Dear Abbey: Got Melk?


Advertisement
Austria's flag
Europe » Austria » Lower Austria » Melk
May 3rd 2018
Published: July 31st 2018
Edit Blog Post

Now I knew we're in AustriaNow I knew we're in AustriaNow I knew we're in Austria

The minute you cross the invisible border between Germany and Austria you are welcomed with this reminder that you need to buy a sticker to use their Autobahn. Actually it makes much more sense than our system of toll booths and EZ Pass.
I started off the morning at Zum Kirchenwirt in the usual manner: soft boiled egg, hard roll, fresh butter, a couple of slices of cheese and sandwich meats washed down with orange juice. Hot chocolate was out of the question on these increasingly warmer days. Gail worked the opposite side of the buffet table loading up with fruit and yoghurt.

Today's drive should take two hours to get from Kellburg to our accommodations at a working farm outside of Melk, Austria. But like Ike and Tina Turner, we never do anything nice and easy. The quickest route is usually the boring route so I aimed the X1 in the general direction of Melk instead of listening to the onboard GPS. I can't say we discovered anything all that exciting but along the way we found plenty of odd things that interested us as we drove alongside the mighty Danube heading East. It took only a few minutes after leaving our hotel to cross into Austria. We might not have known we crossed a border except for the signs reminding us that we needed a vignette to use the Austrian Autobahn.

Another sign that we were in Austria were the
Not my favorite singer but my favorite Austrian gasNot my favorite singer but my favorite Austrian gasNot my favorite singer but my favorite Austrian gas

"Pink" seems a really weird name to give your gas stations but this was the first of quite a few we passed. We skipped this particular station but a half hour later we found another Pink gas station with the cheapest gas of the trip.
drastically cheaper gas prices. Super (premium) was more than .20 Euro cheaper per liter than Germany. That's almost a dollar a gallon cheaper. Even though we still had more than half a tank of cheap Czech gas in the tank we made a game of trying to find a petrol station where Super was under 1.20€ . We finally found one out in the boonies with the idiotic name of “Pink”. In Europe gas stations still let you fill your car first then go inside to pay. Once we topped off I went inside to pay for the gas and to get the highway vignette. We would not make the same mistake we made in CZ.

When we reached the outskirts of Austria's third largest city, Linz, we had no choice but to follow the navigational instructions of our car. Still I missed a turn and ended up on the wrong Autobahn. After driving 5 miles I finally reached an exit where I could turn around and get on the A1. I'd like to mention something interesting about Linz but there wasn't anything interesting. It had street cars which was kind of neat but the city was a jumbled
Topping her offTopping her offTopping her off

Our gas mileage was astounding. Since we last filled-up in the Czech Republic two days before we had over 150 miles and used less than 4 and a half gallons. Of course paying close to $25.00 for that small amount of gas was a bit of a downer.
up mess of modern buildings and much too crowded roads.



The A1 Autobahn was extremely boring and it was rather hard to stay within the speed limit; especially after having experienced the unlimited speeds on Germany's major highways. It was only 40 some miles but it was not fun. And here there were actual cops patrolling the roads.



We finally found our exit and headed toward Willi's Bauernhof (Willi's Farm) where we were booked for one night. The road through the hills and forest seemed to go on for a long time before we reached the tiny little four building town of Aichau. Since it wasn't even noon yet we didn't bother to stop but headed on to the famed abbey of Melk. It was situated on the opposite side of the Danube and required driving a bit out of the way to find a bridge crossing that wide river.



Our initial approach into the town of Melk was somewhat depressing. It didn't look like much of a town and I didn't see anything worth stopping to look at. We followed the road up the hillside as our GPS demanded. When
The Linz lineThe Linz lineThe Linz line

Our drive through Linz was rather unremarkable except for these cool trams/trains that took folks from the suburbs into downtown.
it said we had reached our destination I looked around and saw nothing other than a public parking lot. We decided to pay to park then got out of the car and watched the crew from another car head across the street. Once we did we could start to see signs directing us to Stift Melk.



After a semi-strenuous ten minute hike up a steep hill we began to see a few yellow brick buildings housing various abbey support functions. When we reached the summit we could see the huge complex of similarly yellow-bricked buildings comprising the actual abbey. Just inside the first gate we found the ticket office where we purchased tickets for the two o'clock English tour.



We had almost two hours to kill so we checked out the gift shop which had all kinds of religious books and holy articles, honey and wine made by the monks and plenty of different picture books of the abbey because photography is not permitted inside. The “no photo” ban at tourist attractions in this era of electronic photography is just another way to sell merchandise. We bought nothing.



It was turning
It looks like anything can happen in LinzIt looks like anything can happen in LinzIt looks like anything can happen in Linz

This sign had me wondering just what disaster might be awaiting me on the road up ahead. As it was I simply got lost and ended up driving ten miles out of our way.
out to be the hottest day of the trip so I needed a beer. We went to the beautiful abbey restaurant where we sat outside half under an awning and half under the limbs of a huge tree. One beer led to lunch. The menu wasn't particularly big so I ordered a pasta dish. It was tasty if not filling. The second beer was as good as the first.



