The day started out a bit grey and on the chilly side but we came prepared with our puffer jackets and ponchos. It wasn't until after the hour train ride to Krems the showers started. The "small" group bike tour of 18 turned into 16 after one girl felt uncomfortable riding. After less then a mile ride and 20 minutes of standing in the rain we were told by our guide that her and her husband decided to head back to Vienna and we would continue the trip without them.
The bike trip was a leisurely paced 14 mile ride with our first stop in the medieval village of Durnstein. We had about an hour in town and given the option to stroll around the charming cobblestone village or take a 15 minute hike up to the ruins of Kuenringer Castle, where King Richard the Lionheart was imprisioned in 1192. Up at the top was a gorgeous panoramic view of town and the Danube river. Before hopping back on our bike we quickly stopped to try the famed apricot schnapps - which was incredibly delicious and tasted more like fruit juice... dangerous!
Our next stop was our first winery and lunch. Our plates overflowed with sausages, pork steak, potatoes salad, green salad, cranberry sauce and rolls with jam.
The next winery was only a quick 10 minute ride away. It was actually closed for the season but the owner of the tour company knows the family that runs this winery and they give them a set of keys to open only for this bike tour. Here we tried another 4 varieties of wine before making our journey across the river to our last stop.
To get across the river we had to use the local boat taxi. The boat is powered by the rivers current - only using a cable wire that spans across the length of the water and the boats rudder.
Looking back on this day trip I can't complain about the rain in the morning, grey sky's or chilly temperatures - indeed it would have been so much more beautiful with clears sky's but if we had stayed in Vienna on this nasty day we probably would have spent most of our time indoors.
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