Places of power on all sides
The Danube is quite literally a "place of power" at this point because of the power plant: since 1982, it has continuously produced enough electricity to supply an average of 500 households. The Danube is dammed up over a length of 22.5 kilometers for this purpose. Incidentally, the energy is not transported via overhead lines, but via underground cables, meaning that the landscape remains largely unaffected. Waterfowl feel at home in the old arm of the Danube, for which a refuge has been created here.
If you let your gaze wander, you will come across power spots of a completely different kind: the Weitenegg ruins on the left bank of the Danube. First mentioned in 1100, the site was largely demolished in 1870 in order to extract material for an ultramarine factory. Finally, downstream on the Danube, Melk Abbey sits enthroned and cannot be overlooked: it has retained its status as a spiritual and cultural center in Austria to this day.
Would you have thought it?
The Wachau is one of the regions in Austria most affected by flooding. During the flood of the century in 2002, half of the old town of Melk was under water. Today, protective walls in conjunction with pumping stations serve to ward off this danger.