When two o'clock rolled around we headed over to the building that the ticket agent had told us was the meeting place for the English tour. A few people already waited inside. We sat down and waited. Over the next ten minutes all of the people there left heading in different directions. We walked outside but found only a group of Russian tour bus passengers. We asked a Viking Cruise tour guide if she knew where the English tours started. She had no knowledge about them but did give us a great sales pitch for Viking river cruises.



We finally walked back across the immense courtyard to the ticket window. They were very apologetic and arranged for someone to escort both of us into the
Driving through BrobdingnagDriving through BrobdingnagDriving through Brobdingnag

Just outside of Linz our adventure took us past the giant chair factory. For a minute I thought I was back in Texas.
abbey where we met up with the English group already on the tour. The interior of the abbey was stunning and we made our way through room after room of opulence. The monastic life seems quite comfortable if you're stationed at Melk. Since no pictures were allowed I can't jog much from my memory but I was particularly impressed by the huge library which contains multiple rooms full of old manuscripts.



Like St. Stephen's church in Passau and Ettal abbey the Melk monastery we see today was built mostly in the early 1700s. It was a great time for craftsman it seems. The Benedictines run this religious house and venerate the remains of St. Coloman. It's claim to fame is as an educational institute and a school with 900 students still operates. During Austria's many run-ins with the likes of Napoleon, Hitler and various Austro-Hungarian despots the abbey always managed to stay out of trouble which is why so many treasures and manuscripts are still kept here.



Once our tour concluded I had run out of ideas about what to do. The town below the abbey wasn't as big and interesting as the maps
Just another perfect day in EuropeJust another perfect day in EuropeJust another perfect day in Europe

For people who normally travel in the cold of Winter or the blistering heat of an European summer we were really enjoying these "no temperature" days of early May. When we finally got off the Autobahn we made a slight detour away from Melk to see just exactly where our farm house accommodations were. They couldn't have been in a more serene and unspoiled setting.
I had studied back home indicated. There was basically one street of shops and restaurants and nothing else worth stopping for.



We then decided to hop in the car and explore the countryside. As we drove I recalled that a famous castle which once imprisoned Richard the Lionhearted was somewhere nearby along the Danube. We skirted alongside the southern shoreline and headed into the Wachau Valley. It turned out to be a very interesting ride. All along the roadside grew apple and apricot trees. There were huge groves of them. From time to time we'd spot the ruins of an old castle or church. Traffic was very light on the road with more bicycles than cars. I was surprised to see so many little guesthouses and inns along our route.



Before too long the fruit trees disappeared and we found ourselves in wine country. Vines were planted on every parcel of land. They were growing in big open fields, on rolling hills, in the valleys, climbing up the sides of the mountains and in people's backyards. Hand-painted signs advertised homemade wine and roadside stands offered fresh produce and honey along with their wines. I
Deluxe deer standDeluxe deer standDeluxe deer stand

Am I the only one who notices just how many hunting platforms are in Northern Europe? I swear every field has two or more. They must work well because we hardly ever see any deer or other varmints among the crops.
almost wished I liked drinking wine but I knew stopping for a free sample would obligate us to buy a couple of bottles that we simply couldn't carry home. It was still too early in the season to see any grapes on the vine as we drove through.



When we reached a deserted parking lot next to a small town's soccer field I decided to park the car and take some photos of a huge vineyard. Once I did we noticed a gravel path leading through the vineyard and down to the Danube. We took a walk that way and spent some time dodging bikes coming up and down the pedestrian path alongside the river. We even watched a long riverboat work its way up toward Melk and Passau.



Twice dogs came by accompanying their masters but try as I might I couldn't get either to come to me for a greeting. European dogs are quite snobby. Or just superbly trained. People routinely take their pets into restaurants, hotels and to tourist attractions and you never hear a peep from them. Often you practically trip over them laying on the floor as you pass
Worth the EffortWorth the EffortWorth the Effort

When we first started up that steep road to the abbey I was wondering whether the hike would be worth it since we couldn't see much from down below. But the opulence of the entrance convinced me that this would be an interesting tour.
by. During our entire two week vacation I only saw one German Shepherd and no Dobermans or Weimaraners. The Germans and Austrians we saw mostly owned lap dogs.



When we returned to our car we decided tp travel further downriver to the next major town, Krems. For some reason I forgot completely about trying to locate Dürnstein Castle where Richard I had been held captive before Robin Hood had rescued him. Or something like that. At this point the Danube was actually flowing North through the valley.



Krems was on the opposite side of the river but a bridge took us across to the city. We drove around the town following signs for the city center. We knew we were there when the road suddenly became cobblestones and pedestrian-only zones. From what we could see it didn't appear all that fascinating. Further reading on my part shows that Krems does have an interesting history. The oldest piece of art in Northern Europe, a fertility statue, was found near Krems and dates back 32,000 years. It was once as big a city as Vienna in part due to its position on the salt route on
Melk AbbeyMelk AbbeyMelk Abbey

When we first arrived in Melk I wondered why this was supposed to be some sort of incredible tourist attractions. We could see nothing until we climbed up a steep hill (which we could have driven up instead) and came upon this.
the Danube. Winemaking in the region dates back to the early Middle Ages when monasteries controlled much of the arable land. The tradition of crisp young white wines continues today. As I write this I feel a very strong desire to return to the Wachau Valley and spend more time here.



