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Krems-Stein an der Donau

Krems an der Donau is a riverside town in the Danube's Wachau Valley tourist region of Lower Austria.

Understand

Krems, along with neighboring cities Stein, Egelsee, Dürnstein and Spitz an der Donau are known for their world class wine production as well as their proximity to the Danube.

Get in

Map
48°24′27″N 15°35′31″E
Map of Krems

By train

From the west take the regional train (Regionalzug, denoted by big R) from St. Pölten (usually every 30-50 min. every hour) to Krems.

All other directions regional (express) (Regionalexpress, denoted by a big REX) train from Vienna's Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof, Spittalau (U4/U6) or Heiligenstadt (U4) station which takes about one hour and leaves every hour.

  • 2 Train station (Bahnhof), Bahnhofplatz 1, ☏ +43 2732-82536-345. Ticket office: M-F 05:30-19:15, Sa Su and holidays 07:00-19:15; automats: 24hrs. Use ÖBB's SCOTTY to look up train information online. 

By car

From west: Highway A1 (Westautobahn) to Melk, B3 through Wachau. From South/East: Highway S33 from St. Pölten or A22/S5 from Vienna From North: B37 via Zwettl or through the Kamptal/Horn

Get around

The city and its neighbors are all very accessible by foot and it's no more than a two hour walk from one extremity to the other.

  • City bus (Stadtbus), ☏ +43 2732 801-459. M-F 06:30-18:30, Sa 06:30-12:30. The city bus system serves limited and serpentine routes. A map with schedule and bus fares can be downloaded here. Single trip: €2 (adults), €1.20 (concessions), €1 (children); day ticket: €4; week ticket: €11.60; month ticket: €37; block of 10 tickets: €11 (adults), €9 (children). 

By bicycle

  • 3 Zweirad Aichinger KG, Hohensteinstraße 22a, ☏ +43 2732 82876, fax: +43 2732 71887, . Mar-Sep: M-F 08:00-12:00 13:30-18:00, Sa 08:00-12:00 13:00-17:00; Oct-Feb: M-F 08:00-12:00 13:30-18:00, Sa 08:00-12:00. Offers road and mountainbikes for rent. Rental during Sundays and holidays can be arranged beforehand; if you are overnighting in Krems you can return your bicycle at your hotel. €15/day, €80/wk. 
  • Nextbike, ☏ +43 2742 22 99 01 (hotline). After registration (online or by mobile), pick up a bicycle at any Nextbike location, and drop the same bicycle off at the same or any other Nextbike spot. A map of pickup and drop-off points can be found here (click 'Wachau' for Krems); a brochure for Krems-Ost is available for download. €1/hr, €8/day. 

Taxi

See

Steiner Tor
Restored 13th-century frescoes in the Gozzoburg
Memorial bookshelves in the Jewish Cemetery
Piaristenkirche

The historic town centers of Krems and Stein are well-worth exploring.

  • 1 Steiner Tor, Obere Landstraße. One of the old city gates, dating from the 15th century. 
  • Kunstmeile Krems. Various art and culture sites, among them: Combiticket for Kunsthalle, Karikaturmuseum, Forum Frohner, Ernst Krenek Forum, Kunstraum Stein and Klangraum Krems Minoritenkirche: €15. 
  • 4 Museumkrems, Körnermarkt 14, ☏ +43 2732 801-567, fax: +43 2732 801-576, . Apr-May W-Su, holidays 11:00-18:00; Jun-Oct Daily 11:00-18:00; closed Nov-Mar. Has well-curated permanent exhibits illustrating the history of Krems and the wider region, and hosts temporary exhibits of contemporary art. €5 (adults), €4 (concessions), free (children/youth under 19). 
    • 5 Gozzoburg, Hoher Markt 11. Built in the 13th century, this is one of the most significant medieval city buildings in Austria, and is now used for special exhibits. In 2006 and 2007 restoration work uncovered a remarkable set of 13th-century frescoes; along with the Iwein frescoes in Thüringen, Germany, these are the only surviving indoor 13th-century murals north of the Alps. The murals can be viewed only with a guided tour, arranged through the Museumkrems. 
  • 6 Jewish Cemetery Krems (Jüdischer Friedhof Krems), Wiener Straße. Established in 1880 for the Jewish community of Krems, the cemetery was abandoned in 1936 and now is a memorial under the auspices of Vienna Israelite Community. Located on the grounds is a 42m-long metal memorial by Hans Kupelwieser, engraved with the names of the Krems Jews who died during the Holocaust. In 2004 the Irish/Israeli artist duo of Clegg & Guttmann installed three public bookshelves as another memorial. 
  • 7 Piaristenkirche (Kremser Frauenbergkirche), Piaristengasse 1, ☏ +43 2732 82092. The oldest church in Krems. The earliest foundations date to the 13th century, while the current structure is from the late Gothic period of the early 16th century. The interior was remodeled during the Baroque era. 

Do

There are a number of bike trails along the Danube, as well as hiking paths through the mountains and vineyards – the tourist office can offer maps and advice. It is also possible to tour the many wineries in the area, as well as the nearby monastery.

  • 2 Badearena Krems (Public swimming pool), Strandbad Straße 5, ☏ +43 2732 801600, . Indoors: M 13:00-17:00, Tu-Th 09:00-21:00, F 09:00-21:30, Sa 09:00-20:30, Su 09:00-20:00; outdoors: May-Aug daily 09:00-20:00. 

Buy

The area is known for its wine which is available at reduced tariffs.

Eat

There are a number of restaurants in town serving the typical Austrian fare. Consider the local traditional eateries called "Heuriger", which offer inexpensive dinner and nice wines in a relaxed atmosphere.

Drink

As with the entire region there are a number of wonderful Heurigen (wine bars) in the area.

Sleep

There's a number of guest houses in the area, such as the following.

Go next

Castle ruins of Aggstein
  • Visit the Wachau Valley, situated between Krems and Melk (40 km upstream), which is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Notable places include:

    • Göttweig and Melk monastery
    • Dürnstein, a medival castle/ruins which served as a prison for Richard Lionheart (Richard I of England), city walls, monastery
    • Wine towns Spitz and Weissenkirchen and the nearby
    • Ruins of Hinterhaus, a 1000 year old ruins
    • Aggstein Castle

Most of the Wachau (except Aggstein) can be reached by the local train Krems-Spitz or by bike on the Danube cycle track (Donauradweg). Göttweig is at the train station Krems-St.Pölten line and Melk at the Westbahn.

In summer many tourist boats operate in the Wachau. The biggest and most visible boat companies are DDSG (Donaudampschifffahrtsgesellschaft) and Brandner, but they are not necessarily the cheapest. MS Stadt Wien is a popular alternative among locals (weekends only).

Routes through Krems
Linz ← Melk ←  W  E  → END
Ends at ←  N  S  → END



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