In Spitz, immediately after the roll-on ferry—where we crossed the Danube—is the next Peace Dove on the Jerusalem Way! It looks directly toward Jerusalem and shows us the way.

And there is a Jerusalem Way stamp! The stamp is kept at the Tourist Information (Tourist Information is on the Donaubundesstraße, about 150 meters from the Peace Dove). After leaving the wine-growing village of Spitz, we follow the well-known St. Michael circular trail—a feast for the eyes awaits us today! Our effort of about 200 meters of elevation gain is rewarded with breathtaking views of the world-famous Wachau natural and cultural landscape! The Jerusalem Way leads us down through the legendary “Rote Tor” into the Misling Valley, from there it climbs upward through magnificent natural oak and hornbeam forests and to bizarre rock formations with old pines on the Michaelerberg. As a further highlight, we experience gently sloping dry grasslands, which provide an exceptional habitat for plants and animals. Finally, we descend again to the Danube and reach St. Michael, the Wachau’s original parish, the widely known fortified church of St. Michael. From here, we continue close to the Danube through the villages… until we reach Dürnstein. INFO: The text from here will be revised a bit more. The GPS route is already correct! Shortly before Dürnstein, we see the equestrian statue, the statue of King Richard the Lionheart. It recalls the legend… Blondel… captivity… Crusades and also marks the spot where the Danube could formerly be crossed (narrow point). The French Monument commemorates the Battle of Dürnstein in 1805 and the victory of the Austrian-Russian troops over the Napoleonic forces. It is estimated that about 8,000 men lost their lives in the battle! This is also the northernmost point on the Jerusalem Way between Spain and the Holy Land!! Today we are walking on a section of the Jerusalem Way that runs at its northernmost point between Finisterre and Jerusalem—only near Linz were we similarly far in the “far north.” Our general pilgrimage direction will then bend several times from the next stage onward: first east-southeast via Vienna to Schwechat, then southeast to Budapest, and from there for a long time only southward, toward the Balkans, Greece, and the warmth. Back to the stage: after Dürnstein we reach Mautern, where we cross the Danube. It remains fairly flat until the end of the stage, when we climb up to Göttweig Abbey—an ascent of 200 meters of elevation gain marks the conclusion.

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