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The Kamp Valley is to be found in Lower Austria on the bank of the
river Kamp, just an hour and a half away from Vienna. Its fertile, cultivated
slopes produce a wealth of delicious foodstuffs in monastery gardens,
vineyards and ecological farms.
It provides the visitor with a sage blend of nature, culture and tradition.
A touch of history
The Kulturpark Kamptal has delved into its past and produced a wealth
of documents on its origins, bringing the past back to life. In “Evolution
of the Landscape” over a billion years in the Earth´s history
can be seen, bringing us right up to the present day Kamp Valley. It
talks of the day-to-day struggle to survive of primitive man, of battles
lost and won, of development and the golden years of culture.
Monasteries, castles and ruins are the silent witnesses of the time
and provide us with valuable additional information.
Leading attractions
The Abbey at Altenburg, the castles of Greillenstein, Grafenegg and
Rosenburg and the ruins of Gars all invite the visitor to explore still
further.
And to complete the experience there is a wealth of beautiful views,
exhibitions and local museums all waiting to be enjoyed.
Another option is a guided tour of Rosenburg Castle and gardens, followed
by a candle-lit dinner at its restaurant an wine-tasting in the castle´s
medieval wine cellars. And a visit to the Krahuletz-Museum will open
a window on to the culture of the region.
However, one of the most attractive options is to discover the Kulturpark
Kamptal by bike. There´s a 450 kilometre network of cycle tracks,
weaving among rivers, vineyards, silent forest and flower –strewn
meadows, an unforgettable encounter with the nature and culture of this
land.
Cuisine
The Kamptal wine culture is an open invitation to visitors from the
local vintners. Loess is a dark, fertile, Alpine soil ideally suited
for grape varieties like Veltliner and Riesling.
Visitors can savour the delights of the local wines at wine-tasting
sessions organised by the local vintners at the cellars that line the
roads. The other drink not to be missed is the local beer, brewed by
small family businesses.
The culinary experience would not be complete without a visit to one
of the many “heurige” simple, umpretentious wine taverns that
serve their own wine and the produce of the region´s ecological
farms. Also highly recommendable are the river fish (trout and carp),
suckling lamb, venison, wild mushrooms and other products of the forest.
The use of potato as the main ingredient in the manufacture of sweetmeats
(perhaps filled later with plums or other fruits) is due to the influence
of the Viennese-Bohemian cuisine (e.g., Mohnnudeln or Powidltascherl).
Another typical local sweets are the “Weinbeisser”, a type
of gingerbread, or the “Mannerschnitten”, biscuit which take
their name from the well-known Viennese bakery.
Activities
Visitors can enjoy different sports: Cycling, hiking tennis, swimming
– especially in the traditional summer resorts or golf in the unspoilt
setting of the picturesque Lingengeld vineyards. Historical building
often serve as interesting venues for summer events: Allegro Vivo, Open
Air Gars, the castle festivals in Langeniois and Grafenegg or the summer
theatre in Altenburg.
How to
get there
80 kilometres north –west of Vienna by road, with connections to
the rest of Europe from Vienna Airport and the main Vienna railway stations.
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