Melk - Stift and Danube bicycle ride downstream from Melk
Forty-two years ago, we visited Stift Melk (Melk Abbey) during our one month European tour with Maureen and Ramsay. Then, we toured buildings and museums. Now, we look at the sights and try to stay outside as much as possible.
Stift Melk is an immense Benedictine Abbey that was burned by the Turks during the siege of Vienna. It was rebuilt into a Baroque masterpiece. Finally, it was restored within the last decade (paid for by selling the abbey's Gutenberg Bible to Harvard University!).
Here is the view from a mile away as we approached the town (which is in the valley between the fields and the abbey)
We stayed at the Zur Post Hotel as recommended by Rick Steves. The recommendation was so strong that he recommended eating in it even if we didn't stay there. He didn't mention that the restaurant is so popular that reservations were necessary. Luckily, we had priority as hotel guests to eat what turned out to be a fabulous meal. Our spacious room was on the second floor to the right side in this picture.
Here is the view of the abbey from our hotel room window. We were just below the abbey.
Just before sunset, we walked around town. If the setting sun turns the mountains "on fire", it makes the yellow walls of the abbey even more yellow.
Here is a close up of the front steeples of the abbey with Jesus.
We continued our sunset walk along the Danube (which was actually blue in Melk!).
The following morning we left for a two hour bicycle ride east from Melk. The views were best looking from the shady south side to the well lit north side. But, because my finger tips were exposed to the cold in my bicycle gloves, we crossed the river to the sunny (warmer) north side. One of the many Danube cruising boats passed under us as we rode across the bridge.
We watched the Danube cruiser cross under the bridge as it headed upstream.
Here is the view of the abbey from our hotel room window. We were just below the abbey.
Just before sunset, we walked around town. If the setting sun turns the mountains "on fire", it makes the yellow walls of the abbey even more yellow.
Here is a close up of the front steeples of the abbey with Jesus.
We continued our sunset walk along the Danube (which was actually blue in Melk!).
The following morning we left for a two hour bicycle ride east from Melk. The views were best looking from the shady south side to the well lit north side. But, because my finger tips were exposed to the cold in my bicycle gloves, we crossed the river to the sunny (warmer) north side. One of the many Danube cruising boats passed under us as we rode across the bridge.
We watched the Danube cruiser cross under the bridge as it headed upstream.
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