Durnstein Austria
Austria

1807 Cruises availables At departure or passage at this port

AmaWaterways (53 Cruises)

Cruise Ama AmaWaterways AmaReina ship

AmaReina

162 Passengers
3500 tons
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Avalon Waterways (64 Cruises)

CroisiEurope (94 Cruises)

Cruise CE Croisieurope MS Beethoven ship

MS Beethoven

178 Passengers
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Emerald Waterways (405 Cruises)

Emerald Astra

Emerald Astra

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Emerald Dawn.

Emerald Dawn

227 Passengers
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Emerald Luna .

Emerald Luna

227 Passengers
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Emerald Sky.

Emerald Sky

227 Passengers
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Emerald Star.

Emerald Star

227 Passengers
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Emerald Sun

Emerald Sun

227 Passengers
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Riviera Travel (242 Cruises)

MS Geoffrey Chaucer.

MS Geoffrey Chaucer

220 Passengers
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MS George Eliot.

MS George Eliot

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MS Riviera Radiance

MS Riviera Radiance

218 Passengers
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MS William Wordsworth.

MS William Wordsworth

220 Passengers
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Scenic Cruises (727 Cruises)

Scenic Amber.

Scenic Amber

169 Passengers
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2 August 11 days One-way from Budapest to Prague
450-628-6241 Call us
2 August 10 days One-way from Budapest to Prague
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2 August 8 days One-way from Budapest to Nuremberg
450-628-6241 Call us
5 August 11 days One-way from Nuremberg to Budapest
450-628-6241 Call us
5 August 12 days One-way from Nuremberg to Budapest
450-628-6241 Call us
6 August 10 days One-way from Prague to Budapest
450-628-6241 Call us
6 August 11 days One-way from Prague to Budapest
450-628-6241 Call us
9 August 7 days One-way from Nuremberg to Budapest
450-628-6241 Call us
9 August 8 days One-way from Nuremberg to Budapest
450-628-6241 Call us
16 August 8 days One-way from Budapest to Nuremberg
450-628-6241 Call us
16 August 10 days One-way from Budapest to Prague
450-628-6241 Call us
16 August 11 days One-way from Budapest to Prague
450-628-6241 Call us
19 August 11 days One-way from Nuremberg to Budapest
450-628-6241 Call us
19 August 12 days One-way from Nuremberg to Budapest
450-628-6241 Call us
20 August 11 days One-way from Prague to Budapest
450-628-6241 Call us
20 August 10 days One-way from Prague to Budapest
450-628-6241 Call us
23 August 8 days One-way from Nuremberg to Budapest
450-628-6241 Call us
23 August 7 days One-way from Nuremberg to Budapest
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27 August 18 days One-way from Prague to Amsterdam
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27 August 17 days One-way from Prague to Amsterdam
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30 August 15 days One-way from Budapest to Amsterdam
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30 August 14 days One-way from Budapest to Amsterdam
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Scenic Crystal.

Scenic Crystal

169 Passengers
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Scenic Jade.

Scenic Jade

169 Passengers
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Scenic Jasper.

Scenic Jasper

163 Passengers
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Scenic Jewel.

Scenic Jewel

169 Passengers
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Scenic Opal.

Scenic Opal

169 Passengers
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Scenic Ruby

Scenic Ruby

169 Passengers
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Tauck Cruises (30 Cruises)

Uniworld Boutique River Cruise (192 Cruises)

River Beatrice.

River Beatrice

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S.S Marlene.

S.S Marlene

154 Passengers
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River Beatrice.

S.S. Beatrice

207 Passengers
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maria theresa.

S.S. Maria Theresa

208 Passengers
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Dürnstein | Cruise Port Guide

From the river, you spot it from far away: a baroque tower, powder blue and white, planted at the water's edge like a piece of jewellery amid the vines. Dürnstein, 900 residents, concentrates within a few hundred metres the essence of the Wachau Valley—this defile of the Austrian Danube inscribed in UNESCO world heritage, where terraced vineyards, apricot orchards and steeple-crowned villages succeed each other over roughly thirty kilometres. River boats pull in at the village quay, barely two minutes from the first cobbled laneways.

