Yesterday, I visited a glorious stretch of the Danube River known in Austria as the Wachau-Nibelungengau-Kremstal region. Wachau history dates back to the Middle Ages, and winegrowing, fruit, vegetables, and tourism are the primary industries. White wine comprises over sixty percent of wine production, and apricots (marilles) – an Austrian specialty – are the fruit of the valley.
We began at Vienna State Opera House at 9 a.m. and returned at 6:30 p.m. The area is about a 1.5-hour drive from Vienna. There were three major points of interest during the day:
- Dürnstein
- Danube River Cruise
- Melk Abbey
The large tour group was mostly European – German, French, Austrian, Spanish. I was the only American. As with most tours, except for the Danube cruise, we moved at a lightening pace and were given volumes of detailed information about the “medieval landscape“. The weather was blustery, with an occasional light shower. As Vienna transitions into fall, temperatures are getting cooler.
Wachau Cultural Landscape
This highly-touristed area in lower Austria is known as Wachau’s Cultural Landscape. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site. Notable landmarks include famous Benedictine Monasteries like Melk and Göttweig. It’s also a popular location for outdoor activities like hiking, kayaking, and bicycling.
Dürnstein
We passed Krems an der Donau, the largest city (around 24,000) in the Wachau Valley. Our first stop, Dürnstein, is an agricultural and architectural gem. Its beautiful historical buildings and history date back to the 11th century.
Kuenring Castle
In 1193, Duke Leopold V of Austria and Styria held King Richard the Lionheart of England captive in Dürnstein’s Kuenring Castle. He was imprisoned after “refusing to share spoils of war” from the crusades. The Castle was built between 1140 and 1145, and today, its ruins form a dramatic backdrop to the village of Dürnstein.
Dürnstein Abbey
From its perch above the Danube River, Dürnstein looks like a picture post card. We only had an hour to explore, so there wasn’t time to examine the inside of Dürnstein Abbey or climb to Kuenring Castle ruins.
Danube Cruise
We drove from Dürnstein to the town of Spitz, and hopped aboard a riverboat for a picturesque two-hour cruise to Melk. Even with overcast weather, Danube scenery was magnificent!
Schloss Schönbühel
We passed castles and monasteries along the Danube, including 12th Century Schloss Schönbühel – known by locals as “Keeper of the Wachau”. Renovated and built on rock along the Danube shore, the castle is visible to passing boats.
Venus of Willendorf
Further down the river, we passed the small village of Willendorf, where the Venus of Willendorf was found. It’s considered the “oldest piece of European art ever found“. Paleolithic Era research and analysis of the tiny Venus continues today. Other “figures of the Venus von Willendorf type are widespread from France to Russia”.
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The tiny Venus of Willendorf is a 30,000-year-old fertility symbol discovered in 1908.
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Above the entrance to Melk Abbey, the words “Glory Only in the Cross” are inscribed next to a huge copy of the Melk Cross. The Melk Cross is “considered the most precious treasure in the Abbey. It includes a fragment of wood which is supposed to have come from the cross of Jesus and is, consequently, one of the most precious relics in the Roman Catholic Church.”
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Melk Abbey
Melk is a Benedictine abbey originally built in the 11th century. The abbey was destroyed by fire and restored as 18th-century Baroque. St. Benedict Monks have lived in the abbey for over 900 years. The abbey includes a school, and church services are conducted on Sundays and during religious holidays.
Photography is not allowed inside the abbey, and sadly, I was unable to hear most of the narrative provided by our knowledgeable but very soft-spoken guide. We spent several hours walking the abbey from the Imperial Corridor through the Museum, Marble Hall, Balcony, and Library, scaling spiral staircases and observing priceless treasures, like a copy of the Melk Cross and other antiquities, paintings, and objects of art. Of course, everything in the Abbey is highly symbolic. Our tour ended beneath the Abbey’s Great Dome, inside the spectacular St. Peter and Paul Church.
The ceiling frescoes by Austrian painter Paul Troger are phenomenal! Our tour ended in the breathtaking Baroque Church with its reliefs, frescoes, sweeping dome, and towers. Outside the Abbey, a park with lush gardens surrounds an area with views over the Danube River. The adjoining pavilion has revered frescoes by Johann Wenzel Bergl, famous artist of the late Baroque and Rococo periods.
It was an extraordinarily visual day in the beautiful Danube Valley!
Beautiful! I fell in love with Melk Abbey.
The upside of staying in one place for a month is that when you do these taste-tester tours, if there is something that particularly captures you, you can travel back by public transport and explore more in depth.
I was particularly interested in this day trip as it included many things I planned to do about ten years ago. A Swedish-based German friend and I were to meet up in Austria, but for both of us, our plans were curtailed – she due to an illness from which she did not recover, and hubbie and I due to a family loss. Funny how both events circled around Melk Abbey.
Sorry about your friend Gwen :o( – one never knows what twists and turns may come your way… I’m all for living life to the fullest extent possible! The train in this area is fantastic. I’m taking it to Bratislava, the next stop. The ride is about an hour and costs a mere $10!
My friend still had a lot of living ahead of her, but she has also lived it to the full. We first met in the late 70s when she was holidaying on Crete and I was working there. I can’t begin to think how many of her letters over the subsequent years are in a box in my cupboard.
I love European train travel. Best way to go!
ps I liked the bob, but am loving the pixie cut
The pixie is my favorite – will keep it!! :o)