We packed our things in Wallersee after one last look out our window at the lake and started our trip back to Vienna. Before Vienna we have to pass through the Wachau Valley on the Danube which is one of the most beautiful areas in Austria. Our destination is the Hotel Garni on the Danube in an Apricot Orchard.
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| Hotel Garni |
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| Hotel Garni on the Danube in the Wachau Valley |
The Garni recommended the restaurant across the street for lunch. It was a nice find since they had outdoor dining on a patio overlooking the Danube. We each had fish which we enjoyed while watching the riverboats cruise by on the river.
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| Danube restaurant for lunch |
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| Libbie's fish covered with sliced almonds |
After lunch we walked through the little village which was quaint and picturesque.
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| Narrow Village streets |
Vineyards & Wineries
The Wachau Valley is a wine producing region in Austria. There are many beautiful fields of grapevines growing on the hillsides overlooking the Danube River. Associated with these cultivated grapes is a plethora of small wineries and tasting rooms. We had a glass of wine one afternoon under a trellis of grape vines in an outdoor wine bar and later that day we a dinner of meat and cheese in a small winery tasting room across the road from the Danube. The Valley also has many orchards of Apricots and is a producer of Apricot liqueur. We sampled some Apricot liqueur grown in the valley in the little wine bar associated with out hotel. It was pretty potent stuff to a novice not used to such higher proof alcohol.
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| Kirchenwart outdoor wine bar |
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| Kirchenwart hotel associated with with the wine bar |
Winery Dinner
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| Pathway to tasting room/cafe |
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| The Wine tasting Menu, in German of course |
Libbie had a cheese plate and I chose a plate of sausage and cheese. Both made a nice light dinner along with a few samples of various wines. This was a very short walk fro the Hotel Garni, our base of operations in the Wachau Valley.
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| Sausage and cheese plate, perfect lite dinner |
We took a walk along the Danube for a short ways then found another small village and decided to walk up the hill into the village and return the back way through the vineyards. Along the way we found many beautiful rows of cultivated grapes as well as an Apricot Orchard.
