Best Durnstein Day Trips & Things to Do

Resting on the shore of the Danube River, Durnstein is a small Austrian town popular for its cobblestone streets, classical Austrian buildings, ruins of the Durnstein Castle, and wine of the Wachau Valley. The castle once acted as the prison for King Richard I of England during a dispute with the Duke of Austria during the Third Crusade and was destroyed in 1645. Located beneath these ruins, the town houses the Stiftkirche abbey whose interior features a Baroque style and artwork by Kresmer Schmidt.