A breath of fresh air
Hidden Treasures of the Kamp Valley
I must admit I hadn’t any great expectations when the Oldies said they were planning to explore the Kamptal/Kamp Valley. After having spent so much time on the mighty Danube, the Kamp seemed a mere trickle in comparison. But what a magical river valley it is. There you go. Size really isn’t everything!
For the Oldies, a visit to Langenlois in the wine growing region of the Kamp Valley was a must, of course. The town itself is as I’d come to expect of the area, with its fair share of ancient churches and public buildings, quaint shops and taverns. But I was caught by surprise by the Loisium, a stunning ultra-modern complex consisting of a hotel and visitors centre, slap bang in the middle of the vineyards.
Not surprisingly, the Oldies immediately elected to go to the ‘World of Wine’ experience. Already outside in the grounds of the Loisium, there were all kinds of information boards about grape varieties and wine making which was all a bit bewildering for me. I was happy just to perch among those lovely cool vines.
Don’t I look a picture?
As we descended into the visitors centre, I noticed that one enormous stainless steel tank had a capacity of 345,000 litres. Now that would even keep the Oldies going for a while! Deeper and deeper we went, until we finally reached the 900 year old cellars. I was glad to hear that the local loess soil is not only excellent for growing vines, but is also extremely stable. Still and all, it was a bit unnerving and creepy down there for my liking. Not quite my idea of a barrel of laughs!
Hmmm, I noticed that a lot of the wines down there were quite old. I hope they make some fresh stuff too!
I was happy to reach ground level again at the end of the tour. Overall though, I have to say that the World of Wine is a well-balanced experience, between its lively modern light show, its earthy cellars, the mature flavour of the past in the museum section, all culminating in a long finish, with the slow browsing of the elegant, well-stocked wine store.
Gosh, I’d better watch it. I think some of that wine-tasting lingo has rubbed off on me. And I didn’t even touch a drop, I promise!
Over the next few days, the Dynamic Duo explored the Kamp Valley further, beyond the wine-growing area, and even went on a couple of short hikes. I was certainly happy to tag along and enjoy the wonderful unspoilt nature and gorgeous views. I was particularly enthralled by the abundance of wild flowers. What a great place to be if you’re a bee… or any other type of insect, for that matter!
There are so many abbeys in this part of the world, you’re practically tripping over them. So I wasn’t surprised to come across one in the Kamp Valley. Stift Altenburg is quite an eyeful. Beautiful! I was intrigued in particular by its medieval monastery below the main monastery, reminiscent of the church below the church in Straden. But once again, it was as much its lovely, tranquil setting as the abbey itself that left the strongest impression on me. Those monks certainly had a knack of picking all the best locations!
Another stunning spot in this beautiful valley, Gars am Kamp, was a breath of fresh air. Literally. It’s a Luftkurort, a climatic health spa. His Lordship explained that to reap the benefits, you simply need to go for gentle strolls and breathe in the air. Gentle strolling and breathing – perfect for Oldies. Even they can manage that. Just about.
In fact, the Wingless Wonders surprised me by not only strolling around the town, but marching up the hill – slowly – to visit the castle ruins. I thought it was great that the ruin is still put to good use these days – as an open-air opera and theatre venue.
His Lordship certainly made a show of himself on the stage. Thank goodness Herself and myself were the only audience!
Fresh air certainly stimulates the appetite, and His Lordship and I had no problem in demolishing a poppy seed cake in the gorgeous Art Nouveau ‘Café Ehrenberger’.
Yes, that climatic health spa certainly works. I can attest to that. After our visit to Gars am Kamp, the Dynamic Duo slept around the clock. Unfortunately it didn’t work for me. I was awake all night – thanks to their snoring.
