Melk and the Wachau Valley – October 15, 2012

 

Melk is a town with a long and storied past dating back to Roman times. The Babenbergs—the Medieval rulers of Austria—had a castle here, which was eventually donated to Benedictine monks who converted it into a fortified abbey. You can see 900-year-old Stift Melk (Melk Abbey) sitting high atop the granite cliffs of the Danube, crowned by towers. This was one of the most important centers of learning in the Middle Ages, with a library containing more than 80,000 Medieval manuscripts. The Abbey is used today as a secondary school for boys and girls.  It’s a working Abbey with 30 Monks, of which 3 are schoolteachers, 23 serve as parish priests and 4 serve as administrators.  There are 200 Lay people who work at the Abbey.

Our guide took us  through the abbey’s Marble Hall, with its richly painted allegorical ceiling; the impressive library; the Emperors’ Gallery; and awe-inspiring Baroque Abbey Church. This beautiful complex is a wonderful example of Baroque art and architecture, and the views from its terrace are spectacular. After our tour of the abbey we were treated to an organ concert in the church.  The first photo below, a crown, is found at the alter and is quite large.

On our walk back to the ship, we came across a little “Wurst” restaurant.   Since we have a hard time passing bratwurst up, we ordered 2 Brats with bread and a beer.  7 Euro’s   What a deal.  :)

 

Wachau Valley is one of the most beautiful stretches of river valley in Europe. The 19-mile-long (30-km-long) Wachau Valley was formed over many centuries by the Danube River, which slowly wore its way through a rocky gorge in the foothills of the Bohemian Forest between Melk and Krems. This enchanting region—which boasts steep-sided, densely wooded southern slopes and northern slopes featuring a picturesque mixture of crags and vineyards—is a UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Landscape. Dotted along the banks are a series of historic small towns and winemaking communities. Some of Austria’s finest white wines are produced here from grapes ripened on the terraces that cling to the rocky slopes.

   

The Autumn colors of the vineyards are beautiful.   Unfortunately, we had a cloudy and hazy day, so our photo’s aren’t as crisp and clear as we would have liked.

While we were having our dinner, we went through one of the many locks.