Apricot blossoms in the Wachau

It's Spring! After the long winter, the sun is back and the flowers are coming out! Having heard that the apricot blossoms were out in the Wachau, Jerry and I decided to drive out to see them.

The Wachau is the section of the Danube between Melk and Krems. Unlike most of the Danube in Austria, the river actually flows freely here, passing between hills covered with vineyards and apricot trees, castles and churches. The most famous castle is the ruin of Duernstein where Richard the Lion-hearted was kept prisoner.

We prefer to visit the town of Spitz a bit further from Vienna. This is the church tower of Spitz with vineyards behind and apricot blossoms in front. We stopped there to take pictures and eat in one of the excellent restaurants. I bought some apricot kernel oil for salads.

The Wachau wines are well known, and if you want to get to know them better, May 1-2 is a good time to do it. During The Wachauer Weinfrühling over 100 Wachau vintners present their wines.

Of course, the classic way to see the Wachau is from the river. The Danube passenger ships start up again on Saturday, and the stretch Krems-Melk is spectacular. If you prefer to spend less time on the water, just take one of the many ferries across. This is the one at Spitz.

If you go to the Wachau on the 18th or 19th of April, be sure to stop at the ruin Aggstein for the medieval festival.

Jerry and I prefer the somewhat lighter wines of the Kamptal, and we were running out of some of our favourites, so we headed to Langenlois after lunch. At Ursinhaus we picked up some wines, and some apricot vinegar to go with the oil. Then we crossed the Danube to buy two rose plants in one of the nurseries around Tulln. A lovely day!