Krems an der Donau offers several different ways to enjoy a cultural stay: Gozzoburg, an unusual town palace; Steiner Tor, a landmark; the Kunstmeile; and the Welterbesteig Wachau 01 trail towards DĂĽrnstein. This lets you choose between city history, art and a route through the wine-growing landscape.
Gozzoburg and Steiner Tor: two forms of architectural history
Gozzoburg is not a conventional castle complex, but the unique residential and working palace of a citizen of Krems, remarkable for its size and appointments. The Coat of Arms Hall contains one of Austria’s oldest surviving beam ceilings: the wooden ceiling is made of 24 hewn spruce trunks and dates to around 1255. Its location in a residential and working palace rather than a traditional castle complex gives the building’s history a distinctive character. The material, number of trunks and approximate date make the ceiling a tangible example of the town’s architectural history.
Steiner Tor offers a different historical focus. It is the only surviving city gate and also a landmark of Krems. Together with Gozzoburg, it brings two different architectural forms into view: the city gate on the one hand, and the residential and working palace on the other. If you want to explore Krems through its architecture, you can use these differences as a guide rather than reducing the town’s history to a single type of building.
The Kunstmeile and exploring the town
The Kunstmeile Krems brings together several art institutions within walking distance of one another. Whereas Gozzoburg and Steiner Tor put individual buildings in the spotlight, the Kunstmeile focuses on the coming together of several art institutions. You can include this focus in your plans and combine it with an interest in the historic buildings. This gives Krems a range of cultural themes without prescribing a set order for your visit.
There are also different ways to explore the old towns. The e-BUSSI offers a sightseeing tour through the old towns of Krems and Stein. In addition, a night-watchman tour takes place every second Thursday from April to October. The options offer different experiences: the sightseeing tour covers both old towns, while the guided tour has a particular theme and a seasonal schedule. If you want to include one of these activities in your plans, check the current times and dates in advance.
Route to DĂĽrnstein and getting there
Another way to shape your stay is the Welterbesteig Wachau 01. The route leads from Krems to Dürnstein, through the historic districts of Krems and Stein, along wine-cellar lanes and into the stone-terrace wine-growing landscape of the Kremstal and Wachau. This sets it apart from a sightseeing tour focused on the old towns: the trail also takes in the named wine-growing landscape and Dürnstein as its destination. When planning, you can therefore weigh up whether to focus on the town’s attractions or include a route between Krems and Dürnstein.
Krems is easy to reach by public transport and by car. Rail connections include the Franz-Josefs-Bahn (REX4), the Westbahn line (St. Pölten) and the Kamptalbahn (R44). If you are planning a specific train journey, check the connections for your travel date. This will help you coordinate your journey with your preferred focus while you are there, whether that is the buildings and art institutions or also the route to Dürnstein.
Discover more destinations: Droß, Kammern, Willendorf In Der Wachau, Furth Bei Göttweig, Rossatz, Rastenfeld, Schwallenbach, Gedersdorf.
Back to the higher-level travel overview: Krems-Land.
