Dürnstein/Melk - 18 October
18 October
Durnstein
We started the morning in Durnstein, a little Austrian town of 79 people on the side of the Danube. The temperature when we woke was -1°c and there was a beautiful mist sitting on the river.
We had a little guided walking tour around the town with a local from down the road in Melk. All of the guides we have had for our tours are locals which means they can share some really interesting information around the way of life here.
The first sight in Dürnstein is the castle ruin on top of the hill that over looks the town. It was destroyed in the thirty years war, but nobody was living in it at that time. The original gate to the town is still there on one side but had to be pulled down on the other side to allow delivery vehicles to get in. Most of the city wall is still in tact though. It is the cutest little town (village really) with every second shop selling some sort of apricot product. Wachau valley is the biggest apricot producer in Austria so they have schnapps, liqueur, rabbit shit (apricot covered in chocolate) marmalade and numerous other products ts all made from apricots. It is also the wine region so there are vineyards everywhere, covering every hillside.
The quaint little cobblestone streets and small buildings with their beautifully kept window boxes were really charming, like stepping into a fairytale.
We had time for coffee and pastry in the local bakery before getting back on the boat as we had a sail through the Wachau Valley to spend the afternoon in Melk.
The stretch between Dürnstein and Spitz is the most picturesque part of the Daube so beingnon the top deck was essential.
...however it required a fair few layers as is was freezing. The rolling hills covered in vineyards, to the trees starting to turn to autumn colours, to the many little villages, churches and castles made for some beautiful scenery to enjoy.
Melk
After a 2 hour scenic cruise we were in Melk, and we were off on the Melk Abbey tour. We thought it was just an Abbey, but we're blown away by the size of it.
It is also a residence that was used for the Habsburg family (royal family of Austria) when they travelled with their entourage of around 200 people, and is also a school and has 8 or more libraries.
The guided museum tour through the old residence was anninteresting history lesson in Austrian history, and the 2 library wings we could access were pretty cool, but the jaw dropper was the Abbey. We have seen a lot of churches over the last week, but this one was something really special. We weren't allowed to take photos inside, but they wouldn't do it any justice. Everything was coated in gold, and beautiful ornate decoration everywhere. It really did take the breath away.
The evening was repacking as we are changing boats again tomorrow. There's a lock between Passau and Regensburg that we can't get through.
Durnstein
We started the morning in Durnstein, a little Austrian town of 79 people on the side of the Danube. The temperature when we woke was -1°c and there was a beautiful mist sitting on the river.
We had a little guided walking tour around the town with a local from down the road in Melk. All of the guides we have had for our tours are locals which means they can share some really interesting information around the way of life here.
The first sight in Dürnstein is the castle ruin on top of the hill that over looks the town. It was destroyed in the thirty years war, but nobody was living in it at that time. The original gate to the town is still there on one side but had to be pulled down on the other side to allow delivery vehicles to get in. Most of the city wall is still in tact though. It is the cutest little town (village really) with every second shop selling some sort of apricot product. Wachau valley is the biggest apricot producer in Austria so they have schnapps, liqueur, rabbit shit (apricot covered in chocolate) marmalade and numerous other products ts all made from apricots. It is also the wine region so there are vineyards everywhere, covering every hillside.
The quaint little cobblestone streets and small buildings with their beautifully kept window boxes were really charming, like stepping into a fairytale.
We had time for coffee and pastry in the local bakery before getting back on the boat as we had a sail through the Wachau Valley to spend the afternoon in Melk.
The stretch between Dürnstein and Spitz is the most picturesque part of the Daube so beingnon the top deck was essential.
...however it required a fair few layers as is was freezing. The rolling hills covered in vineyards, to the trees starting to turn to autumn colours, to the many little villages, churches and castles made for some beautiful scenery to enjoy.
Melk
After a 2 hour scenic cruise we were in Melk, and we were off on the Melk Abbey tour. We thought it was just an Abbey, but we're blown away by the size of it.
It is also a residence that was used for the Habsburg family (royal family of Austria) when they travelled with their entourage of around 200 people, and is also a school and has 8 or more libraries.
The guided museum tour through the old residence was anninteresting history lesson in Austrian history, and the 2 library wings we could access were pretty cool, but the jaw dropper was the Abbey. We have seen a lot of churches over the last week, but this one was something really special. We weren't allowed to take photos inside, but they wouldn't do it any justice. Everything was coated in gold, and beautiful ornate decoration everywhere. It really did take the breath away.
The evening was repacking as we are changing boats again tomorrow. There's a lock between Passau and Regensburg that we can't get through.
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