While standing on the balcony of a longship rolling down the Danube River, Schloss Schönbühel offered up a grand welcome to Austria’s Wachau Valley. Dating back to the 12th century, this magnificent castle towers over the river from its high 130’ rocky prominence.
Vineyards, villages and castles embellished the hillside as we cruised through the 24-mile stretch of this Austrian river valley between the towns of Krems and Melk. You’ll see a longship similar to ours making the journey through this UNESCO World Heritage site in the picture below.
Meanwhile, our ship gently sailed through the twists and turns of the river. Before long, we found ourselves admiring the historic Wachau Valley Church.
As we continued our cruise down the Danube, we found charming villages ornamenting the rugged landscape of the valley.
While we approached Schloss Dürnstein, we savored canvas-worthy views as they unfolded. Dating back to 1372, Elsbeth of Kuenring commissioned the initial build of the Dürnstein Abbey chapel. This chapel expanded over time through the late 1700s to accommodate the growing congregation. The chapel’s stunning blue-and-white bell tower dates back to 1733!
High above Schloss Dürnstein, we noticed ruins of medieval castle known as Burgruine Dürnstein blanketing the lush hilltop.
All good things must come to an end. As we wrapped up our cruise through the picturesque Wachau Valley, we looked forward to visiting to Austria’s famous Gottweig Abbey in Melk.
