Thanks to the folks at Benu in SF Ive become much more aware of and enjoy the Gruner Veltliner…read morewines. Thanks to a native Austrian and ex Benu GM I got introduced to Schmidl's very affordable but excellent Gruner. 2012 is a very young vintage but these wines drink well without age. Very crisp and fresh. slight sweetness, and acidity. Went very well with a super traditional Austrian cheese spatzle of the Bregenz region. Something for under $15US can be amazing...

A tiny little wine boutique manned by the owner of the winery Wolfgang himself. He makes his wine…read morein the area and sells it at this retail outlet in town. A small number of wines including a sparkling rose and a couple of whites and one red. He also carries a bunch of locally produced condiments including a mean Chilli chutney :-) Worth a stop when in town. He is good with English and does wine tasting in the shop. Prices are good and his wines are quite good.

Great location and history. The rooms are comfortable, large and many look out over the Danube…read more The property sits in front of a small village and the historic castle that a one time held Richard the Lionhearted, hence the name. Excellent service and outstanding Terrace restaurant to enjoy the setting, excellent food and great service.

Wow. First of all, Durnstein is an amazing town. Small medieval looking spot sitting right on the…read moreDanube. It was an interesting drive to get to the hotel... Let's just say I'm glad I had a tiny Volkswagen Polo, because an American sized car wouldn't have fit through the tiny streets. The hotel is in a old Abbey- has a very old feel to it, but it's still very modern and nice. Just walking around the gardens and looking at the place brings you back a few hundred years. Our room looked out on the Danube, and was very comfortable and nice. Great place, helpful staff, and a really neat town. I was glad we stayed at a such a nice place here because there's not to to much to do in the town except for walk around and drink wine (and we did plenty of both). --side note: walk up to the old caste which looms over the town. Can't miss it. or ask anybody in town --- They have a nice restaurant which was a little out of our price range so we just picked up some bread and olives at the store and had dinner with some wine in the gardens overlooking the river. Bread: €2. olives: €3. wine: €10. Danube river at sundown after 4 glasses: priceless.

Great ambiance. Great service. Best meal we had in Spitz! Definitely recommend if driving through…read moreor staying in the area.

I will say this until Im blue in the face. The sommerliers at Benu in San Francisco have never…read moredriven me wrong. Prager is amongst multiple vintages that I've had from them that have just elevated my enjoyment of wine. That with astounding food pairings, it's becoming addictive. Recently I tried the Smaragd Achleiten, and it was phenomenal. For the $50 US range this is a phenomenal wine, showing that the Austrian wines are underappreciated. Which is find by me as I can still afford them! Mineral intensity and long length are the characteristics of the wine. It is acidic and fresh when paired with certain things. The Smaragd generally refers to the lizard that shows itself in the fields and the highest wine classification in the Wachau, but this lizard may as well be a chameleon based on the different tastes this wine reveals.

Great selection of white wines. Serene location and Beautiful outdoor seating makes this small…read moretown family owned winery so perfect. Easy to bike to. You can even spend the night!

I had the special of the day--pasta and soup--with a beer (of course), and was very pleased with…read moreeverything. A lot of great options for lunch with nice outdoor seating where you can view the old town and the abbey in the background. Definitely a worthwhile stop if you're driving through the Danube Valley or visiting the abbey.

Two stars, range between the food and the beer. The cordon bleau was horrible! Kind of chewy and…read morethe ham inside wasn't a good quality. The french fries were clearly frozen. The service was unpersonal, and our waiter was mostly absent. The beers were excellent. The ambiance was ok, many wasps around us while eating.

This is the place to stay when you come to Durnstein, the location is simply unbelievable, built…read moreinside an old castle and literally steps from the Monastery, you will no doubt have an amazing experience, I mean, after all you are all the way in the Wachau, one of the most beautiful regions in the world, staying in an historical hotel surrounded by amazing views, buildings ruins and history. Keep in mind that the Wachau has been designated by UNESCO as a world heritage site for its history and beauty, you will be staying in a unique place on top of a rock overlooking the Danube. This is a whole different story, remember that the Austrians invented the croissant, you MUST have a chocolate croissant here....or many, it will be one of the highlights of your trip.