Grein: what to see, where to stay and how to get around

Now in Grein--:--:--

--°

Grein grew rich on fear. Just downstream lay the Strudel and the Wirbel, rapids and whirlpools that wrecked boats for centuries, and boatmen stopped here to hire local pilots before going on. The money built a castle, a theatre and a square far grander than a town of three thousand people needs. This walk covers the town and its view, then heads into a granite gorge behind it; about three hours in all.

A short history of Grein

Grein is a small town on the Danube, at the entrance to the narrow stretch of river called the Strudengau, once dangerous to boatmen because of its whirlpools and rocks. It received town rights in 1491, and in the same years Greinburg Castle was built above it. In 1791 a granary in the town hall was converted into a theatre, and it is considered the oldest municipal theatre in Austria still in use.

The ten best sights in Grein

1
Grein Town Theatre
A tiny 18th-century theatre inside the town hall; join a guided tour
2
Greinburg Castle
The castle above the square, with an arcaded courtyard
3
Upper Austrian Shipping Museum
Inside the castle: how boats beat the rapids below
4
Burg Clam
A lived-in medieval castle in the hills; summer concerts in the courtyard
5
Burg Kreuzen
A castle above the spa village of Bad Kreuzen, ten minutes inland
6
Ardagger Abbey Church
Across the river: a medieval stained-glass window worth the detour
7
Persenbeug Castle
Castle on the rock by the dam, seen best from the cycle path
8
Kalvarienberg
Short climb behind the town for the view over the river bend
9
Strudengau
The narrow wooded stretch of the Danube east of town, once its most dangerous
10
Burg Werfenstein
A castle on a rock right over the water at Struden

sleepntripWonders of the world12 wonders, and a hotel near each

For every wonder: a nearby city, a route and a hotel up to $80.

To the wonders

What is an audio walk?

Tours in Grein →

A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Grein:

Free walking tours in Grein

The town of the rapids

Grein Town Theatre · Opened in 1791 in a former granary, it is the oldest surviving citizens' theatre in Austria; the seats can be locked, and the old toilet had a view of the stage.
Greinburg Castle · Built at the end of the 15th century, it has belonged since the 1820s to the dukes of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the family of Queen Victoria's husband.
Upper Austrian Shipping Museum · The museum shows the horse teams that hauled boats back upstream, a trip that could take weeks against the current.
Kalvarienberg · From here you look down the valley into the Strudengau, the stretch the boatmen feared most.
Grein bike ferry · There is no bridge at Grein, so the little ferry is the only way across to the south bank without a long detour.
Stillensteinklamm · The Gießenbach stream drops through a gorge choked with rounded granite blocks, some as big as houses, before it reaches the Danube.

Through the Strudengau

East of Grein the Danube squeezes between steep forested hills, and for centuries this was the most dangerous water on the river. Rocks were blasted away in the 18th and 19th centuries, and in 1959 the Ybbs-Persenbeug dam drowned the last of the rapids under a calm lake. What is left is a quiet green gorge with a castle on almost every rock. About 20 km on the cycle path or the river road, an easy half day.

Burg Werfenstein · The castle stands on the rock above Struden, the village whose name comes from the Strudel, the whirlpool below.
Wörth ruin · The tower ruin stands on what was an island in the rapids, a lookout from which tolls and pilots could be organised.
St. Nikola an der Donau · The village church is dedicated to St. Nicholas, patron saint of boatmen, the last place to pray before the whirlpools.
Strudengau · Ships now pass in deep, slow water where boats once had to be steered between rocks by local pilots.
Ybbs-Persenbeug power station · Finished in 1959, it was the first large hydroelectric dam on the Austrian Danube, and the road runs across it between the two banks.
Persenbeug Castle · Karl I, the last emperor of Austria, was born in this castle in 1887.

