On the quiet south bank of the Danube in the Wachau, opposite the wine village of Weißenkirchen, the little church of St. Lorenz has a secret in its walls. Part of the building stands on, and incorporates, the masonry of a Roman watchtower, one of a chain of small fortifications that guarded the river frontier of the province of Noricum in late antiquity. The Danube was the edge of the empire here, and soldiers in the tower kept watch over the far bank for raiders. Today the site is part of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire, Danube Limes listing, inscribed by UNESCO in 2021.
The Wachau itself is a UNESCO cultural landscape too, a stretch of the Danube between Melk and Krems where the river cuts through the hills of the Bohemian Massif, and terraced vineyards climb the steep slopes above medieval villages and castles. Grüner Veltliner and Riesling wines from these terraces are among the finest in Austria, and in spring the valley turns white with apricot blossom; the Wachauer Marille is a protected local speciality. Downriver at Dürnstein, the ruined castle on the cliff is where Richard the Lionheart was held captive in the 1190s on his way back from the Crusades.
The Wachau is a famous motorcycle valley. The road along the north bank through Spitz, Weißenkirchen and Dürnstein is lovely but busy, with cyclists, tour buses and speed limits, while the south bank road through Aggsbach, St. Lorenz and Mautern is quieter and more relaxed. Small ferries link the two banks in several places. Side roads climb into the hills of the Waldviertel to the north and the Dunkelsteiner Wald to the south, with twisty sections and excellent views back over the river. Spring blossom, autumn harvest and early mornings in summer are the best times.
There is fuel in Spitz, Mautern and Krems, nine kilometres downstream. The heurigen, wine taverns run by the winemakers themselves, serve cold cuts, cheese, spreads and their own wines, and they are open at certain times of the year, marked by a bunch of pine twigs hung over the door. Try apricot dumplings in season, and save the wine tasting for the end of the ride.