River Cruise - Durnstein, Austria and Melk Abbey (June 2026)

The next morning, we arrived in the village of Durnstein, Austria. It is a charming town, considered to be one of the prettiest towns on the Danube. It is in the heart of the Wachau wine district. There was a ruin on top of a mountain, which we climbed. The view at the top was indeed panoramic, overlooking the Danube. I had a fun time with Joe. The vineyards were everywhere in the valley and on the mountain slopes. They were beautiful. 

The town was cute with pretty decorations. One thing that amused us was that the chocolate balls were called Rabbit Shit. They look like it, but it was funny that they called it that way.

After we set sail, we passed through the scenic Wachau Valley, enjoying the storybook views of vineyards, castles, hilltop ruins, and monasteries. They were fantastic!

After cruising on the Danube for a few hours, we arrived in Melk for a guided tour of the historic Benedictine Abbey, considered one of the finest examples of Baroque architecture in Europe. On the way back to the ship, we stopped by a few ceramic goods stores. The quality of them was superior. 

We found this town cute and pretty. - Jeffrey