Wachau World Heritage Trail 08: Emmersdorf-Melk

Description

Welterbesteig Wachau - Wachau World Heritage Trail: From Emmersdorf to Melk

The stage from Emmersdorf to Melk combines scenic mountain trails with striking points along the Danube. The trail first leads up to the village of Rantenberg, where a wide panoramic view opens up over the Danube valley. The route then runs steadily downhill to Schloss Luberegg, which sets a special accent with its historic grounds and gastronomic offerings, before reaching the Danube.

The route continues via Luberegg Island to the Melk Danube power station. After crossing the river, you finally reach the old town of Melk via Löweninsel, where this varied stage of the Welterbesteig Wachau - Wachau World Heritage Trail comes to an end.

Hiking along the Welterbesteig Wachau - Wachau World Heritage Trail reveals step by step why the Wachau has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage region. Along finely curated World Heritage spots, the defining World Heritage highlights become visible - the interplay of historic cultural landscape, traditional viticulture, extraordinary natural spaces and the Danube as a shaping element.

Thanks to good rail connections, a relaxed and sustainable journey to the Wachau is easy. A dense network of public transport in the region ensures that all stages can be easily reached by bus, train, ferry and boat. This also makes it very easy to combine different stages.

The Welterbesteig Wachau - Wachau World Heritage Trail has also been awarded the Austrian Hiking Seal of Quality. This certification stands for high quality standards in terms of route guidance, signposting, safety and infrastructure and confirms the World Heritage Trail as a reliable and high-quality hiking offer in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

 

Starting point of the tour

Emmersdorf, Market Street

Destination point of the tour

Melk, Main Square

Route description Wachau World Heritage Trail 08: Emmersdorf-Melk

We start in the Market Street of the picturesque Renaissance town of Emmersdorf and go under the viaduct of the Wachau railway, then turn left into Rote Kreuz Street. At the next junction, turn right up to Rothenhof Castle (accommodation). We go left and immediately right again into the little street Waldweg. After about 250 m, we turn right onto Jägersteig and leave the town area. Via forest and meadow paths, we reach Rantenberg. At the road, we turn left and arrive at the stamp station. We keep sharply to the right and cross the hamlet. After the last house, turn left onto a field path. After five minutes, we reach the junction to Dachbergwarte. However, this observation tower is closed. We continue steadily downhill to the hamlet of Hain. In the village, we go left and twice right. It goes downhill, we go under the Wachau railway and reach the imperial Schloss Luberegg from the 18th century. The Heuriger Haferkast`n, which invites you to stop for a meal, is located in the castle. At the zebra crossing, we cross federal road B3, then keep right and walk parallel to the road to Hafenstüberl in Luberegg (here there is also a Danube lake with sandy beach - only when water levels are low). The path turns left and leads over a bridge to the Luberegg island and the Danube. After the bridge, we turn right and now walk next to the Danube directly towards the Melk Danube power plant. We cross the river over the power plant and reach the Melk Löweninsel. Along the Danube, we walk briefly downstream and shortly afterwards turn right to enter the floodplain forest. We turn right once more, pass a barrier and reach the St. Leopold bridge, cross the street and immediately reach the main square of Melk - above it towers the Melk Abbey.