Die Wachau ist ein ganz besonderer Flecken Erde. So außergewöhnlich, dass die UNESCO die Kulturlandschaft auf ihre Liste des Welterbes genommen hat.

Vom 26. bis 28. März 2025 wird die renommierte „Steillagen-Konferenz Wachau“ im malerischen Schloss Spitz stattfinden. Im Fokus der Veranstaltung steht die „Zukunftsperspektive für den Steillagen-Weinbau“, mit der die Region Wachau ihre Rolle als Vorreiter für nachhaltige Weinbaupraktiken stärken möchte. Die Konferenz vereint etwa 150 Experten aus den Bereichen Weinbau, Forschung, Handel und Gastronomie und setzt damit neue Impulse für die Erhaltung dieser einzigartigen Kulturlandschaft.

Immer montags zur Primetime organisierte die KLAR!-Region Wachau-Dunkelsteinerwald-Jauerling vier Webinare zu den Themen Acker und Humusaufbau, ökologische Waldbewirtschaftung, klimafitte Gärten und Klimawandelanpassung im Tourismus. Die Video-Aufzeichnungen und Zusatzinformationen sind nun online abrufbar.

Unique cultural landscape between Melk and Krems Dry stone walls, terraced vineyards, apricot orchards, dry grasslands, the free-flowing Danube, ...

The association for the World Heritage Municipalities Wachau, province of Lower Austria/Nature Conservation department and Blühendes Österreich (Blooming Austria) have made it their goal to support an agricultural business in establishing an extensive sheep grazing regime in the Wachau Valley and in the Jauerling-Wachau Nature Park.

The Spitzer Graben panoramic hiking trail has a lot to offer. On Sunday, wines, juices and water are served at the Zornberg chalet in the Zornberg vineyard. However, there is no toilet to relieve oneself.

The quality campaign “Best of Wachau” comprises 53 businesses that act as a regional figurehead for marketing the destination. Within the scope of this project, the high standard of the businesses should be maintained or improved, especially in the area of online marketing. Further measures are intended to provide support with the search for employees and to boost customer loyalty.

The Nature Park owes its great diversity of plants and animals to its mosaic-like cultural landscape and the extensively used meadows. Global changes are forcing many agricultural businesses to specialise or shut up shop. A consequence of this are meadows that are no longer managed and increasingly turning into woodland. To counteract this trend and preserve diversity in the Jauerling-Wachau Nature Park, a nature park brand is under development. This label stands for management compatible with nature and gives the businesses’ products added ecological value.

The historic town of Dürnstein, with its many iconic buildings of historic importance, such as the blue tower of the abbey church or the castle ruins, has been a hotspot of activity in the Wachau tourism region from day one. The limited space available, the lack of coordination between the visiting times of different tour operators and the many options available for coming to visit the town all result in very high visitor numbers. This is creating an ever stronger sense of exploitation amongst the town’s few permanent residents (according to a recent count, only 93 people live within the town walls) and of being a stranger in one’s own home.

Over the coming three years, the Danube Lower Austrian Visitors` Ring will be organising a comprehensive package of qualification measures with training courses, workshops and excursions in a LEADER cooperation project for establishments in the Wachau and Nibelungengau. The landlords should be provided with business training and prepared for future challenges. The changing needs of guests as a result of demographic changes should be identified and the offer adjusted to Holiday on the Farm establishments, vineyards and private room landlords.