Travel over the hills to the home of the famous white horses of The Spanish Riding School - the Lipizzaner Stud in West Styria.

This afternoon trip is not only for horse fanciers. It is for anyone who has a taste for the play of the light on the hills, or the gleam in the glass of a unique Schilcher wine that glows with the color of onion skins, or the dark glint of pumpkin seed oil.

You will also see St. Barbara's Church in Bärnbach, with multicolored decorations by Friedensreich Hundertwasser.

Whatever your taste, it is sure to become even more refined as you enjoy a tour that captures not only the beauty of Austria, but it's heart as well.

This full day excursion will reveal to you the exquisite beauty of the Wachau Valley. As the coach winds through romantic scenery with charming old villages, steep vineyards and mysterious looking castles, the history and legends of the area will be brought to life.

One such castle is the well-known Durnstein, where King Richard Lionheart was imprisoned, while waiting for his ransom to arrive from England, which was finally raised by his true minstrel Blondel.

Enjoy a romantic boat-trip down the Danube from Splitz to Melk, where you will have the opportunity to have lunch at the Abbey Restaurant (not included). The heart of Wachau is the old wine merchants' town, Krems.

Please note: the 1.5 hour boat trip only operates between April 7 to October 28. In the Winter months, the tour will include lunch at the "Zum Schwarzen Baren" in Emmersdorf instead.

The train takes less than an hour to reach the town of Neusiedl am See. At the station you will rent your bike on which you will explore the beauties of the national park.

Austria's first national park to be recognized internationally by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) is located in the plain east of Lake Neusiedl, in the region called Seewinkel.

The 320 square kilometer lake with an average water depth of 3.5 feet (1.10 meters) is the westernmost prairie lake in Europe. Together with the salt lakes, moist meadows and the pastures that have developed over the centuries, the Seewinkel is still reminiscent of Puszta romance.

For the migration of birds this land is of imminent importance. Waders are among the typical summer guests. In Autumn, thousands of Bean Geese and White-fronted Geese offer a memorable performance when they descend on their sleeping places.

Yet the area of the Lake Neusiedl National Park is not only famous for its many species of birds and plants, some of which are already very rare, but also for its wine. You will have a chance to prove this yourself during a visit in one of the village inns.

The cycling trip ends in St. Andra/Zicksee from where you will join the train taking you back to Vienna.