Dürnstein () is a small town on the
Danube
The Danube ( ; see also #Names and etymology, other names) is the List of rivers of Europe#Longest rivers, second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest sou ...
river in the
Krems-Land district, in the
Austria
Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
n state of
Lower Austria
Lower Austria ( , , abbreviated LA or NÖ) is one of the nine states of Austria, located in the northeastern corner of the country. Major cities are Amstetten, Lower Austria, Amstetten, Krems an der Donau, Wiener Neustadt and Sankt Pölten, which ...
. It is one of the most-visited tourist destinations in the
Wachau region and also a well-known
wine growing area. The municipality consists of the
Katastralgemeinden of Dürnstein, Oberloiben, and Unterloiben.
Etymology
The town gained its name from the
medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...
Dürnstein castle, which overlooked it. The castle's name derived from the
German ''duerr/dürr'', meaning "dry", and ''Stein'', "stone". The stone castle was dry because it was located on a rocky hill, high above the damp conditions of the Danube at the base of the hill. The modern town stands between the castle and the river.
History
Dürnstein was first mentioned in 1192 when, in the castle above the town,
King Richard I of England was held captive by
Leopold V, Duke of Austria,
after their dispute during the
Third Crusade
The Third Crusade (1189–1192) was an attempt led by King Philip II of France, King Richard I of England and Emperor Frederick Barbarossa to reconquer the Holy Land following the capture of Jerusalem by the Ayyubid sultan Saladin in 1187. F ...
. Richard the Lionheart had offended Leopold the Virtuous by casting down his standard from the walls at the
Battle of Acre, and the duke suspected that King Richard ordered the murder of his cousin
Conrad of Montferrat
Conrad of Montferrat (Italian language, Italian: ''Corrado del Monferrato''; Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ''Conrà ëd Monfrà'') (c. 1146 – 28 April 1192) was a nobleman, one of the major participants in the Third Crusade. He was the '' ...
in
Jerusalem
Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...
. In consequence
Pope Celestine III excommunicated Leopold for capturing a fellow crusader. The duke finally gave custody of the king to
Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry VI (German language, German: ''Heinrich VI.''; November 1165 – 28 September 1197), a member of the Hohenstaufen dynasty, was King of Germany (King of the Romans) from 1169 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1191 until his death. From 1194 he was ...
, who imprisoned Richard at
Trifels Castle.
Dürnstein Castle was almost completely destroyed by the troops of the
Swedish Empire
The Swedish Empire or the Great Power era () was the period in Swedish history spanning much of the 17th and early 18th centuries during which Sweden became a European great power that exercised territorial control over much of the Baltic regi ...
under Field Marshal
Lennart Torstenson in 1645.
Dürnstein Abbey (''Stift Dürnstein'') was established in 1410 by
Canons Regular
The Canons Regular of St. Augustine are Catholic priests who live in community under a rule ( and κανών, ''kanon'', in Greek) and are generally organised into Religious order (Catholic), religious orders, differing from both Secular clergy, ...
from
Třeboň and from 1710 rebuilt in a
Baroque
The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...
style according to plans by
Joseph Munggenast,
Jakob Prandtauer and
Matthias Steinl. The monastery was dissolved by order of
Emperor Joseph II in 1788 and fell to the
Herzogenburg Priory. It is famous for its blue tower, which is clearly visible from the river.
During the
War of the Third Coalition
The War of the Third Coalition () was a European conflict lasting from 1805 to 1806 and was the first conflict of the Napoleonic Wars. During the war, First French Empire, France and French client republic, its client states under Napoleon I an ...
the
Battle of Dürenstein was fought nearby on 11 November 1805.
Politics
Seats in the municipal assembly as of 2020 elections:
*
Austrian People's Party
The Austrian People's Party ( , ÖVP ) is a Christian-democratic and liberal-conservative political party in Austria.
Since January 2025, the party has been led by Christian Stocker (as an acting leader). It is currently the second-largest p ...
: 10
*
Social Democratic Party of Austria: 3
*
Freedom Party of Austria: 2
International relations
Dürnstein is twinned with:
*
Tegernsee
Tegernsee () is a Town#Germany, town in the Miesbach (district), Miesbach district of Bavaria, Germany. It is located on the banks of Tegernsee (lake), Lake Tegernsee, which is 747 m (2,451 ft) AMSL, above sea level. A spa town, it is su ...
,
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Durnstein
Populated places on the Danube
Cities and towns in Krems-Land District