This is sightseeing next generation!
We’ve seen people on Segways a couple of times, all of them doing some sort of sightseeing trip along the famous Ringstraße in Vienna. And most of the riders did look – let’s say – uhm – not too enthusiastic.
Some of them looked frightened, all of them not really like they had the best time in their lives. But still, we just had to try it. But we were sure: Vienna is not the best place for our first ride, because it’s a big city with a lot of traffic, not only cars but also pedestrians, cyclers and skaters on the vast number of biking lanes. And in between desperate looking tourists on Segways. We wanted something more special, so we decided to do a tour with Segway Wachau (www.segway-wachau.at). And we have to admit: We were fascinated and we did, indeed, have a wonderful day. But first things first.
The tour starts in Spitz/Donau, a small village next to the Danube. It is located in Lower Austria, between Melk and Krems, and part of the world famous Wachau area. The area is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites List and renowned for it’s vinyards and picturesque landscape. We were greeted by Thorsten Busch, who is not only the owner of Segway Wachau but also the tour operator. Neither Pablo nor me have ever driven a Segway, but that was no problem at all. Thorsten showed us how to navigate and ride the personal transporters. We loved how much time he took to make sure that we know everything we had to know for our chosen tour. We spent at least 20 minutes to drive up and down, turn, navigate through grass, go over obstacles, brace and handle the Segways. When Thorsten felt that we were ready for exploring the vinyards around Spitz, the real tour started.
We passed the nice houses of the village, drove through a beautiful forest and found ourselves on top of the vinyards, with a breathtakingly wonderful view over Spitz and the Danube river. Not only was driving the Segway fun itself, but also Thorsten added to the lovely experience. This guy knows a lot, he seems to be a walking encyclopedia – no matter if it comes to vinyards, wine, the Danube, the history of the area or the inhabitants of Spitz: He knows it all and is able to tell you not only a lot of anecdotes but also facts; both in German and in English.
Mr. Hamberger’s museum shop.
He also showed us one of the most adorable museums we had ever had the pleasure to visit: a small grocery shop that looks like directly out of the 1950ies. It is operated by the former (now retired) shop owner and now museum director, Mr. Hans Hamberger, who is now well over 80 years old. It’s like going back in time, to a decade where so called “Greißlereien” were still a thing: Shops where you went to get everything from “birth to death”, as people like to put it. If you are in the area, make sure to visit Mr. Hamberger’s little museum (Hauptstrasse 2, 3620 Spitz/Donau) and to leave a donation there. Thorsten will be happy to show you the place, we’re sure about that.
After around 2,5 hours of driving around, being on a Segway felt pretty normal. It’s not hard at all and Thorsten prepared us well for the tour. We loved every single moment and we’re quite sure that we didn’t look the tiniest bit like the unhappy creatures on wheels we saw on Vienna’s Ringstraße. We sure had a blast and Segway Wachau is not only the best way, but also the best location how and where to experience an unusual sightseeing trip. We will be back, for sure! Thank you for your time, Thorsten!
The pictures, by the way, were taken by the amazing Pablo.
Infos:
Segway Wachau by Thorsten Busch
Donaulaende 7
3620 Spitz/Donau
Tel.: +43 676 670 4776
Tours from 65 Euros per person, six different tours available
How to get there – Link to our map
#sightseeing #austria #loweraustria #review #segway #travel #wachau
