Winter trip on the Wachau Railway

During the winter months, the Wachau Railway stops operating. For our winter visit, we thus rely on the tourist programme: on weekends during Advent, the train runs on a reduced route from Krems to Dürnstein. Our journey aims to document what can be seen of the landscape in the dark and especially in motion. We film and take photos from the moving train. The reflections in the windows of the train intensify as dusk falls. Inside and outside merge. The panorama of the left overlaps with the one of the right, creating fascinating kaleidoscopic effects. The ten-minute train ride takes us through various sections: vast vineyards and urban density, narrow valleys with mesh-covered cliffs, planted but leafless stretches reveal new views of the Danube valley. In Dürnstein, we encounter fewer visitors than expected. Just a couple of groups stroll through the illuminated, car-free town centre, while most of them are at the Christmas market. The journey back to Krems is like travelling in a sealed-off capsule. Inside a brightly lit railcar, we pass through the dark landscape and can only catch a few points of light in the surrounding area.