Scenic Cruising and Melk Abbey

We began our day at sea with scenic cruising down the Wachau Valley, with commentary given by Sue, our cruise director. We had the advantage of seeing many of these lovely views from our veranda.

We visited Melk Abbey in the afternoon. I was intrigued by the ads that I’d seen on PBS and wondered if it really was as magnificent as it appeared on TV. It didn’t disappoint.

Melk Abbey was built between 1702 and 1765 by architect Jakob Prandtauer, and was originally a royal palace with ceremonial courts, guest apartments, grand halls and a library. In the 11th century, Leopold II of Babenberg presented the palace to the Benedictine monks, who turned it into a fortified abbey. The abbey church, a Baroque masterpiece with jaw-dropping exteriors, features magnificent frescos by Johann Michael Rottmayr.

The magnificent Melk library contains over 16,000 volumes, as well as 12 more rooms containing 12,000 volumes which are not open to the public. Some of these include 750 incunabula, printed prior to 1500. The library’s main hall features a frescoed ceiling by Paul Troger, whose content serves as an allegory of faith, with the main central figure surrounded by angels, reprsents the four Cardinal Virtues: Wisdom, Justice, Fortitude and Temperance.

We were not allowed to take pictures inside, so I got post cards so you can see the spectacular magnificence of these two structures. The library was my favorite!

At the end of our visit, we had just enough time to retrace our steps and stop for a decaf mélange — what we call a cappucino — and a special benedictine cake, before returning to the bus.

There were also lovely views from the top. Goodbye Melk Abbey!

After our tour, I headed off to bed for some much needed shut-eye. Afternoon naps have become very important after a strenuous day. We walked four miles, which never used to seem to be a big deal, but now that I’m a charter member of the bone-on-bone hip arthritis club, walking saps my energy.

Tomorrow we go to Passau, Germany, the city of three rivers. We will be doing the leisurely tour of the historic district and St Stephen’s cathedral.