Vines descend to the river in narrow terraces, held up by dry-stone walls that generations of winegrowers have built by hand. This is how Spitz an der Donau appears to river boat passengers: a market town of some 1,500 inhabitants nestled on the left bank of the great Danube corridor, in the heart of Austria's Wachau. The stop is short in distance, everything is done on foot, but it distills the way of life of one of the most renowned wine valleys in Europe.

A landing at the foot of the vines

River vessels moor along the bank, a few minutes' walk from the centre. Spitz is one of the regular stops for the excursion boats that ply the Wachau between Melk and Krems, along with Dürnstein and Weissenkirchen. Stops here rarely last more than half a day, but everything is close at hand and there's no need to rush. As soon as you cross the gangway, the setting takes over: quiet lanes, flower-filled courtyards, tavern signs and, everywhere, vines climbing up the slopes.

The hill of a thousand buckets

Above the rooftops rises the Tausendeimerberg, the "hill of a thousand buckets." The nickname comes from the volume of wine that this hill, entirely covered in vines, could produce in a good year: a thousand buckets of wine, it is said, in good years. A trail winds between the terraces and rewards the effort with an open view of the Danube's bend, the neighbouring villages and the wooded ridges that close off the valley. Benches along the climb invite contemplative pauses, and panels explain the patient work of the winegrowers on these steep slopes. Allow an hour round trip; closed-toe shoes recommended.

The town and its Gothic church

Heading back down, the lanes converge on the Gothic parish church, whose bell tower serves as a landmark from the river. All around, old houses bear the dates of their lintels and vines shade the inner courtyards. The wine taverns, the heurigen typical of Austria, serve the valley's white wines, Rieslings and Grüner Veltliners born on the terraces you've just walked past. Apricots take up the other side of the local table, as jam, brandy or knödel, for the valley has long had a passion for them. In spring, the blossoming orchards dust the hillsides in white and pink, while autumn gilds the terraces and fills the presses, two seasons regulars consider the most beautiful for docking here.

A valley on the World Heritage List

The entire Wachau is a UNESCO World Heritage Site as a cultural landscape, recognition of a thousand-year-old balance between the river, the stone and human labour. The bike path that follows the riverbank, one of the busiest in Europe, runs through the village and lets the more active push on to neighbouring towns between moorings. Those in less of a hurry can settle for a bench facing the current, which is also an excellent way to honour the place.

Evening calm on the river

Many passengers end the stop on the riverside promenade, a glass of Veltliner in hand, watching convoys of barges pass beneath the silhouettes of hilltop castles. Spitz doesn't try to dazzle. The town simply unfolds its vines, its church and its taverns, and lets the Danube do the rest. As the boat casts off, the scent of apricot trees stays with it for a long while.