While staying in Weissenkirchen, Austria, and the wine region of Wachau, we did day trips to Vienna, the castle of Archduke Franz Ferdinand (Schloss Artstetten), and took a day cruise to Stift Melk. It was a week full of history and sightseeings
Arriving at our Bed & Breakfast “Donauhof” Hotel Garni in Weissenkirchen
Wachau is a Wine region along the Danube, with a mild climate and excellent white wines. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Wachau is magical in every season.
Drinking sweet wine and being serenaded by an Accordion player, singing the famous “Mariandl” song in Wachau courtyard
We took our time, in a rustic wine cellar with a crackling log fire and an old-fashioned wine press. Nowhere is this time more beautiful, sociable, tasty and carefree than at a hearty “Hauerjausn” accompanied by full-bodied sweet wines from the region.
The building in Weissenkirchen on the left looked like it had Italien influence. On the right up the hill you see the towns Church Mariä Himmelfahrt. It also has a very old school from anno 1385 that is still in use
The famous song Mariandl 1962 movie was filmed near the town Spitz, with Rudolf Prack & Conny Froboess. The song “Mariandl” became a big hit in the 60’s
The gentle hills are all planted with grapevines
The “Achleiten” is perhaps the most characterful location of the Wachau, which brings grapes for many wines with many minerals and enormous shelf life
Located on the eastern edge of Weissenkirchen, wine was grown here on the dry stone terraces since the 12th century. In the upper part of the location dominates the bright Gföhler Gneiss, on the lower slopes emerge dark, often slated Amphibolite rocks. The slopes are optimally inclined to the sun with a special quality of the primeval soil.
A boat ride on the Danube
We took a day cruise on the Danube, a boat ride for about 33 km from Melk to Krems where there are multitude historic buildings.
Along the Danube you see villages with a medieval character. Due to the mild climate influenced by the Danube, the Wachau produces excellent wines (to the sweeter side), which are appreciated by connoisseurs all over the world.
We walked from Weissenkirchen to the town Spitz on a vineyard trail for several miles. At the Mariandl Restaurant I had the famous “Marillenknödel“
While hiking through the vineyards, we stopped at an old Defence Church that surrounded by a medieval wall
We did a excursion to Schloss Artstetten, where Duke Franz Ferdinand (Haus Habsburg-Lothringen) was assassinated at a state visit in 1914 Sarajevo, Bosnia. His murder subsequently caused WWI, a historical and dark time in history
On the southern bank of the Danube, in a natural idyll of the Wachau, is a magnificent view over the mighty stream. On the famous Ried Achleiten, past Weissenkirchen, and high up Dürnstein are the ruins that is embedded in the vineyards. There we found traditional wine taverns called “Heuriger”
Dürnstein is a small town on the Danube river in the Krems district, in Austria. It is one of the most-visited tourist destinations in the Wachau region, and also a well-known for their wines.
From afar you see Burg Ruin Loewenherz on the hill
We found a high density of excellent restaurants and inns and were served regional cuisine of the highest level at reasonable prices. Tasteful balance of down-to-earth ingredients and creative food makes a Foodie happy.
The Benedictine Abbey, called Melk (until the 19th century also Stift Mölk) is located in Lower Austria near the city of, Melk on the right bank of the Danube. The present (Baroque) building was built in the years 1702-1746 by Jakob Prandtauer. As a symbol of the Wachau, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site
It has been described as the “most emblematic and dominant baroque building”. It also houses the Stiftsgymnasium Melk, the oldest existing school in Austria.
We concluded our week in the Wachau, after a wholesome breakfast we started our three hour drive to Prague
The famous Marillenknödel Recipe below:
Austrian Marillenknödel or Apricot dumplings
Ingredients
- For the Dough:
- 1 cup Ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- 4 tbsp white flour
- 4 tbsp Semolina flour (Griess)
- 2 tbsp fine breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- Dash salt
- For the Filling:
- 8 Marillen or small Apricots
- 8 Sugar cubes, or plain sugar
- Breadcrumb mixture:
- 2 Tbsp Butter
- 1/2 cup fine breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
Instructions
- Mix the Ricotta cheese with all the remaining dough ingredients in a bowl with a fork until smooth.
- Put the mixture in the refrigerator for at least 1/2 hour (preferably 1 hour or longer) because the cold dough is easier to shape.
- In the meantime, core the apricots, keep them as whole as possible and use a wooden spoon handle to press the side with the handle until the core pushes out on the other side.
- Alternatively, slit open the top or the side with a knife and remove the core.
- Optional, but recommended: Fill the pitted apricots with a sugar cube (or a sugar cube cut in half for small apricots).
- If you don't have sugar cubes at home, you can fill the apricots with a teaspoon of granulated sugar, or leave unsweetened.
- Shape a dough into a roll on a floured work surface and divide it into 7 to 8 equal pieces.
- Press each dough piece flat, cover the apricots with it, and close the seam well.
- The edges should not be too floury, otherwise the dough will not hold up well, moisten the edges instead
- When shaping the dumplings, be careful not to trap any air. o the surface right from the start and will burst more easily.
- Bring lightly salted water to the boil in a large saucepan and simmer the dumplings in gently cooking water for about 13-15 minutes.
- At the beginning the dumplings sink in and then rise towards the end of the cooking time.
- While the dumplings are cooking, prepare the butter crumbs.
- Melt the butter in a large pan and brown the breadcrumbs and sugar until golden.
- Lift the dumplings out of the water with a scoop that has holes, drain well and place in the pan with the breadcrumbs.
- Roll the dumplings in it.
Notes
The Marillenknödel be easily to frozen before the cooking process. You can also sprinkle the finished dumplings with confectioner sugar.
Order sugar cubes here on Amazon
You will need Semolina (Griess) flour and can be bought on Amazon here
Very interesting travelogue. Thank you for sharing this.
Thank you