Dürnstein and Loiben
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If you look from Loibenberg to Dürnstein and Loiben in the direction of the Danube, it quickly becomes clear why the Wachau cultural landscape was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2000: vineyard terraces alternate with historic, winding town centers, with orchards and rare dry grass areas in between and beech forests on the steep slopes and alluvial forests near the Danube. The different and varied land use of the Wachau can also be seen in a breathtaking way on the slopes on the opposite side of the Danube in the direction of Rossatz.

Especially the steep terraces with the unique dry-stone walls have shaped the landscape. The cultivation of vines on the terraces is almost exclusively done in laborious and time-consuming manual work, and the maintenance of the terraces also requires very special manual skills. It was not without reason that the handicraft of dry-stone walls was included in the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage in 2021.

The winemakers of VINEA Wachau, the regional protection association founded in 1983, pay special attention to the preservation of the stone terraces. In addition to strict quality criteria, because only they enable viticulture in steep and impassable terrain, are an essential part of the Wachau cultural landscape.

Dürnstein itself, situated at the foot of the castle rock steeply sloping down to the Danube, with its well-preserved medieval ring of walls is one of the most important urban ensembles in Lower Austria, to which a separate audio guide is dedicated.

Supported by the Federal Province of Lower Austria and the European Union (LEADER).

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