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Voykit pocket guide · Austria
Spitz
Stay 1 night in Spitz only if you want a quiet wine village base; otherwise day-trip from Krems or Melk and sleep elsewhere.
Spitz is a small Danube wine village in the Wachau, midway between Melk and Krems on the B3. It is compact, walkable in an hour, and best used as a one-night base for cycling the valley or as a short stop between Melk Abbey and Dürnstein. The train runs only a few times daily, so plan around it or come by boat or bike.
- Country
- Austria
- Best months
- Apr–Oct
- Avoid
- Nov–Mar (many businesses closed, boats stop)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR). Cards are widely taken, but some cafés, huts and small shops are still cash only.
- Daily spend
- Budget €60–90 excl. bed · Mid €90–140 excl. bed · High €140+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- A1, Magenta and Drei are the networks; prepaid SIMs from shops and supermarkets (registration with ID).
- Emergency
- All emergencies 112 · Police 133 · Ambulance 144 · Fire 122 · Mountain rescue 140
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Same plugs as Germany; UK and US devices need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: Round up or 5–10%, told to the server when paying.; Café: Round up to the next euro.; Taxi: Round up or about 10%.; Hotel porter / housekeeping: €1–2.; Ski instructor or mountain guide: €10–20 a day for a good lesson, optional.
- Water
- Tap water is excellent. Ask for 'ein Glas Leitungswasser'; coffee in a café comes with a free glass of water.
- Toilets
- Public toilets in cities cost €0.50; cafés and museums have free ones for guests.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | €3–5 |
| Glass of local wine at a heuriger | €3–5 |
| Main dish at a village inn | €12–20 |
| Bike hire, one day | €10–15 |
| Boat ticket, short hop on the Danube | €8–15 (check) |
| Museum entry (Schifffahrtsmuseum) | €6.50 adults |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- VIE · Vienna International
- Train to Krems or Melk, then regional train or bus to Spitz; about 2–2.5 h total
- LNZ · Linz
- Train toward Melk, then onward to Spitz; about 2.5 h
Typical fares
- Regional train, Spitz–Krems
- about €5–8, 45–60 min (check)
- Boat, Spitz–Dürnstein
- about €10–15 one way, 30–45 min (check)
- Bike hire, one day
- about €10
Get around
Spitz itself is compact and best on foot. For the neighbouring villages and the valley, use a bicycle (Nextbike stations in the Wachau) or a car. Regional trains stop a few times daily; river boats run mid-April to October.
See and do
Known for
- Wachau wine terraces and heurigen
- Hinterhaus castle ruins
- Danube shipping museum
- Danube cycle path (Donauradweg)
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Dürnstein | Boat (mid-Apr–Oct) or regional train, or bike along the Donauradweg | About 30–45 min by boat or bike |
| Melk | Regional train or boat downriver | About 45–60 min |
| Krems an der Donau | Regional train upriver | About 45–60 min |
| Weißenkirchen in der Wachau | Bike along the Danube path, or boat (Brandner stops here) | About 20–30 min by bike |
| Emmersdorf | Regional train or ferry/boat across the river | About 15–25 min |
Sleep
- Spitz centre (Kirchenplatz and Mittergasse)
- Walkable to church, tourist office and river; most guesthouses and inns are here.
- Hinterhaus and riverfront
- Quieter, near the castle ruins and swimming spots; 10–15 min walk to the centre.
- Gut am Steg, Schwallenbach and Vießling
- Neighbouring wine hamlets; need a bike or car to reach Spitz.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Grüß Gottgruess got |
| Thank you | Dankedahn-keh |
| Please | Bittebit-teh |
| The bill, please | Die Rechnung, bittedee rekh-noong, bit-teh |
| Can I pay by card? | Kann ich mit Karte zahlen?kahn ikh mit kar-teh tsah-len |
| Where is the toilet? | Wo ist die Toilette?voh ist dee toy-let-teh |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: 'Grüß Gott' or 'Guten Tag' entering shops and huts; handshakes; avoid: Walking in without a greeting
- Titles: Use Herr/Frau and academic titles in formal settings; avoid: First names with older strangers
- Coffee houses: Linger; call the waiter 'Herr Ober'; avoid: Expecting fast service
- Punctuality: Be on time; avoid: Arriving late to concerts: doors close
- Quiet: Keep voices down on public transport; avoid: Loud phone calls in trains and trams
- Mountain trails: Greet other hikers with 'Servus' or 'Grüß Gott'; avoid: Leaving gates open on pastures
Scams and watch-outs
- Trains are infrequent (a few per day): check the ÖBB timetable before you commit to a late arrival.
- Boats stop in late October; outside the season the Danube route is closed.
- Many heurigen and restaurants close one or two days a week and shut for winter: check before you walk out.
- The B3 has no real shoulder in places; cycle the Donauradweg path, not the road.
Spitz is a quiet, low-crime wine village; the real risks are cycling the B3 with traffic, uneven cobbles and steep paths up to the castle ruins. River swimming is at your own risk.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Spitz yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Wachau wine terraces and heurigen
- Hinterhaus castle ruins
- Danube shipping museum
- Danube cycle path (Donauradweg)
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Spitz Tourist Information (Tourismusverein Spitz): www.spitz-wachau.com/en/
- ÖBB timetable (SCOTTY): fahrplan.oebb.at/bin/query.exe/en
- DDSG Blue Danube — Wachau line: www.ddsg-blue-danube.at/linie-wachau/linie-wachau/
- Brandner — Wachau route: www.brandner.at/en/wachau-route/
- Wikivoyage: Spitz, revision 5244804 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5244804
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Spitz
Zu dieser Adresse, bitte
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Austria has no embassies in Spitz; the US embassy is in Vienna, and most other countries' embassies are in Vienna too.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/spitz). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.