To Vienna

Left Gosau in the Salzkammergut for Vienna, approaching it from the west side, which in our case took us to the official beginning Wacau (pronounced Vachau) valley in Melch, then down to Krems and then the Vienna woods. Below is the monastery in Melch

 and a view of the Danube from a nearby castle that's being restored.

The valley, which is approximately 20 kilometers long is dotted with small villages such as Durnstein, with its blue tower, and of course vineyards, which is what the valley is known for.

Both red and white wine, which can be tasted in all the little Heuringens and Wine Cellars in the various villages. Here's a hint, if the establishment has a green ball, usually made out of small fir branches, hanging outside, it means that they are open for business and wine is available.

From Krems on to the Vienna Woods, which will be a total surprise to anyone not familiar with them. Although they sound like big park or a patch of woods, the Vienna Woods are comprised on the eastern end of the Austrian Alps. This is where the Alps terminate and form the western flank of Vienna. Below is a view of Vienna from Kahlenberg, the middle of the three prominent hills in the woods.

In this picture, the right side of the Danube is the Old Vienna and the left the new.

And the wine heritage of of Vienna is very evident with all the vineyards and villages surrounding the city. More on that later.

And now on to Vienna itself.