Gottweig Abbey, Wachau Valley - Austria
After leaving Vienna at night, we cruised on the Danube to our next destination, the town of Krems in lower Austria at the foot of the Wachau Valley. Well known for its production of apricots and grapes, the Wachau Valley has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage landscape. Waking up to a beautiful sunny day, this day would be dedicated to a shore excursion to the Göttweig Abbey and a cruise west on the Danube through the Wachau Valley.
The Göttweig Abbey, a Benedictine monastery near Krems, was founded in 1083. After a fire burned down the original structure in 1718, it was rebuilt in its current Baroque style in the early 18th century. The abbey has a library of 150,000 books and manuscripts, important religious engravings, and valuable collections of coins, antiquities, and musical manuscripts all of which survived World War II. The building and its interior are beautiful examples of High Baroque art and architecture. For example, the imperial staircase is one of the largest and most beautiful in the world. The ceiling fresco by Paul Troger in 1739 (representing the Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI as Apollo) decorating the staircase is considered a Baroque masterpiece. In addition, the Göttweig is home to the highest apricot orchard in the Wachau Valley. The property is maintained by 30 Benedictine monks who live at the Abbey. The Göttweig is famous for apricot jams and wines produced on location. Vineyard grapes and apricots both benefit from various microclimatic conditions to include the soil, cool and spicy air from the surrounding Dunkeisteiner Woods, and the natural humidity of the Danube region. After a tour of the abbey, our group was treated to the preparation, cooking demonstration, and tasting of the monks’ apricot dumplings - never thought about eating one of those before, but it was delicious. The monks also didn’t pass up the opportunity to try and sell some wine.
Back on the longship, we began our cruise of the 36 kilometers west along the Danube through the picturesque Wachau Valley between the Austrian towns of Krems and Melk. Ancient monasteries, castles, and ruins, combined with the urban architecture of its towns and villages, and wine vineyards gracing the hillsides (not to mention the wine at lunch) made for a very relaxing afternoon. It didn’t hurt to be sitting on the top deck with our one day of sunshine watching all this landscape go by.
One well-known highlight was on a rocky promontory along a curve of the river is the town of Dürnstein (established in 1019). It was here where English King Richard the Lionheart was held captive by Leopold V, Duke of Austria from December 1192 to March 1193. The ruins of Kuenringer Castle can still be seen on the hill above the town. Dürnstein is also known for some of the residential buildings on its main street. The Chorherrenstift was originally a monastery built in 1410, restored in the 18th century.
Wine growing in the Wachau Valley dates back to the medieval period of the Roman settlements. The Wachau’s vineyards produce complex white wines, such as prized dry Rieslings and Grüner Veltliner. Some of the best originate with vineyards grown on the steep stoney terraced slopes next to the Danube. The combination of temperature variation between day and night, heat retained in the water, and stoney slopes with thin soil cover facilitates the growing of quality grapes. The combination of beautiful scenery, sunny weather, and perhaps drinking a few glasses of wine made for a very enjoyable day.
Passau, Germany
On November 3rd we arrived at the Bavarian city of Passau on the border of Germany and Austria, resting at the confluence of the Inn, Ilz, and Danube rivers. Founded by the Celts more than 2000 years ago, over time the city gained great economic and political power due to its location. A former hub of the salt trade, Passau was an ancient Roman colony called Batavis. The Batavi were a Germanic tribe from the Rhine delta who frequently served in the Roman army as auxiliary troops. Later Passau was to become the Holy Roman Empire’s largest diocese and important sword and blade manufacturer during the Renaissance and early modern period. Superstitious warriors believed that swords stamped with the Passau wolf made the bearer invulnerable in battle. As a result, the whole practice of placing the wolf and other magical signs and charms on swords, made these swords highly valued. In 1662, a massive fire consumed most of the city. Passau was rebuilt in the Baroque style and is notable for its gothic and baroque architecture. Currently, Passau’s population is about 50,000. About 12,000 are students at the University of Passau, renowned in Germany for economics, law, theology, computer science, and cultural studies.
