The Wachau is a stretch of the Danube lined with vineyards, apricot orchards, castles and abbeys, between Melk and Krems. It is a UNESCO-listed landscape of small villages, so most accommodation is in family-run hotels, wine-estate guesthouses and inns rather than big chain hotels.
Finding cheap rooms in Wachau Valley is easier when you know where to look. We compare live hotel rates across the top booking sites and point you to the neighborhoods where hotels are cheap but the location is still great.
The Wachau is one of the highlights of Danube river cruises, with most ships calling at Melk, Dürnstein or Krems.
Home to the vast Baroque Melk Abbey, at the western end of the valley, with a train station and a good choice of hotels.
A tiny, much-photographed village below a ruined castle — charming but limited and pricier.
The largest town in the area, at the eastern end, with the widest range of hotels and good rail links.
A wine village mid-valley, handy for cycling and boat trips on the Danube.
A quiet wine village with guesthouses and wine taverns among the vineyards.
Zoom and pan the map to compare hotel prices by neighborhood; rates come live from the booking sites.
April–October is the season, from the apricot blossom in spring to the grape harvest in autumn; many small hotels close or reduce hours in winter.
Krems and Melk have the most hotels and often the best value; the smaller wine villages have charming guesthouses but fewer rooms.
Yes. Trains serve Melk and Krems, buses and bikes run along the river, and passenger boats sail between the towns in season.
Yes — most Danube cruises call at Melk, Dürnstein or Krems, and many sail through the valley in daylight.