At times the fog lifted so that we could see the quaint villages and towns along the river, as well as some vineyards in the Wachau Valley.
Our ship arrived in Spitz, a small town in lower Austria. The primary industries in Spitz are wine making and tourism. This area is also known for making many products from apricots. As an economic measure, apricots trees were planted after mites destroyed the grapevines in the 1800's, giving an alternate crop for several years until grapevines could be replanted.
Our tour today took us to a former monastery, which is now a museum. As we walked up to the museum, we could smell the fragrance of the grapes since the wineries were still in crushing season.
The baroque architecture inside the museum was very detailed. This 3-D design around a doorway was done with cement and then painted.
The museum told the story of shipping on the Danube before the time of powered vessels using scaled models. The majority of models were made by the same man who is now 90 years old.
We learned that horses were used to tow the rafts upstream so they could be loaded with cargo to ship downstream. Sometimes as many as 50 or 60 horses were used. Wooden models of the horses and riders were used to show this method. We were amazed at the efforts that were used to make shipping work on the Danube.
After the tour of the museum, we were treated to a tasting of several products from the region.
Our first taste was an apricot liqeur. We agreed that the liquor would taste much better poured over some good vanilla ice cream rather than served in a goblet for sipping. Next on our tasting agenda was apricot jam which was smooth and sweet. We were also treated to some roasted apricot seeds which are found inside the stone, covered is a delicious dark chocolate. We tried to find some to bring home, but the gift shop was out of stock.
We tasted two wines, both Gruner Veltliner varieties native to this valley. These wines tasted similar to a Chardonnay but perhaps a bit more fruity.
After our tour, the fog had completely lifted. We were treated to some fantastic scenery as we journeyed west along the Danube. Some grapevines growing on a hillside.
Grapevines and apricot trees growing side-by-side. Not a cloud in the sky on this sunny day.
There were also ruins of castles on several of the hillsides.
We enjoyed our visit to the quaint village of Spitz. The history of shipping along the Danube was interesting, and the wine tasting and apricot treats capped a great morning visit. Although this village might not be on a driving tour itinerary, the format of river cruises stopping at interesting places along the river allowed us to experience the culture of rural Austria.
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