On the Trail of Living Heritage. Part 1

From the historic vineyards of the Wachau Valley (Austria) to the Renaissance façades of Slavonice (Czech Republic), the Danube Ruralscapes partners set off on their second study tour - three days of learning, collaboration, and inspiration along the Danube’s cultural corridor.

Hosted by the University for Continuing Education Krems, this cross-border journey explored how heritage, creativity, and sustainability can transform rural regions into living landscapes - vibrant, resilient, and deeply connected to their identity.

The story began on October 16, 2025, in Krems, where a former tobacco factory - once the beating heart of a working-class neighborhood - now thrives as the University for Continuing Education Krems: a vibrant hub where research, culture, and community come together – a bold example of how cultural heritage can fuel regional development, education, and innovation.

Welcomed by Prof. Pausits, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Education, Arts and Architecture, and Dipl.-Ing. Ledl, Head of the Department for Building and Environment, we, the Danube Ruralscapes partners discovered how visionary planning and adaptive reuse can turn industrial relics into spaces for education, culture, and community.

“Every building holds potential. Every landscape tells a story.”

In the vast halls where tobacco once dried, ideas now circulate freely: of reusing heritage sustainably, of bridging the past with future learning environments, and of the human scale that gives architecture its soul.

As the day continued, partners and Associated Strategic Partners came together for a series of interactive workshops - discussing action plans, exchanging experiences from the pilot regions, and exploring how “heritage-based planning” can drive innovation across the Danube Region, from Hungary to Romania and from Austria to Bulgaria.

Morning light spilled across the old factory courtyards of Krems, casting shadows on the walls that now house the Danube University Krems. Before leaving the city, our day began with a walk through the university’s permanent exhibition “History of Stein Tobacco Factory - between welfare and resistance” - a journey through time, showing how the region’s stories of settlement, trade, and craftsmanship are intertwined with the rhythm of the Danube itself.

Each display felt like an echo from the factory’s own past - the smell of tobacco leaves, the hum of machines, and the faces of workers who once filled these halls. The exhibition told a story of labor and resilience, of welfare and quiet resistance, and of how this historic site found new life through education and culture.

It was the perfect prologue before stepping out into the living landscape that continues to inspire this spirit of renewal.

A short drive later, the scenery opened into the Wachau Valley - a masterpiece of vineyards, river curves, and sunlit hillsides. Here, every terrace is a page in a thousand-year-old book of care and cultivation.

We were welcomed in Spitz by Mag. Ingeborg Hödl, whose deep knowledge of the region brought the valley to life. As she spoke about the Wachau’s balance between conservation and community, her words painted a vivid picture of a landscape not frozen in time, but one that breathes with the people who call it home.

“Heritage here isn’t locked behind walls,” she said. “It lives in the vineyards, in the craft, in the way people greet you on the street.”

Our path continued upward to Spitz Castle, where stone walls and arched windows whispered stories of merchants and monks, vintners and visionaries. From there, we walked to the Red Gate, the highest point of our day - where the Danube stretched below in shimmering blues and gold. The wind carried the scent of grapes and earth; conversations slowed, replaced by quiet awe.

For a moment, it was easy to understand why Wachau is not just a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but a living lesson in how heritage, nature, and human care can coexist – beautifully and sustainably.

As the sun began to set behind the vineyards, we gathered once more – with notebooks in hand, ideas flowing as freely as the river below. The discussions turned to what this region teaches us: that heritage-based planning isn’t about the past but about designing the future with memory at its heart.

“In Wachau,” said Dr. Balint Kadar, Budapest University of Economics and Technology, Lead Partner, “you don’t just look at history - you walk through it.

Our journey didn’t end there. Two days, two countries - the next chapter awaited just across the border.