After lunch we continued cruising on the Danube River. This part of the Danube River is called the Wachau Valley and it is the most beautiful part of the Danube River. Here the Danube flows through a narrow river gorge. There are many colorful, steep, terraced vineyards on the hillsides, along with castle ruins and monasteries. The Wachau Valley is about 20 miles long and has its own micro-climate. It is warmer than the surrounding area. The history of the area goes back to Roman times. In the 800's, Charlemagne donated vineyards to the monasteries. The Danube River was Europe's major commercial highway from the 800's to the end of the crusades. Today the Wachau Valley is known for tourism and wine. Late in the afternoon we docked at the town of Krems. We were only there for a couple of hours, just long enough to take a quick walk into town and stroll through the streets of "Old Town".