Krems an der Donau is the largest city on the Wachau, where the Danube valley widens into Lower Austria's wine country. It has the practical advantages of a transport hub, but it is more than a base: the old town has Gothic gates, Renaissance houses, steep church lanes, and enough wine taverns to make an overnight stay feel like a good decision.
The obvious starting point is the Steiner Tor, the surviving city gate at the edge of the pedestrian centre. From there, Landstrasse runs east through the old town, past painted facades, courtyards, shops, and wine bars. Above the centre, the Piarist Church gives Krems a proper medieval skyline.
Krems also has one of Austria's better small-city art districts. The Kunstmeile Krems links the Kunsthalle, Caricature Museum, State Gallery of Lower Austria, and several smaller venues along the road toward Stein. Add a tasting at Winzer Krems, and you have a full day without leaving town.
For the wider Wachau, Krems is the natural eastern gateway. Boats, bike routes, and buses run west toward Dürnstein, Spitz, and Melk, while Göttweig Abbey rises on its hill just across the Danube.