Spitz on the Danube: history, castle and wine landscape

Spitz in the Wachau

Spitz lies in the Wachau, where the Danube, a small historic market and a long wine-growing tradition shape the visit. The municipality provides a digital town map; the exact landing point for a cruise is stated in the travel documents.

Documents from 830 refer to the left bank area between Spitz and Aggsbach as “Wachowia”; “ad Spizzun” appears in 865. A church dedicated to St Maurice is first documented in 1163, and Spitz was recorded as a market with market rights and its own arms in 1347.

Hinterhaus, castle and church

Two fortified houses are documented in 1285/86. The upper house is the present Hinterhaus ruin; the lower stood near the site of the later castle in the market town. Together with the parish church, they offer a way to explore the town’s medieval history. The church’s first documentary mention also dates to 1163. In 1837 the steamboat Maria Anna first travelled the Vienna–Linz route; the Danube railway between Krems and Grein opened in 1909.

Vineyards and Wachau heritage

Vineyards around Spitz are documented from the ninth century. The municipality’s history describes a flourishing period between 1000 and 1300, when the stone terraces were formed. These terraces still shape the cultural landscape. The Wachau was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List as a cultural landscape in 2000.