A church with a kinked axis, historic Danube shipping and a trail across stone terraces give Spitz clear starting points for a cultural and scenic trip. The parish church and the ruin add historical character, while the wine trail and apricot cultivation broaden the view to include the landscape and local agriculture. You can consider whether architectural history, river traffic or wine country should be the focus of your stay.
Churches, Shipping and Local History
The parish church in Spitz has a kinked longitudinal axis—a feature found in only seven churches in Austria. Its tower also offers a distinctive historical point of reference: it was built as early as the beginning of the 14th century. Those interested in architectural history will find both a rare architectural feature and a clearly dated building element here.
The Spitz Shipping Museum is housed in the Baroque Erlahof Palace and focuses on historic wooden boat and raft shipping on the Danube. Both forms of water transport are central themes of the museum. This brings the historic use of the river into focus alongside church architecture and the history of fortifications.
Hinterhaus Ruin was first mentioned in 1243. At the Red Gate, the focus is on the history of fortifications: it is the last of the seven fortified gates and offers a lovely view of Spitz. The Red Gate is about a 20-minute walk from the town center. This time estimate gives you a specific point of reference if you want to include a walk to the viewpoint in your plans.
Wine Country Around Spitz
Terraced vineyards rise around Spitz. The Spitzer Weinwanderweg (Spitz Wine Trail) crosses stone terraces and passes through famous wine-growing areas; along the way, there are views of Spitz, the Danube and the Wachau. The trail thus connects the built form of the cultural landscape with sweeping views of the town and region. If you are interested in wine country, the terraces, wine-growing areas and views are the trail’s specific highlights.
The Spitzer Graben offers a different geographical perspective. It is a side valley of the Danube Valley, within the Wachau wine-growing region and World Heritage Site. At Spitz, it leads north toward the Waldviertel, via Elsarn am Jauerling to MĂĽhldorf. This lets you consider Spitz in relation to a valley that extends inland from the Danube toward the Waldviertel.
Danube Experiences and Apricots
On the Spitz–Arnsdorf roll-on/roll-off ferry, a Camera Obscura projects a moving image of the surrounding landscape onto an interior wall of the ferry. It is shown during the ferry’s operating hours from April to October; water levels and weather affect whether the presentation can go ahead. If you plan to include the projection in your itinerary, check the conditions before your visit. The seasonal schedule and dependence on conditions are important to keep in mind when planning.
Apricots are also part of the townscape: Wachau apricots grow right in the middle of Spitz. The Marillenkirtag apricot festival has been held in Spitz’s church square for decades. If you want to include the event in your travel plans, check the dates for the year in question. That way, you can plan your stay around the actual event dates rather than assuming a date.
If you choose Spitz as your place to stay, there are several possible focuses for your visit: church and local history, historic shipping on the Danube, or trails through wine country. Consider which of these you want to shape your stay; seasonal presentations and event dates can then be added to your plans as appropriate.
Discover more destinations: Rohrendorf Bei Krems, Krems An Der Donau, Schwallenbach, Sankt Michael, Gedersdorf, Lengenfeld, Dürnstein, Wösendorf In Der Wachau
Return to the overview of the wider travel area: Krems-Land.
