With references to places that can be visited and artefacts that can be seen, the book tells the story of a valley from the Ice Age up until the nineteenth century. Suitable for reading before, during and after a visit, photographs and diagrams provide additional orientation and enable journeys of exploration and discovery. The secrets of time-keeping and the calendar are uncovered and the myths of long ago are decoded. With Christianity, the old ways are adapted and winemaking becomes central. Ceasing to be a barrier, the Danube becomes a trade route. In Krems, coins are minted and heretics are burnt, whilst upriver, a king is held to ransom. During the Renaissance, important astronomical observations are made and the valley becomes an epicentre of theological controversy and a hotbed of religious insubordination. Extinguished by the Counter Reformation, Catholicism is re-instated and the Baroque is ushered in. With the Age of Enlightenment, the central tenets of today's world emerge and the work ends with a tale told by a relief carved on the end of a barrel.