Willendorf in der Wachau
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{{refimprove, date=August 2017 Willendorf, or when ambiguous Willendorf in der Wachau, is a village in the
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 "connois ...
valley in
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 ...
. Willendorf became famous in 1908 when the 30,000 year-old
Venus of Willendorf The Venus of Willendorf is an Venus figurine estimated to have been made around 25,000-30,000 years ago. It was found on August 7, 1908, by a workman named Johann Veran or Josef Veram during excavations conducted by archaeologists Josef Szombat ...
was found there.


Geography

Willendorf is 209 m above sea level on the left bank of the
Danube River 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 ...
, between Aggsbach market and
Spitz Spitz (derived from the German word ''spitz'' 'pointed') is a type of domestic dog characterized by long, thick, and often white fur, and pointed ears and muzzles. The tail often curls over the dog's back or droops. While all of the breeds rese ...
. The village has 154 inhabitants.


Archaeology

Venus of Willendorf frontview retouched 2.jpg, Venus of Willendorf The
Venus of Willendorf The Venus of Willendorf is an Venus figurine estimated to have been made around 25,000-30,000 years ago. It was found on August 7, 1908, by a workman named Johann Veran or Josef Veram during excavations conducted by archaeologists Josef Szombat ...
was discovered in Willendorf in 1908 and remains the most important Upper Palaeolithic find in Austria. It is around 30,000 years old. Other finds at Willendorf have shown that the site has been occupied for around 50,000 years. The Venus of Willendorf is part of the permanent exhibition of the
Natural History Museum of Vienna The Natural History Museum Vienna (german: Naturhistorisches Museum Wien) is a large natural history museum located in Vienna, Austria. It is one of the most important natural history museums worldwide. The NHM Vienna is one of the largest museum ...
.


Economy

Today, tourism, wine, and the growing of fruit are important parts of the Willendorf economy.


Further reading

* F. Felgenhauer: ''Willendorf in der Wachau. Monographie der Paläolithischen Fundstellen.'' 1956–59. Archaeological sites in Europe Archaeological sites in Austria