Sankt Poelten is geographically situated in northern Austria, north of the Alps and south of the Wachau. It is Lower Austria’s State largest city and its capital city. Sankt Poelten has its own status, so it is both a district and a municipality in the Mostviertel.
Durnstein is located in Wachau, which is the valley that is formed by the River Danube right between Krems and Melk, at about 30 km /18.1 mi in the north of Sankt Poelten. Above the towns, there are some ruins that Durnstein is famous about, where King Richard I of England (aka Richard the Lion-heart) has been taken as hostage after his crusade.
The castle was destroyed in 1645. Around the ruins, there are many climbing areas. So a popular sport that has been developed here is rock climbing. Durnstein climbing area is the longest under development area in the Wachau.
The area provides climbers with countless opportunities for beginners in climbing, especially in the area of the eastern ridge. However, experienced climbers can also find themselves to be challenged -the trail that is highly suggested is the Tom Thumb. The rocks are easily accessible by just walking up from the ruins of the castle or from the train station.
The route climbing height usually varies between 10 – 20 m /32.9 – 65.7 ft. It is suggested that you bring with you an approximately 50 m /164 ft long rope (about 10 quick-draws are enough). Of course there are some routes that can be climbed with slips or other mobile devices backup. However, everyone is free to climb a route, drilled with his favored hedging method. It is a climbing area that you should definitely visit.