One Unique Laneway, and That Is Just Fine

The town amounts essentially to a cobbled street, the Hauptstrasse, threaded between Renaissance houses with pastel façades, flowered courtyards and wrought-iron signs. You advance slowly there, inevitably: each portico merits a look, each shop perfumes. The shops decline the local specialty in every form—the Marille, the Wachau apricot: jams, nectars, liqueurs, filled chocolates. The wine growers' cellars, meanwhile, offer tastings of the whites that made the valley's reputation, Grüner Veltliner and Riesling foremost.

The Blue Tower of the Abbey

At the street's end, the abbey of the Augustinian canons opens its peaceful courtyard above the water. Its blue tower, a masterpiece of Austrian Baroque, reveals itself even more ornate up close: gilt angels, obelisks, sculpted balustrades. From the terrace, the view runs along the Danube's elbow and slopes striped with stone walls—a reward gained without the slightest effort. The church's interior, luminous and gold to the point of vertigo, can be admired in a few reverent minutes, organ and stucco included.

The Castle of the Imprisoned King

Above the village, a jagged ruin clings to the cliff. Built in the 12th century by the Kuenring family, the castle was dismantled by Swedish troops in 1645, during the Thirty Years' War. It is there that history tilts into legend: in 1192, Duke Leopold V of Austria locked Richard the Lionheart, King of England, there after his capture on the road home from crusade. Tradition holds that his faithful minstrel Blondel found him by singing beneath the walls, until he heard his king reply. A colossal ransom—150,000 marks of silver—bought his freedom. The path to the ruin climbs steeply from the village; allow 20 to 30 minutes of ascent, punctuated by landings with views—as many excuses to catch your breath—until the final panorama embracing the entire meander.

Between Vines and Banks

Those preferring quiet walks follow the river path, among reeds and orchards, or venture into the terraced vineyards scaling the slopes. The dry-stone walls supporting them, maintained by hand since the Middle Ages, form part of the classified landscape; many family estates cultivate the same parcels there for generations. In spring, apricot trees' bloom powders the valley pink; in autumn, the vintage animates the hillsides. In any season, a glass of crisp white on a terrace facing the river quite well sums up the Wachau's art of living.

A Few Useful Landmarks

  • River quay at the village entrance; everything is done on foot.
  • Climb to the ruin: steep path, good shoes advised.
  • Abbey open in season; the terrace merits the detour alone.
  • Apricot products and local wines: the best souvenirs to take home.

When the boat resumes its watercourse, the blue tower lingers long in view, then the terraced vines replace it. Eight centuries after Richard, Dürnstein still detains its visitors—but it, at least, releases them reluctant and without ransom.

Frequently Asked Questions

At the village quay, barely two minutes from the first cobbled lanes. Everything else on the call is done on foot.
Yes. The village of 900 residents consists largely of one cobbled street, the Hauptstrasse. Only the climb to the castle ruin takes real physical effort.
20 to 30 minutes of steep climbing from the village, with viewpoint landings along the way. Closed shoes are recommended; the summit panorama takes in the entire Danube bend.
Richard the Lionheart, King of England. In 1192, Duke Leopold V of Austria had him locked up here on his way back from crusade. Tradition holds that his minstrel Blondel found him by singing beneath the walls; a ransom of 150,000 silver marks bought his freedom.
The Augustinian abbey and its blue tower, the Hauptstrasse with its apricot shops, then the castle ruin if you have the legs for it. Otherwise, the riverside path through reeds and orchards, or the terraced vineyards.
The bell tower of the Augustinian abbey, a masterpiece of Austrian Baroque in powder blue and white, visible from far off on the river. Its terrace overlooks the Danube bend and the slopes striped with stone walls.
Wachau apricot, the Marille: jams, nectars, liqueurs, filled chocolates. And the valley's white wines, Grüner Veltliner and Riesling, sold directly in the growers' cellars.
The euro and German. Cards work in shops and cellars; keep some cash for small producer stalls.
The village, with reservations: the cobbles are uneven, but the main street is flat and short. The castle climb, no: the path is steep and stony, with no handrail.
Spring, when the apricot blossom dusts the valley pink, and autumn for the harvest. Summer is very busy; morning calls are noticeably quieter.