Dürnstein, Vienna: How to Visit and What to Do Nearby

Dürnstein is a small town on the north bank of the Danube in Austria's Wachau Valley, roughly 80 kilometers west of Vienna. The blue-and-white baroque tower of the Stiftskirche—a former Augustinian priory church rebuilt between 1721 and 1725—is the town's most recognizable feature from the river. Above the town sit the ruins of Kuenringerburg castle, where Richard the Lionheart of England was held captive from December 1192 to March 1193. The Wachau Valley surrounding Dürnstein is a UNESCO World Heritage landscape, known for its Grüner Veltliner vineyards. is just one of many options in Vienna. Major attractions worth considering include Albertina Museum, Burgtheater, and Historic Center of Vienna.