Gottweig Abbey/Krems/Wachau Valley (Austria) - April 3, 2022

This was the BUSIEST day of the cruise! Thus this well be the longest post of the trip. From a start in a busy hilltop 11th century abbey to an Austrian-themed dinner this day was packed!

First stop—the year 1083 AD…

Before breakfast we saw one of the few sunrises over the Danube. Most days had been cloudy, windy, chilly—in a word: yucky! Then we had our usual outstanding breakfast and things kept getting brighter.

Gottweig Abbey was founded in the eleventh century as a Benedictine monastery. It’s perched high above the small, lower Austrian town of Krems. Our first order of business after breakfast was to climb aboard a motor coach and wend our way up a twisty road up a steep hill into a snow-dusted forest.

We disembarked and went into a small auditorium where we viewed a Viking-produced 10-minute introductory video. I found it interesting that the priests of the Abbey don’t spend all their days in cloistered meditation but instead minister to the needs of surrounding parishes, teach music, and work in the Abbey’s extensive vineyards and apricot orchards.

After the video we met our guide who walked us around the main court of the Abbey. We had to be watchful for snow and ice on the pavement due to a frigid previous evening. Our guide was young and energetic and managed to hit the highlights of the Abbey’s sights and history in an hour. We then were released for a tasting of the three wines produced at the Abbey and of course, a visit to the gift shop.

Viking pays an annual stipend to Gottweig to have space set aside for the small video viewing room and a room with a small bar for the wine tasting. Considering the good works the priests of the Abbey do in the community it seems a good investment. Plus providing a historical scenic site with panoramic views around the small town of Krems.

Here’s a link to my Google Photo album. It’s in chronological order from the time we docked at Krems during breakfast, to the Austria-themed dinner that night.

When our tour, tasting, and shopping spree were over our bus dropped us off in the small university town of Krems. We were on our own for an hour and a half. Most of the shops were closed due to it being Sunday but we managed to find a funky coffee shop on the main street that was open. Dail had a coffee and I had a beer (touring ancient Abbeys can spark a thirst even if the weather’s a little chilly and windy.) The bus picked us up and we were back at the ship in time for lunch and to embark on our afternoon cruise through the Wachau Valley from Krems to Linz, Austria.

In the Wachau Valley we began to see rolling hills and a few trees along the river starting to put out new green leaves. It was still cold an breezy up top but I managed to get a few pictures. Then it was downstairs to the Aquavit Lounge where Executive Chef Mihai Olteanu demonstrated how to make an apple strudel. I didn’t video the demonstration but here’s a representative sample. Maybe you can pick up a few strudel tips:

We each got a piece of strudel that had been cooked previously, along with a generous dollop of whipped cream. Yummy! Mihai knows his stuff. The food was tasty for every meal and there were plenty of options, including vegetarian options. The kitchen and wait staff showed their creativity at dinner with an Austrian-themed dinner.

As we cruised through the afternoon and into the evening we had to go through several locks as the river changed elevation. The locks were large to accommodate freight-laden barges. Two Viking cruise ships could go through one at the same time.

We cruised that afternoon, evening and through the night. When we woke up we were docked in Linz, Austria.