Closure after rockslide

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Federal road 33 in the Wachau has been closed since June 3. Despite detour, the guests are staying away.

(Bild: Attila Molnar)

13,000 cubic meters of rock fell onto the B33 near Aggsbach-Dorf exactly six weeks ago. A slap in the face for the Wachau businesses surrounding the mudslide. The road is still closed - and will probably remain so for several months. 

We are entering the third week of the vacation season - actually high season for the accommodation and catering businesses, wine taverns, excursion destinations and the like in the Wachau. Actually. Because the devastating rockslide and subsequent road closure at the beginning of June threw a spanner in the works. A detour was set up as quickly as possible, and a ferry for cyclists and pedestrians will soon be circumnavigating the closed area. The state only recently assured the affected businesses of support in the form of special funding. Many of them will be in dire need of this. 

Guests are staying away
The restaurant De Daniels in the Aggsteiner Hof directly in Aggsbach-Dorf is probably feeling the effects of the devastating mudslide and the closure the most. The crowds that visit the restaurant directly on the Danube in the summer months are not coming, boss Patrick Daniels tells the Krone: "In high season, we serve around 250 people on a Sunday. It wasn't really possible to get a table without a reservation back then." Since the rockslide, the guests have stayed away and a maximum of 50 people would now come to them on a Sunday.

For the months of June to December 2024, businesses like the one at Aggsteiner Hof can apply for special funding from January 2025 from the state's economic department. The funding should be paid out within two months. "We need to hold out until March," says Daniels.

Patrick Daniels a few days after the devastating rockslide

(Bild: De Daniels)

"Business has come to a standstill"
A few meters away is the Hotel Residenz Wachau. The mudslide at the beginning of June caused a slight decline in rooms, but bookings are currently "not bad". Guests generally tend to book at short notice, as a vacation in the Wachau is heavily dependent on the weather forecast, reports operator Mario Pulker. However, things are looking bleak for the associated restaurant. "Business has really come to a standstill here," says Pulker.

Heurigen host Walter Lahrnsteig from Mitterarnsdorf in the district of Krems also reports far fewer guests. "The through traffic and day tourists who make a stopover in the Wachau are missing here." Together with the mayor of Spitz, Andreas Nunzer, he initiated a price reduction for the Spitz ferry, and its times were also extended.

Heurigen landlord Walter Lahrnsteig remains optimistic

(Bild: Attila Molnar)

Hotel Residenz Wachau in Aggsbach village directly on the Danube

(Bild: Hotel Residenz Wachau )

Like other operators, Lahrnsteig is concerned about the duration of the closure. If it were to remain in place until the next summer season - and therefore coincide with the apricot blossom, the spring months of April and May and the solstice - the question arises: "How long can we stand it?"

The Aggstein ruins are also talking about a 70 percent failure rate. "Every day, visitors call us to find out what the situation is like due to the rockslide," explains Christine Jäger, Tourism and Event Manager at the castle ruins. Special signage is in place to guide visitors to the Aggstein ruins via alternative routes.

Aggstein castle ruins

(Bild: Moser Gabriele/Gabriele Moser)

Detour after rockfall
All employees are motivated and are thinking of solutions to drive the business forward, says Jäger. And not only the team at the castle ruins, but also all other affected businesses want to make the best of the situation. This makes the message all the more important: the south side can be accessed via detour and every single guest is welcome in the Wachau.