JFitzpatrick Travel LLC

My past two blogs covered Budapest, Bratislava, and Vienna.  As we continued cruising down the Danube, we went to Durnstein, Salzburg,  Passau and then Regensburg.  (The end point for this trip was Prague, to be covered in my next blog.)

Baroque houses, ancient churches, cobblestone streets, sloping hillside vineyards and more crossed our view-finder as we slowly meandered down the river—-we were all amazed at the beauty of this area.

So, a little about each place:

Where is Durnstein?  Have you ever heard of it? Have you heard of the Wachau Valley?  If you are a fan of English history, you might know that Durnstein, located in the Wachau Valley, is the town where King Richard the Lion-Heart of England was held captive–in a medieval castle perched on a hilltop. (See the castle in a picture below.)  If you’re not up on English history (like I wasn’t), I’ll just describe the Wachau as a beautiful area of Austria along the Danube with Durnstein as one of its most visited tourist spots.

With cobblestone lanes, lots of vineyards (and wine) and charming inns, Durnstein is a great romantic getaway place.  Imagine strolling between ancient buildings and a sandy riverbank with colorful trees overhanging the walkway.  This and more can be found in Durnstein as the pictures below will show you:

 Durnstein, with the Danube running next to it.

 Pretty, Pretty Village

 Tree-lined Lanes

 Can you see the Castle where Richard was kept? (at the top of the hill)

 Houses Set in the Middle of Vineyards

 More Houses, More Vineyards

 See the Main Church for the Village

Have you seen “The Sound of Music”?  Salzburg was next on our trip and it’s a city with Sound of Music memorabilia everywhere.  I have watched this movie at least 50 times and every time I see Julie Andrews spreading her arms and singing “The Hills Are Alive…..”, I curl up in a chair, mesmerized like it’s my first time seeing this glorious movie.

With its scenic Alpine surroundings, Salzburg has a wonderfully preserved old town area and focuses much of its tourism on its baroque buildings (e.g. Salzburg Cathedral), classical music (after all, Mozart was born here) and scenic gardens and lakes (e.g. Mirabeau Palace and Salzkammergut).  If you like beautiful scenery, you’re sure to love Salzburg.

Passau, Germany:

Okay, so now we’ve moved through Austria over to Germany with Passau as our 1st major stopping point along the Danube.  Passau lies at the confluence of the Danube, Inn and Ilz rivers and is therefore known as the Three Rivers city.  Before you ask, I’ll answer and say that “YES”, flooding is sometimes an issue here with the worst ever occurring in 2013.

So what’s there to do in Passau?  1.  With medieval and Renaissance buildings dotting the landscape, Passau is absolutely a city for history buffs.  Touring these buildings, one of which houses the world’s largest church pipe organ, can take a few days if you really delve into the history of the buildings.  2.  Strolling  through old town, you’ll encounter even more history with churches, quaint houses, restaurants and shops.  3.  Buying handicrafts—-okay, shopping, Anyone?  Passau’s Sunday market has vintage finds and if you’re lucky enough to be there during the Christmas season, Passau has the largest Christmas market in Bavaria– the region within which it’s located.

By the way, we had a FABULOUS tour guide in Passau named Alex McDonald.  Let me know if you’re headed that way and I’ll share his contact info.  See some of Passau’s scenery below:

 Buildings Periously Close to the Water’s Edge

 Passau’s Famous Pipe Organ

 Passau’s Cathedral

 Not the main Cathedral, but a beautiful church, nonetheless

 Beautiful Buildings Reflecting along the Water’s Edge

 Good to have a house ELEVATED above the water!

Our last stop in Germany before heading to the Czech Republic was Regensburg.  We entered the city on foot, crossing over a 900 year old  medieval stone bridge that has straddled the Danube intact.   Great views of both the city and the riverbank from this vantage point!

 

 Beautiful walks along the riverbank

 Loved the vistas from the bridge

 Romantic walks along country lanes

 Could you imagine living along this scenic way?

 Another charming town with a magnificent cathedral—-St. Peter’s!

 

 Regensburg’s Majestic Saint Peter’s Cathedral!

By this time, I was nearing a point of diminishing returns on architecture and charm.  This is not to imply that I didn’t totally love this trip and/or the places visited.  I really Loved the ambiance and the history and the feeling of stepping back in time.  What I loved most, however, aside from the wonders of Budapest, Vienna and Prague, was just “rolling down the river” with periodic stops in charming places.  Do I think I would’ve stopped in these places individually?  Probably not, but being on the river boat afforded me an opportunity to see and experience some different things and for this I am really grateful.