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May 21 -22:
ÄŒeský Krumlov &
the Wachau Valley

After Prague, we headed directly south to our next destination. Deep in South Bohemia, at a sharp curve in the Vltava River, we arrived at charming ÄŒeský Krumlov. With winding cobbled streets lined with shops and cafes, the city exuded medieval coziness.

 

After a tour of the castle and an overnight stay in the Old Town, we continued southeast into Austria, stopping at Melk Abbey. We then enjoyed a relaxing, scenic cruise down the Danube River. At port, we met Petr with our tour bus, and off to Vienna we went.

May 21: ÄŒeský Krumlov

May 22: Wachau Valley (Melk Abbey and Danube River)

The Wachau Valley was pleasant pastoral interlude between cities. Melk Abbey, situated on hill above the tiny town of Melk, was quiet yet imposing. We found it hard to believe that there were only about twenty monks currently in residence at this enormous facility, as our abbey guide told us. As a former castle that was gifted to the Benedictine monks, the abbey seemed outsized for its purposes, but it was beautifully maintained. Unfortunately, photos of the interior were not allowed, as we would have loved to take pictures of their impressive Baroque library filled with old manuscripts.


After the tour, we made our way to the dock, where we boarded a ship bound for Krems. On our cruise, we saw castles on hilltops, tiny towns hugging the water's edge, and acres of vineyards. Our guides told us the vintners grow Riesling and Grüner Veltliner grapes here, as well as apricots.

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Danube River Cruise

Follow our ÄŒeský Krumlov and Wachau Valley tour on the map!

 

Click on the square icon to load the map in a new window, or click on the square with an arrow in it to see the legend. 

 

Blue marker = ÄŒeský Krumlov tour

Red marker = Wachau Valley tour

Green marker = Food and lodging

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