Pöchlarn still sits on the western edge of the Nibelungengau, but Melk soon appears with its large abbey above the Danube. After that, the route enters one of the best-known sections of the Austrian Danube Cycle Path: the Wachau. Between Emmersdorf, Spitz, Weißenkirchen and Dürnstein, it runs through vineyards, tight river bends, dry-stone walls and villages with pale church towers close to the water. Krems marks the end of this compact cultural landscape. Farther east, the valley becomes wider and quieter. Via Traismauer and Tulln, the route follows floodplains, fields and long riverside sections. Before Vienna, Klosterneuburg appears with its abbey on the slope, then the route rolls into the urban space of the Austrian capital.
