Cruising the Danube River: A Visit to Melk

Melk lies at the western end of The Wachau, a 25-mile river valley that is celebrated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its architecture and agricultural significance. Vineyards do very well here. Our cruise ship, River Beatrice from Uniworld Cruises, stopped here for several hours. We toured the incredible Melk Abbey (also a UNESCO site) on a hill above the Town of Melk. Later in the morning, I left the ship and got on a bicycle tour which I will write more about this week.

When we arrived at the Abbey the President of Austria was paying a visit, apparently with foreign dignitaries. The abbey itself is quite a sight to behold, a famous example of High Baroque style, and home to a small but modern museum containing historical art and artifacts from the abbey. The library is also quite well known. It has a huge collection of manuscripts.

Click over to The Mad Traveler home page to see my Melk Abbey Photo Gallery.

More posts from Cruising the Danube River