The route to Burg Durnstein

[djh1959]

We are planning a day trip to Durnstein during our six nights in Vienna later this year.

 

I would be interested in anyone who has done the climb up.  I believe that there are two routes, and I want to make sure I get the easier one!  We climbed to a castle in Varenna on Lake Como once, and it was seriously a goat track with no rails whatsoever, with a sheer drop to rocks in the lake below.  I have no desire to repeat that this time lol.

[jpalbny]

 

1 hour ago, djh1959 said:

I would be interested in anyone who has done the climb up.  I believe that there are two routes, and I want to make sure I get the easier one!  We climbed to a castle in Varenna on Lake Como once, and it was seriously a goat track with no rails whatsoever, with a sheer drop to rocks in the lake below.  I have no desire to repeat that this time lol.

 

We only got to the start of the trail but we had to be back on board in 15 minutes, so we didn't try to push it. Doesn't look too bad, but others on these boards have climbed it and can comment more definitively. I know Robin (acwmom) has done this hike and I think she put some of the details on her trip report, on these boards.

 

This was as far as we got.

 

 

 

[acwmom]

3 hours ago, djh1959 said:

We are planning a day trip to Durnstein during our six nights in Vienna later this year.

 

I would be interested in anyone who has done the climb up.  I believe that there are two routes, and I want to make sure I get the easier one!  We climbed to a castle in Varenna on Lake Como once, and it was seriously a goat track with no rails whatsoever, with a sheer drop to rocks in the lake below.  I have no desire to repeat that this time lol.

As JP said, my husband and I did this hike. We took the easy way up and the challenging way down. Will post pics when I get to work.

 

Robin

[acwmom]

We docked a little outside of the city, as did the Tauck and Croisi ships who were in port the same day. Just before we got into town (at the end of the wineries) there was a paved road, heading up the hill. This is the "safe" route. It is also interesting in that there are several markers along the way, which tell the story of Richard the Lionheart, and how Blondel came to rescue him from this castle (the year prior to our visit, we had toured Chateau Gaillard, in Les Andelys, another Richard the Lionheart castle...he certainly got around!)  Here's a google map I annotated, and hopefully a few pictures

 

Robin

 

[robertmartha]

Thanks for Posting Robin! brings back wonderful memories!

 

What line / ship are you sailing on?

 

Bob

[acwmom]

20 minutes ago, robertmartha said:

Thanks for Posting Robin! brings back wonderful memories!

 

What line / ship are you sailing on?

 

Bob

We were on Avalon for this trip, in 2016. My husband and I took off on our own to do this. That's a Croisi ship in the picture. Someone had asked in another post about which route was the "tamer" route, and to keep that thread on-topic, I created this new post. Hopefully the person who asked the question will find it here!

 

Robin

[jklc123]

Thanks for posting this. We've stopped in Durnstein twice but never hiked up the hill.

[TrulyBlonde]

We did the hike also. We were on a Tauck river cruise. Tauck had offered this as one of their tours and after walking up to the meeting place to start the hike we decided to go off on our own. We are fit and made it up quicker than the group and at our own pace.

 

It is not that strenuous of a hike, but you must be fit and wear appropriate hiking shoes. The view at the top is wonderful and worth the adventure. Our reward when completed was to stop at the winery (Tauck offers this, as well) and treat ourselves to some Austrian white. It was a fun day.

 

We have taken 3 river cruises and we enjoy the stops but most often we go out on our own and skip the included tours. Too regimented for us and really not a fan of them. However, we have done the Rhine, Rhone, and Danube and happy we did them and it is a different perspective from Ocean cruising. 

 

 

[acwmom]

31 minutes ago, jklc123 said:

Thanks for posting this. We've stopped in Durnstein twice but never hiked up the hill.

This was one of many climbs we did on this cruise. The picture with the yellow flowers was the more "natural" route, and the rocks in the middle were the path. I'll try to find more pictures. These are ones from my phone.

 

Robin

[jpalbny]

Good pix, Robin. I am pretty sure from looking at your map that the path we saw was the natural path. I should ask Host Jazzbeau to remove my post from Keith's thread too.

[Host Jazzbeau]

6 minutes ago, jpalbny said:

Good pix, Robin. I am pretty sure from looking at your map that the path we saw was the natural path. I should ask Host Jazzbeau to remove my post from Keith's thread too.

 

All posts on this topic moved here and 'cleanup on aisle 3' completed!

[acwmom]

4 hours ago, jpalbny said:

Good pix, Robin. I am pretty sure from looking at your map that the path we saw was the natural path. I should ask Host Jazzbeau to remove my post from Keith's thread too.

JP, your pic definitely looks like the natural path. Next time:-)

 

Robin

[djh1959]

Hi acwmom, I am the original poster.  Thanks so much for the photos and the map!  That is wonderful.

 

We are pretty fit and active, but I just prefer the easier, wider path.  Will definitely wear hiking shoes and the correct clothes.

 

We will not be part of a group as we will be travelling to Durnstein by train and hopefully bus or taxi from Vienna, via Krems. 

 

We are doing a river cruise, which is why I am on these forums.  We are doing Scenic's Rhine Highlights from Amsterdam to Basel, but are then staying on for a further 12 nights meeting friends in Vienna for a week, then onto Budapest.

 

Thanks again, and thanks also to everyone who commented.