We crossed back over the river and decided to get closer to a huge monastery we spotted high on a distant mountain. Using just our sense of sight we headed toward it but the route took us through the narrow convoluted streets of Mautern.

The more we drove toward the reddish yellow Benedictine abbey the farther away it seemed. We eventually decided to simply stop the car and snap a few photos. Using that wonderful GPS in the X1 we set course to return to Melk for dinner. We were soon driving through beautiful lush green pastures as we rode up and down through the mountains that form the Wachau.



By the time we reached Melk again the cruise boat and bus tour groups had left. We found a free parking spot at the very edge of the one block pedestrian zone. Before we left on this trip I had done a little research on Melk and found that the “best” restaurant in town was the Rathaus. After walking up and down the single street of the downtown area we stopped in a liquor store when the proprietor invited us in for a free sample. The apricot brandies he offered were much tastier than I was expecting. Very sweet and potent. As per their clever plan I then felt obligated to buy a bottle. Someday I hope to drink it.



When we spotted an available outdoor table at one of the restaurants we grabbed it. It just so happened that it was at the Rathaus restaurant. We ended up having our fair share of Weissbier before my Chicken Cordon Bleu came along. Rain threatened the whole time but never came. We must've chosen the right place because every table was filled every minute we were there.



We left the restaurant at sunset. We got to our farmhouse stay just before total darkness fell. We parked next to a barn full of dairy cows. The house was on the other end of the barn itself. We were
A comfy spot for lunchA comfy spot for lunchA comfy spot for lunch

We weren't especially hungry but we had plenty of time to kill before the tour started so we pulled up a couple of chairs and relaxed with the usual.
warmly greeted by our hosts. The lady of the house, Cristina, spoke perfect English and offered us a welcome drink. We asked if we might see our room first and then unload the car. The room they reserved for us was huge and had a nice big bathroom. We were on the first floor while the extended farm family lived upstairs.



When we came back downstairs Christina and Willi were waiting for us in a little barroom where they offered us our choice of different homemade alcoholic ciders. They were delicious and I normally hate the ciders sold in local bars. She suggested we sit outside at a picnic table where two other guests and a couple of farmers sat. We spent the next few hours trying to communicate in half English/half German/half local dialect. There were plenty of smiles and laughs. The local farmers must've enjoyed our company because they ordered us another round of ciders. The more I drank the harder it was getting for me to try to translate. When she was there Christina did the interpreting but she was constantly called to look after her son at bedtime. We learned that on this very day she had been at Melk abbey leading an English tour group from one of the Viking boats.



As the evening went on I was getting more and more tired. It was getting tougher and tougher for me to smile and pretend I knew what the others were talking about. Thank God they were farmers and had to get up early. Finally as 11 pm approached the visiting neighbors called it a night. We made our apologies to our hosts who might well have kept talking all night and we went to bed. Even though we were staying in someone's house it was completely quiet when we pulled up the covers.


Additional photos below
Photos: 54, Displayed: 31


Advertisement

Rigatoni with AlpenkäseRigatoni with Alpenkäse
Rigatoni with Alpenkäse

The Austrian cheese on top was the best part of my pasta dish.
I learn so much while touring EuropeI learn so much while touring Europe
I learn so much while touring Europe

Now I see how you're supposed to properly use a toilet. Up until now I had been the guy in the upper left picture.
Going in styleGoing in style
Going in style

These Viking cruise people seemed to be following us. They were everywhere. Thank God they were old and slow so we could find our way around them. They were a bit annoying when we wanted to take pictures and took forever to get out of the frame.
The abbey gardensThe abbey gardens
The abbey gardens

The other tourists flock to the gardens of these old abbeys, estates and castles but it has absolutely no appeal for me. Yes, it's pretty but there's much more interesting and historic stuff waiting around for me to spend my time staring at.
I had to wait at least five minutes for this shotI had to wait at least five minutes for this shot
I had to wait at least five minutes for this shot

I wanted to take one of my patented artistically framed shots but the old coots from Viking stood in this shady alcove forever. When they finally left and I could get in here to take a picture they still ended up in the frame down at the lower left.
Saint SomebodySaint Somebody
Saint Somebody

There was no indication of who this guy standing outside the gift shop was but I assume he was either one of the monks or employee of the month.
Courtyard #2Courtyard #2
Courtyard #2

When we realized that the English tour was not meeting where we had been told one of the docents personally guided us into the abbey to meet up with the tour already in progress. On the way we passed through this impressive courtyard.


Tot: 0.273s; Tpl: 0.014s; cc: 25; qc: 100; dbt: 0.1697s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1; ; mem: 1.4mb