statuary, the world’s oldest zoo
and Roman ruins.
Dürnstein & Melk, Austria
Richard the Lionheart was
imprisoned here in 1192 following
an altercation with Leopold V.
The picturesque walled-town of
Dürnstein is located in the heart
of the Wachau wine-growing region.
The terraced hills are filled with
apricots orchards, which is why
Dürnstein’s cobblestone streets
are lined with charming shops selling
a wide variety of apricot-based
products ranging from mouthwatering apricot dumplings, flakey
apricot strudel, and chocolate
covered ‘cots, as well a variety of
succulent apricot liquors and brandy.
On the afternoon’s agenda there
was a visit to the beautifully
restored, 900-year-old abbey at
Melk, a Benedictine monastery that
began life as Leopold II’s castle. Visit
the incredible library (still active),
which holds over 70,000 books,
mostly from the 9th-15th centuries,
including a 1200 year old
manuscript. The abbey’s church is a
shimmering rainbow of red, orange
and gold, with a magnificent carved
pulpit and amazing ceiling frescoes.
Inside Tip:
Since you don’t have much time in
Durnstein, my suggestion would be
to dart into the Bäckerei (Bakery)
Schmidl and order some hot-fromthe-oven Wachau Laberl, locally
revered crusty rolls invented by
Rudolf Schmidl in 1905. Tell them
you’ll pick them up in 30 minutes
(and don’t forget to add a jar of
their homemade apricot preserves)
after you hoof it up to the top of
the hill for incredible views from
the ruins of Kuenringerburg Castle.
Unfortunately I missed this visit
because I twisted my ankle as I raced
down the hill at Dürnstein to pick
up my pastries. I have to admit I was
quite happy to spend a couple hours
lounging in the sun on the top deck
of the ship, as the solicitous staff
sweetly tended to me with ice packs,
a cheese plate and numerous glasses
of wine.
Linz & Salzburg
Our next pit stop was Linz, although
our real destination was the Old
Town of Salzburg, another UNESCO
Cultural Heritage site. Salzburg is
wildly popular to music lovers since
not only is it Wolfgang Amadeus
Mozart’s birthplace but The Sound of
Music was also filmed here. For much
of the scenic 90-minute drive, Joan
and I took turns belting out, what
we felt was a lovely round of “Doe,
a Deer” and “My Favorite Things,”
but for some reason we only elicited
groans from the other passengers.
lovely medieval town, aka the
“Gate to the Black Sea,” is uniquely
situated at the confluence of three
rivers: the Danube, Inn, and Ilz. The
walking tour showstopper here is
the magnificent Cathedral of St.
Steven with its three characteristic,
green onion-domed towers. If you’re
lucky you might hear a concert
played on the 17,000-pipe organ,
considered the largest cathedral
organ in the world.
You’ll have plenty of time to explore
on your own after the informative
walking tour. Stop into see Mozart’s
birthplace (the memorabilia here
includes his first violin, given to
him at the age of six) which is on
Getreidegasse, Salzburg’s renowned
shopping street. The cobble-stone
alleyways are filled with unique
boutiques, from trendy jewelry stores
to pricey designer lederhosen shops.
To burn off some of yesterday’s
Mozartkugel, you can make the
steep climb (it takes about 30
minutes) to the hilltop fortress
Veste Oberhaus, built in 1219 in
order to control commerce across
the rivers. Your reward will be an
extraordinary view of Passau and
the three rivers.
Beer lovers might want to experience
“the art of beer at the highest level”
made in the brewing coppers at
Brewery Stiegl-Brauwelt, founded
in 1492. Just think, if Columbus had
only stopped to ask for directions,
he could have claimed it!
Inside tip:
For a wonderful alfresco lunch, head
to Triangel, which serves local
specialties made with a lighter hand.
Before getting back on the bus, pop
into one of the gorgeous candy shops
and buy a few bags of Mozartkugel,
(Mozart Balls) a beloved chocolate,
pistachio and marzipan confection
invented by the Salzburg
confectioner Paul Fürst in 1890.
Passau, Germany
Dating back to the 8th century this
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Afterwards visit the Glass Museum
to see the world’s largest Bohemian
glass collection--we’re talking
over 30,000 pieces! Then head
next door to the Hotel Wilder
Mann, which opened in 1844. If
they’re not busy, ask to take a peek
at one of the historical suites to
see the original nuptial bed of the
Bavarian King Ludwig II or the
bedroom of Empress Elisabeth of
Austria.
Inside tip:
Stop in at the family-run,
Marmeladen-haus to sample the
farm-fresh jams, chutneys and
mustards available in dozens of
unique flavors. The small jars make
great gifties to bring home, even
though I ended up keeping them
all after tasting the scrumptious
amaretto-cherry and gingerbread
elder preserves!