We are traveling through the Wachau Valley, one of the most scenic stretches along the Danube. Our ship arrived in Weissenkirchen (meaning “White Church”) this morning for our first stop and base of land operations for the morning.
We traveled by bus to the nearby village of Durnstein, meaning “Pearl of the Wachau”. Our walking tour visited its monastic church with an unusual blue facade, which looks from afar as if it’s made of porcelain, but is actually plaster. It was built from 1721-25 and has a beautiful doorway leading into a courtyard. The Baroque details are visible in the carved pulpit, fine choir stalls, and stucco relief on the ceiling. We walked up a steep hill to Durnstein Castle, 520 feet above the town. The castle dates to the time of the Crusades, as this is where the Babenberg Duke who ruled the country held Richard the Lionheart of England prisoner in 1193. Our guide noted that Richard was treated well during his captivity for two reasons: first he was a King and deserved to be treated like royalty, and second the Duke was interested in the ransom Britain would pay for his release.
Next we traveled to nearby Melk, home of a stunning abbey. Built as a residence of the Babenberg family, it became a Benedictine monastery in 1089 founded by Leopold II. In the 12th century the monks established a monastic school, the library becoming famous for its collection of manuscripts. For nearly 1,000 years, the monks have continually lived and worked in the Melk Abbey, staying active in the local churches, the school, economy, culture and tourism. Today’s stunning Baroque buildings actually date from the 18th century as there have been extensive restorations. We were able to tour the Abbey church and the Library, seeing several illuminated manuscripts and the thousands of books shelved floor to ceiling.
We proceeded to Ybbs, a town up the river where our ship met us to sail on to Grein, at the entrance to the Strudengau Valley, a 25 mile stretch of the Danube with many small villages along the shore. In Grein we walked up the steep hill to the Castle Greinburg on top for a tour and special reception. The castle is Austria’s oldest residential castle dating back to the late Middle Ages, owned by the Ducal family of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha since 1823. Many sovereigns of royal houses of England, Belgium, Portugal and Bulgaria came from the House of Coburg. Like those who watched the PBS series on Queen Victoria, we were able to understand the background of Prince Albert of the Coburgs of Saxony and how their families intertwined. The Queen and Prince had in fact visited this castle.
Back aboard the Ama Lea we were treated to a Chaine des Rotisseurs Dinner. Chaine des Rotisseurs is a the world’s oldest gastronomic society and AmaWaterways is now a member (by invitation only). Our chef prepared many courses for this special dinner, the main entree being a delicious rack of lamb, all expertly prepared and served.
We retired for the evening as the Ama Lea sailed on to Linz.
Brad Willis
2019-06-15
Thanks so much for these wonderful posts!
Val
2019-06-16
Beautiful pics and love your commentary. Sharing with you is a real treat.
Ken
2019-06-16
Looks like a wonderful trip back in time. I wonder if anyone reads the old books. Do they contain mysteries or just the same old human tricks.
Leslie S
2019-06-18
I love the scenes on the river. Wish we were there with you!!! Keep the pics coming!