Krems an der Donau

Krems an der Donau is a city in Lower Austria at the confluence of the Krems and Danube rivers at the eastern end of the Wachau valley, about 70 kilometers west of Vienna. First mentioned in 995 in a certificate of Otto III, though settlement occurred much earlier, evidenced by a child's grave over 27,000 years old, the oldest grave found in Austria, the city rivaled Vienna in size during the eleventh and twelfth centuries. As of January 2023 the statutory city proper had 25,272 residents, the twentieth largest in Austria and fifth largest in Lower Austria, with an urban agglomeration of about 50,000, and it holds special administrative standing as a Statutarstadt, both municipality and district at once. Krems is the primary producer of Marillenschnaps apricot brandy, sits within the UNESCO-listed Wachau Cultural Landscape wine region, and is the hometown of Baroque painter Martin Johann Schmidt, known as Kremser Schmidt.