Wachau

Thirty-six kilometres of Danube valley between Melk and Krems, settled since prehistoric times and inscribed by UNESCO in December 2000 as a cultural landscape. What is listed is the combination: the monasteries of Melk and Göttweig, the castles and ruins, the urban architecture of the towns and villages along the river, and the vineyards that have been worked here for centuries. Dürnstein Castle stands above it, where Richard I of England was held prisoner by Leopold V of Austria. The wine is the other reason people come.