We were scheduled to have only one day in Passau, so we planned to take advantage of the morning shore excursion and roam through the city on our own in the afternoon. A highlight of the morning tour was St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Since 730, there have been many churches built on the site. After the fire of 1662 that destroyed all but the gothic eastern side, the current baroque cathedral was built from 1668 to 1693. The cathedral features magnificent stucco works by Giovanni Battista Carlone and frescoes by Carpoforo Tencalla. Not only is this a beautiful building, but it is home to the largest pipe organ outside the United States and the largest cathedral organ in the world (featuring 17,774 pipes and 233 registers).
In the afternoon, we strolled the old town streets on our own. Beautiful small Bavarian city, but with one day to roam there was only so much one could see. Baroque architecture, decorated arches, shops, hotels, and restaurants lined the narrow cobblestoned streets and alleys. But even on a walk through ancient history, you can stumble on odd modern touches. I asked a postal carrier, pushing a cart in a colorful outfit delivering mail outside of a produce stand, if I could take her photo. She immediately said “Nein” in her guttural German - probably added “damn tourists” under her breath. We both took the photo anyway, avoiding her face of course, for historical purposes - a contrast of old vs. new. It was an interesting walk through the old town area. We also saw a cat mobile van prowling the streets offering professional cat grooming. This city also loves their dogs. There was a museum/gift shop totally dedicated to dogs. I thought this city was famous for its swords - maybe in a different section of the city. On this day, we saw lots of baroque architecture but no swords. Goodbye to Passau and on to Regensburg, the final destination of our trip west on the Danube.
Regensburg, Germany
The medieval center of Regensburg also in Bavaria was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006 due to its well-preserved architecture and historical importance. The cite of the old city was originally a Celtic settlement that later became a legendary Roman camp and stronghold called Castra Regina which was founded during the reign of Marcus Aurelius in the 2nd century. The Roman north gate, Porta Praetoria, still partially survives. According to Britannica.com, “The capital of the dukes of Bavaria from 530, Regensburg was made a bishopric in 739 and shortly afterward became a capital of the Carolingians. From about 1000 Regensburg was home to a large Jewish population (possibly the first Jewish settlement in Germany), until the Jews were expelled in the 15th century. The only free imperial city in the duchy of Bavaria from 1245, Regensburg was exceedingly prosperous in the 12th and 13th centuries. It was taken by the Swedes and later by imperial troops in the Thirty Years’ War (17th century).” The city was destroyed by the French under Napoleon at the Battle of Ratisbon in 1809.
We began November 4th during a cold rainy morning on a walking tour of Regensburg’s historic Old Town. The city has been able to preserve its ancient Roman, Romanesque, and Gothic architecture with its dark and narrow cobblestone lanes, arches, and tall buildings. Buildings include medieval Patrician houses and towers, many churches, as well as the 12th century Stone Bridge. St. Peter’s Cathedral has existed since 700 AD. After several fires, the cathedral was rebuilt and completed in 1320 in its current Gothic style. As with many ancient European churches, constant repair is required. Regensburg’s Old Town survived the destruction of World War II in relatively good shape. The city was the home to both a Messerschmitt Bf 109 aircraft factory and an oil refinery. Both targets were badly damaged by Allied bombing missions, but the Old Town suffered little damage and most of the city’s medieval buildings survived. The Stone Bridge (Steinerne Brücke) was repaired after the war.
In the afternoon we were on our own. The weather was still cold, rainy, and overcast. As with Passau, we only had one day in Regensburg. We wanted to make every minute count. Time to explore some of the side streets and tucked away areas we passed through quickly on the morning tour. Beautiful ancient city. We walked through the Old Town section of the city close to the Danube. Well-preserved architecture lined narrow cobblestone streets. Living spaces, restaurants, and retail shops were tastefully incorporated into the existing ancient buildings. Since we were fed quite well on the Viking longboat, we passed by a few eating establishments without stopping for food or coffee. We only had the afternoon. One of the most notable food establishments in the city is the Historisch Wurstkuche (Historic Sausage Kitchen) near the Stone Bridge, believed to be the oldest continuously open public restaurant location in the world. If you like sausage, mustard, and sauerkraut this is the place to visit.
As we walked onto the Stone Bridge, it was time to say goodbye to the Danube. It’s been a wonderful trip. We would be headed by bus to spend a few days in Prague before heading home.
