Getting There & Public Transportation

On its way through Lower Austria from the west, the first region the Danube flows through is Wachau-Nibelungengau-Kremstal, then through Kamptal-Wagram-Tullner Donauraum and finally through Vienna and into Römerland Carnuntum-Marchfeld. The Danube cuts this last region in half. To the north is the Marchfeld and to the south, Carnuntum.

The Marchfeld , one of Austria’s largest plains, is situated between the two national capitals of Vienna and Bratislava. The Marchfeld is bordered to the south by the Danube and to the east (toward Slovakia) by the March River, to the north by the Nordbahn (northern railway line) and to the west by the trans-Danubian districts of Vienna (Floridsdorf and Donaustadt). Baroque country estates such as Schloss Hof and Niederweiden are in this region, as is the Danube wetlands national park (Nationalpark Donau-Auen in German).

Carnuntum, to the south of the Danube, has been shaped by the Ancient Romans and by winegrowing.  Visitors to the Carnuntum Archeological Park can travel back in time to see how the Ancient Romans lived. The park stages Roman festivals as well as gladiator shows. The Heathen’s Gate (Heidentor in German) is the landmark of Carnuntum and Austria’s best known Roman monument. It can be found on the edge of the town of Petronell-Carnuntum. The Carnuntum wine region is known for its grand wines. Vineyards thrive on three different sets of mountains/hills: Leithagebirge, Arbesthal Hügelland and Hainburger Berge. Rocky lime and loess soils combine with the Pannonian microclimate and the Danube to create ideal conditions for wine growing.