Spitz an der Donau is a market town in the district of

Krems-Land Bezirk Krems-Land is a Districts of Austria, district of the States of Austria, state of Lower Austria in Austria. It comprises the areas to the West and North of the city Krems an der Donau, which itself is a statutory city (Austria), statutory c ...

in the

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

n state of

Lower Austria Lower Austria (german: Niederösterreich; Austro-Bavarian: ''Niedaöstareich'', ''Niedaestareich'') is one of the nine states of Austria, located in the northeastern corner of the country. Since 1986, the capital of Lower Austria has been Sankt P ...

, in the midst of the UNESCO World Heritage area

Wachau The Wachau () is an Austrian valley with a picturesque landscape formed by the Danube river. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations of Lower Austria, located midway between the towns of Melk and Krems that also attracts "connoiss ...

, further down from Willendorf on the left bank of the

Danube The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...

. The ferry across the Danube here is interesting in that it has no motor or sail: it is powered by rudder set against the river current, anchored to a cable above the river. The ferry carries passengers, bicycles, motorcycles, and automobiles.

History

Occupied since Celtic times, it was first mentioned in 830. A hill "Tausendeimerberg" (the "Hill of a Thousand Buckets") is so named because of the many grapes that grow there, for the

valley, for which Spitz is in, is famous for them. The Late Gothic church to

St. Maurice Saint Maurice (also Moritz, Morris, or Mauritius; ) was an Egyptian military leader who headed the legendary Theban Legion of Rome in the 3rd century, and is one of the favorite and most widely venerated saints of that martyred group. He is the p ...

is famous for its ''Apostles'' (1380) and an altarpiece by Kremser Schmidt. To the south of Spitz is the famous fortress of Hinterhaus. In February 2008, Spitz made an appearance in domestic news following the poisoning of then–mayor Dr. Hannes Hirtzberger.

Population

Geography

Spitz lies on the left bank of the Danube in the

Waldviertel The (Forest Quarter; Central Bavarian: ) is the northwestern region of the northeast Austrian state of Lower Austria. It is bounded to the south by the Danube, to the southwest by Upper Austria, to the northwest and the north by the Czech Repu ...

. The area of the market town covers 23.83 square kilometers. 69.21 percent of the area is forested. In Spitz, the Spitzer stream flows into the Danube

Partner City

Since 2006, Spitz and "Taufkirchen an der Pram", located in the Upper Austrian district of Schärding, have been partner communities. Meetings and visits in all areas of daily life contribute to the strengthening of the partnership.

External links

* http://www.planetware.com/austria/spitz-a-n-spitz.htm

References

Cities and towns in Krems-Land District {{LowerAustria-geo-stub