Melk & Krems: Wednesday August 24
ORIGINAL PLAN:
After breakfast, visit the abbey at Melk, a 900-year-old Benedictine monastery featuring Austria’s finest Italian baroque architecture. Rejoin your ship; cruise through the spectacular Wachau Valley this afternoon. Before dinner, you have time to explore the time-honored town of Krems and see the Steiner Tor, the last remaining city gate, or take an optional excursion to a local winery to sample some local vintages from this famous wine-producing region. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Tour the renowned Melk Abbey, a masterwork of baroque brilliance. Perched on dramatic cliffs high above the Danube, this ochre-colored confection is perhaps the most graceful landmark of the Wachau Valley. At the abbey’s entrance, you will meet your guide. Rebuilt during the 18th century after the original 12th-century building was destroyed by fire, its library is now home to a wide range of medieval manuscripts. The interior of the abbey’s church is a kaleidoscope of red, orange and gold, with a magnificent carved pulpit and colorful ceiling frescoes. You will also see the imperial rooms, which are now home to a museum chronicling the abbey’s history from its inception to modern times. Be sure to step onto its gracious terrace for breathtaking views of the Danube, the city and the expanding valley.
* Moderate - Walking portions may be long and somewhat challenging with occasional step-ups, stairs and inclines. Total time walking or standing normally ranges from 1.5 to 3 hours.
9:00 am to 12:00 pm: Melk Abbey (Viking Included) Jim & Barbara reserved
Sample fine vintages during a tour and tasting at a local winery. The Wachau wine region comprises just 3 percent of Austrian wine. But its reputation for producing the finest whites in Central Europe is unparalleled. Meet your guide for a scenic drive into the valley, whose unique combination of terraced slopes, dry stone walls, hillside castles, vineyards and rich cultural tradition has earned it a place as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Wine has been produced here since the time of the Celts, long before the Roman Empire introduced the Riesling grape. During your winery visit, you will learn how the region’s grapes amplify the qualities of the earth in which they are grown, tour impressive cellars and sample wines little known to American palates. This excursion offers a unique and fascinating glimpse of a prolific viticulture beloved by oenophiles the world over.
* Moderate - Walking portions may be long and somewhat challenging with occasional step-ups, stairs and inclines. Total time walking or standing normally ranges from 1.5 to 3 hours.
4:30 pm to 7:00 pm: Wachau Valley Winery (Bill and Lana, Judy)
All excursions end by 8:00 pm)
Zoe: At Melk, we toured the Benedictine Abbey. The boat traveling through the Wachau Valley is very scenic and a fertile valley in Austria.
OUR EXPERIENCE:
An overview for the day with special insights was in the Viking Daily.
Close to the original plan, we were on our way to the Melk Abbey after breakfast. We snapped as many pictures as possible before entering the abbey. Monks still lived there, so photography was not allowed inside.
The interior courtyard, fountain, and entrance to the high school (Gymnasium) still in operation:
The library (picture from Wikipedia). I could have spent days there checking out all the rare books and manuscripts:
Another private and entrance and a winding staircase leading down many stories. I lagged behind our guide joining another group freely taking pictures.
A panoramic view of the town below:
Back on the Viking Baldur we joined euphoric shipmates enjoying our first chance to enjoy the top deck. It was usually closed with the patio covers collapsed to pass under bridges. I tried out the putting green then snapped pictures of everything in sight...
...including the ship's captain who okayed this shot:
Crew members enjoyed break time in their own designated area:
Every shutterbug onboard captured all the castles and towns along the river:
Occasionally, groups of trailers, some with extended tents and patios, lined the riverbank:
I caught another Viking ship going the opposite way. Now I could see what we looked like, including our room (two levels below the top deck), to those on shore. This was river cruising at its best.
(See wine from Spitz below)
Later in the day when tied up at Krems, Barbara and I went ashore for a quick, unguided tour.
So viel mehr: So much more. Steiner Tor, the last remaining city gate, in the background behind Barbara.
We had heard about the great wines in the area, so we visited a Weinbar. I asked for two of the best wines in the area. The recommendations were perfect, a Tanzer Riesling for Barbara and a Müller Kremstal Riesling for me (similar to those pictured below):
(see town and vineyards of Spitz above)
After the wine, we lost our way around town until we found a place for some apple strudel. Revived with strudel and coffee, we found our way back to the main street.
