The "Wachau" lies in the middle of Lower Austria some 65 km west of Vienna. The Wachau is that stretch of the Danube where the river cuts a roughly 33 km long valley through the basement complex of Bohemian massif between Melk in the west and Krems in the east, embracing also the hillsides visible from the Danube, including the eastern slopes of the Jauerling facing the Danube at "Spitzer Graben".

By virtue of its scenic, cultural, economic, biological, and geological individuality the Wachau can be said to be a self-contained yet richly variational region with very special, impressive characteristics, high aesthetic and cultural value. As a synthesis of natural landscapes and urbanisation, an ensemble of highly unusual, unmistakable character.

The region is also closed upon itself in an historical sense. Archeological findings made there suggest that the Wachau was one of the first regions in Europe to become civilised. Its villages, buildings, and civilisation point to a continuous development going back for more than one thousand years.