When Laetitia was at Oberndorf, near the Danube in Austria, she decided to lead some other tours in the area. The first of these was to Dürnstein and the Wachau Valley wine country, famous for its Grüner Veltliner. Returning from the Third Crusade, Richard I of England (Lion Heart) was shipwrecked and held for ransom in Dürnstein Castle by Duke Leopold V of Austria. Later, he was moved to Trifels Castle in Germany. Richard’s mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, raised the ransom and obtained his release. When free again, Richard led a series of battles in France and built Chateau Galliard on the Seine near Rouen, but he died of an infected crossbow dart wound a few years thereafter.
In Wachau Valley, known for its wine
Is the quaint old walled village, Dürnstein,
There was “Lion Heart,” handsome,
Held for a large ransom
To boost Leopold’s bottom line.