Raffelsberger Hof

The Raffelsbergerhof is an outstanding small hotel located just a short stroll from the River Danube in the heart of Austria’s scenic Wachau wine district. Long ago the house was the property of the controller of the river traffic, which must have been a lucrative job since the Raffelsbergerhof is an especially beautiful, spacious home. The outside is extremely appealing, looking much more like a French manor house than an Austrian inn. An enormous grapevine is cleverly espaliered across the length of the building, which consists of two 16th-century, mansard-roofed houses joined by a two-story galleried walkway punctuated with a series of arches. You enter through heavy wooden doors into an inner courtyard formed by the two sections. The staircase to the right leads to private living quarters and the staircase to the left leads up to the second floor where the hotel reception desk is located. The hotel is most appealing—antique chests, old sleds, wrought-iron light fixtures, and fresh flowers lend a romantic ambiance. The bedrooms are spacious, clean, and attractive, with modern furnishings. The gracious Anton family own and manage this delightful small inn, which displays high standards of excellence and great taste throughout. As a bonus, the room rates are very reasonable for a hotel of such quality and charm.

Located amid vineyards, apricot trees and almost right on the Danube itself, an old shipping master’s house was converted into one of the most beautiful hotels in the entire Wachau region. The Raffelsberger Hof – an architectural and cultural gem from the late renaissance. It was in this époque – in 1574, to be precise – that this venerable shipping master’s house was built, subsequently becoming home to an enchanting hotel garni which radiates that unaffected  charm so typical of the Wachau. If you have an eye for detail, you will adore the artistically forged  door locks and the wrought-iron lamp holders, as you will the dignified and heavy ceiling work. An ideally situated base for wine and art tours, as well as for cycling expeditions through the Wachau.  A hotel with all the modern comforts, where you can relax in an historic setting and – wonderfully looked after by the owners, the Anton family – make yourself right at home, feeling as if you are vacationing amongst friends.

And the surrounding area awaits with no shortage of opportunities for memorable experiences. Weissenkirchen, with its historic heart and the old Boatmen’s Church, is rightfully regarded as one of the pearls of the Wachau Valley, while also being home to some of the most priceless vineyards in the Wachau wine country.

It is from these that those fine drops of wine come, which are served beneath the renaissance vaults of the Raffelsberger hotel’s wine lounge. This relaxing setting offers both outstanding wines, as well as sofa seating which virtually beckons you to allow your mind and soul to roam free. Here you will discover Steinfeder, Federspiel and Smaragd wines. And, when you return to your room in high spirits, you can also enjoy views of the hotel’s secluded orchard with its old apricot and cherry trees – the perfect finishing touch to this glorious idyll of the Wachau!