Castles of the hills

Above the river on both sides the land rises into farm country, the Mühlviertel to the north and the Mostviertel to the south, named after its pear cider. Every hilltop seems to carry a castle, and several still belong to the families who built them. This loop by car crosses the river twice and climbs to a church that looks over it all. About 80 km, a full day; most castles are seen from outside or on set tour days.

Burg Kreuzen · The castle looks over Bad Kreuzen, a village known for water cures in the tradition of Sebastian Kneipp.
Burg Clam · Built in the 12th century, it has belonged to the same family, the counts of Clam, for hundreds of years, and its courtyard is now an open-air concert stage.
Schloss Wallsee · Archduchess Marie Valerie, the favourite daughter of Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Sisi, lived here and died in 1924.
Ardagger Abbey Church · Its Margaret window, from the 13th century, is one of the oldest stained-glass windows in Austria.
Ybbs an der Donau · Ybbs faces Persenbeug across the river, and the two towns are joined by the road over the power station.
Maria Taferl · The pilgrimage began with an old oak and a stone table, the Taferl, at which a miracle was reported in the 17th century; the basilica was built around it.

sleepntripMystery worldPlaces whose story is not over yet

The moai, the Nazca lines, Göbekli Tepe and more.

To the mystery world

Getting to Grein and getting around

Grein-Bad Kreuzen station · Regional trains along the river towards Linz; ten minutes on foot from the square
Grein bike ferry · Small ferry to the south bank in season, handy for the cycle path

Cheap eats in Grein

Grein is a small town, and lunch means the inns and cafés around one square. The food is Upper Austrian: roast pork, dumplings, Danube fish on good days, and Most, the cider of the region, by the glass. There is one kebab and pizza counter for something quick; everything is within two minutes of the theatre.

Cipo's Pizza und Kebap · Kebab or a slice, about €6-9
Schörgi · Coffee and cake on the square, about €6
Blumensträusl · Small café on the square, coffee about €3-4
La Vita · Pizza and pasta, about €10-14
Gasthof Strudengau lunch · Weekday lunch menu, about €11-14

Museums in Grein

Grein Town Theatre · Guided tours of the tiny old theatre
Upper Austrian Shipping Museum · Boats, rafts and the rapids, in the castle
Greinburg Castle · Arcaded courtyard and state rooms
Burg Clam · Castle tours on set days in summer
Ardagger Abbey Church · The 13th-century Margaret window

Nature and day trips near Grein

Stillensteinklamm · Gorge path among granite boulders; good shoes
Kalvarienberg · Ten-minute climb for the view
Strudengau · The forest gorge downriver
Maria Taferl · Hilltop view over the Danube valley

Things to do in Grein with kids

Ferry crossing · A short boat ride across the Danube
Stillensteinklamm · Rock-hopping in the gorge, with care
Shipping Museum · Models of boats and rafts
Burg Clam · A real lived-in castle

Where to eat in Grein

Schwarzes Rössl · Traditional inn on the square
Gasthof Strudengau · Austrian dishes and river fish
Schinakel · Restaurant by the square; the name is a local word for a small boat
Gasthaus Zur Traube · Simple inn a few minutes from the square
La Vita · Italian, for a change from dumplings

sleepntripFree with every roomThree audio walks in every city

A guide in your headphones, stop after stop.

To the walks

Frequently asked questions about Grein

What is there to see in Grein?

The top sights in Grein are Grein Town Theatre, Greinburg Castle and Upper Austrian Shipping Museum. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.

How many days do you need in Grein?

Three to four days are enough to see the best of Grein without rushing, including at least one walking tour.

Is there a free walking tour in Grein?

Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Grein, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The town of the rapids.

How do you get to Grein and get around?

The main ways are Grein-Bad Kreuzen station and Grein bike ferry. Full details are in the transport section on this page.

Where to stay in Grein, and for how much?

sleepntrip shows only rooms in Grein that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.

Looking for a hotel in Grein for your dates?

Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.

All hotels in Grein

Plan a trip across AustriaWaltzes, lakes and Alpine peaks→