Gottweig Abbey

Day 3 (7/22/26) Wachau Valley, Krems, Austria

 After sailing all night we woke up to a beautiful sunrise that bode well for the journey through the scenic Wachau Valley. It didn’t take long before we started seeing castles, churches, vineyards and the occasional nose. Ok, there is only one nose which welcomes you to the wine region and challenges you to enjoy the wine. Around every corner there is a new visual experience. I think that is why I have always loved rivers. Like a good book, they lead you on exposing new vistas the further you go. Unlike the Rhine many of these castles are ruins. Most of the cathedrals however are still in use. On another note the Venus of Willendorf, a small sculpture dating back to the late Paleolithic period, was found in this valley and is now in the Natural History Museum in Vienna. After a couple hours we eventually get to our stop for the day in Krems, Austria. Perched on the mountain overlooking the city and river you can see our first destination, the beautiful Gottweig Abbey. Founded in 1083, Gottweig Abbey is a Benedictine monastery and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Fortunately it survived Hitler and World War 2. Hitler had it in mind to have it destroyed. Although we didn’t see any monks it is still a working monastery. Built in the baroque style it features ornate carvings and ceiling paintings that are breathtaking. During the tour we got a taste of apricot wine, one of the wines they are famous for. They also have a wide selection of grape wines which we got to taste at the end of the tour. Surrounded by 64 acres of vineyards the view is also breathtaking.  After returning to the boat from the Abbey we walked into town and down to the market square where we purchased some of the local apricots. Although not as historically significant as some of the other sites it had its own charm and soon we were perusing the shops and meandering back to the ship. Although we didn’t go in we found an Aldi’s. Although the signage was the same the name was different. It was a pleasant way to end a long and wonderful day.

Sunrise entering the Wachau Valley

Aggstein Castle

Vineyards of Wachau Valley

Aggstein

St Michael's Church

The Wachau Nose

Weissenkirchen

Achleitz

Spitz

Spitz

Loiben

Gottweig Castle Alter

Gottweig Pipe Organ

Ceiling Painting

Gottweig Cathedral

From the Abbey

Abbey Vineyards

Krem City Gate

Gottweig Abbey

Take a Risk Visit Linz

 

Basilica Maria Taferl

Day 2 (7/21/26) Linz, Austria

“Take a Risk Visit Linz”, the slogan from there tourist map and brochure about says it all. It has a different flavor than the rest of the places we visited. It is where old meets new. Adolf Hitler considered Linz his home town. Although he wasn’t born there he spent most of his childhood there and it held a special place in his heart. He had big plans for it after the war. In 1938 he used the balcony of the (Rathaus) Town Hall to declare the unification of Germany and Austria as the beginning of the “Greater German Empire”. He spent much of his time in Linz during the war. Linz also has the Nibelungen Bridge which served as the demarcation line between the Soviet Union and American occupation zones following World War 2. From 1945 to 1955 the bridge functioned as an international border checkpoint. The southern bank of Linz was controlled by the United States while the northern bank was controlled by the Soviet Union. The division lasted until Austria regained its independence in 1955. It was known as “The path from Moscow to Washington”. But not everything in Linz is about war and affairs of state. Linz is the home of the “Linzertort”, the oldest written cake recipe still in use. It is a heavy, spicy cake. We stopped by the oldest bakery in Linz to give it a try. It has a slight gingerbread flavor with nuts and jelly. It was well worth the walk to re-find it. There are several notable churches in Linz. The Basilica Maria Taferl sits on a hill overlooking the city on the southern side of the river with a tram that runs from town to the top. The Old Cathedral (Alter Dom), which we visited, was constructed by Jesuits between 1669 and 1683 in the Baroque style. The composer Anton Bruckner served as the cathedral organist from 1855 to 1868. Another notable building although modern in design is the Arts Electronica Center. The building features a specialized LED media façade designed for interactive light shows and artistic projections. The museum serves as a “Museum of the Future,” focusing on art, technology, and society. Linz is a city of bridges but the most important one bridges the gap between past and future.

Old Town Hall

Hitler's speach

Nielungen Bridge

Eating Linzertort

Oldest Linz Bakery

Old Cathedral

Interior (front)

Interior (back

)

Danube Cruise Passau, Germany

 

Artists Alley

Day 1 (7/19-20/26) Passau, Germany on the Danube

After a harrowing flight with a mechanical delay in Chicago which set us up for a sprint across the airport at Charlotte to catch our flight to Munich we have finally arrived to our boat in Passau on the Danube to start our cruise to Budapest, Hungary. It is flights like this that sometimes make you question if the journey is worth the flight. I will say this for American Airline that when we landed in Charlotte the flight attendant asked that everyone stay seated until we and a few others debarked the plane to catch our next flight. Some complied and some didn’t. After landing in Munich we had about an hour bus ride to our boat. Since by now it had been well over twenty-four hours with no sleep I remember little of the ride except how much it looked like home right down to the deer stands everywhere. Viking is very good about transitioning each step of the process so soon we were on board and in our room and it was still before noon. After a quick lunch, we joined a tour group that was going into Passau for a look around. Known as the city of rivers, Passau sits at the confluence of three rivers. The Inn, which flows from the Alps, has a distinct light green color while the Ilz, which flows from the south, is very dark. They both flow into the Danube, which a blue brown color, leaving very distinct lines until they mix together. In the evening the boat moved closer to the city as the sun went down giving some awesome views of the approach. On the approach to the city the first buildings that you notice are the Veste Niederhaus fortress and the St. Salvator pilgrimage church at the confluence of the Danube and Ilz rivers. Above them on the mountain crest overlooking the entire city sits the Veste Oberhaus fortress from the thirteenth century a massive structure dominating the landscape.

The next morning we had a walking tour around Passau. We found the guide very informative. Like most old European cities it was characterized by narrow alleys, cobblestones and court yards. Apparently the narrow alleys were there to limit the number of enemies who could enter the city. One of these alleys is referred to as Artists Alley and has painted cobblestones to direct you to different artists’ studios and homes. Like most old European Cities there are sculptures and fountains around every corner. Although there are many beautiful churches and buildings, St Stephan’s Cathedral stands out with its baroque architecture and world’s largest cathedral organ which they plan on even expanding by 2030. There is never enough time and energy to see everything you would like to and soon it was time to head back to the ship and prepare for the next leg of our journey.

Entering Passau

Building on the Mountain

Narrow Alley

Veste Oberhaus

Old Town Hall

Killer Comedy Stage

Random Sculpture

On the banks of the Danube

Another narrow Alley

Wittelsbach Fountain (Baroque Style)

St. Stephen's

Door to St. Stephan's

Interior of St. Stephan's

St. Stephan's

Another Interior shot

Modern Sculpture recognizing
 women abused by the church 

St. Stephan's

Vine Wall

Another local bier