This was the final stop of our Austria drive before we hit Vienna for our flight home. I made sure…read moreour travels included a stop at the abbey since it was a large UNESCO site, high above the Danube River and had some impressive rooms inside. The signage throughout the city of Melk was plenty and clearly directed us to the parking lot above the abbey. Remember to take your parking ticket for free validation at the ticket office. It was around a 10 minute walk from the parking lot to the main ticketing desk. Don't go to the garden ticket booth unless you have a ticket or only want to pay for the garden visit. Admission included access to the church (amazing detail), museum, library (open but under renovation), gardens (with a must see interior of the Pavilion main hall), bastion (panoramic views above Melk and Danube) and the Marble Room (beautiful ceiling paintings). We joined the English guided tour for 4 Euros per person (Skippable IMO) and ended in the library as the guides were not allowed into the final stop, the church. From the guided tour one of the most important highlight was the famous Melk Cross, with a splinter of the true cross, had been stolen twice and fought over (Vienna and Melk) but now was no longer on display due to its condition. Since this was an active abbey photos were not allowed once inside by policy. Sometime the docents would stop you but other times not (ie. adult chaperones overseeing a school field trip). Guided tour took almost one hour but by the time we wrapped up our visit a storm moved in. We missed taking photos from the city of Melk to show just how large this complex was. If you're visiting Vienna then take a side trip out here. It will be worth it.

Melk Abbey Visited…read morethe abbey on an all-day tour starting in Vienna, then heading to Hallstatt and Salzburg. We were only there for 45 minutes, so I just had time to run in and admire the beautiful church. That was more than enough to know I have to return to Austria to properly explore the abbey and the entire Wachau Valley. What a place!!!

Nestled in the town of Durnstein in the Wachau Region, a valley formed by the Danube river, this…read morechapel rises over the river and blends with the landscape in an amazing way, when you approach the town by boat you see the blue church tower and the hills rising beyond, it is simply amazing. The building of this monastery and chapel dates back to the late 1300s. Make sure to climb the tower for an amazing view of the Danube river and the wachau valley.

Gorgeous church in the town of Dürnstein. It was first built on a rock cliff high above the Danube…read morein 1410 and then modified and baroquized in the first half of the 18th century. It was at this time that the wonderfully decorated interior of the abbey church with its warm colors came into being along with the regional landmark, the blue and white tower. It seems like an architectural signal in the landscape with its striking colors and the fine materials that make its surface look like ceramic. It costs €3.50 to go in and have a look around. The abbey itself is quite stunning and you can go into the balcony and look down on this amazing church. You can also walk around the terrace with wide expansive views of the Danube. Worth a visit when in town. It's located down a set of stairs from the main pedestrian area.

Peterskirche is exactly what you imagine a beautiful European church to be. The interior is filled…read morewith ornate sculptures, stunning artwork, grand columns, and incredible architectural details, with gold accents everywhere. Despite all the gilding, it never feels overwhelming or gaudy--just elegant and breathtaking. It's especially beautiful on a sunny day when the light streams through the windows and illuminates the entire church. From the outside, it doesn't look very large, which might make you think the interior will be small, but once you step inside, it's surprisingly spacious and impressive. Definitely add this to your must-see list when visiting Vienna!

St. Peter's was modeled after its namesake in the Vatican and was ornately decorated inside à la…read moreBaroque style. The church was open for visitors anytime outside any scheduled services. One good reason to visit Perskirche was to attend their free daily concerts scheduled at 3pm. Normally it would be an organ concert but this month they had visiting groups from around the world (a Florida group sang during our visit). The concert lasted around 45 minutes and the both the singers and acoustics were impressive. It doesn't matter where you sit to appreciate the performance. However, the pews were quite uncomfortable for the entire duration. The seatback ended about midway up my back and had an edge that dug into it making it hard to sit up straight. I'd recommend sitting in the overflow chairs that were placed in the aisles since they were of a modern design!

Known as the final resting place for members of the House of Habsburg, The Capuchin Church in…read moreVienna is a fairly basic structure at Neuer Markt. Currently obstructed by substantial construction a visit takes longer to find the entrance than to actually see what is inside. A fine 5 minute diversion for those who happen to be nearby.

Our first stop on the Wachau Valley was Krems. This is part of the romantic side of the Valley…read more This is a college town with universities that are a huge part of the town. In addition, since Krems is located near the Danube, the city is protecting itself from potential flooding by building flood gates. We walked through cobblestones streets with fish markets, clothing stores, souvenirs shops. What I love about Europe is how quaint and charming the buildings are: beautiful flowers gracing iron window planters, menus written on restaurant windows in chalk. Also, all through the town and in Vienna now, is the Christmas markets and shops that are beginning to pop up. It was nice to see chocolate shoppes that had chocolates dressed in red and gold boxes. We also marveled at the huge Church that anchors this beautiful city.

St. Stephen's Cathedral is stunning. The location and the area around it (even if touristy) are…read morebeautiful and full of great vibes. We attended a weekday Mass, and even though we don't speak German, it was a special experience. That said, I didn't really care for the organized tour of the cathedral, especially the catacombs. Sorry to say, it's not worth it. St. Stephen's is a beautiful cathedral that's well worth visiting and learning about on your own. The only extra the tour offers is entrance to the catacombs. I've been to many catacombs, and there's nothing particularly special about these ones. It's not worth spending your time on this tour -- go to the Royal Crypt a few blocks away instead. It's much better.

The gothic interior of this cathedral is lovely and amazingly high vaulted ceiling archtecture. The…read moregreen tiled roof is stunning

This review combines our recent experience at this church and the surrounding Mexikoplatz. Gayle…read moreand I walked all around both, and experienced a residential neighborhood vibe. We were unable to enter the church, but did find evidence of a mass schedule (at the side door) and a daycare operation. The main entrances were either a campground for homeless folks or were securely fenced off. Yet apparently, this church is home to the Vienna English Speaking Catholic Community. The St. Francis of Assisi Church is located along the Danube and sports a signature brick Basilica profile. We also used this landmark to to find our way back to our cruise ship. The surrounding Mexikoplatz (Mexico Square), formerly known as Erzherzog-Karl-Platz (Archduke-Karl-Square), commemorates the fact that Mexico was the only country outside the Soviet Union to protest against the Anschluss of Austria to Nazi Germany. The Church and Plaza are also located on the southwestern end of the Reichsbrücke (Empire Bridge). Gayle and I also noted that we were located in the Vienna's Second District, Leopoldstadt, which was also the name of a famous play of that name by Tom Stoppard. Not surprisingly, there was clearly a disconnect between the setting of this play and what we experienced in this District.

This church looks older than it really is. It was built to celebrate the anniversary of some…read moreruler's coronation, and was built to just look old. It's a nice lookin' church, situated right along the Danube, overlooking the banks. Behind this church is MexicoPlatz, which is named in honor of the fact that Mexico refused to go along with Germany's plans in WWII, and they dedicated this plaza after Mexico! It's honestly the least-Mexican "Mexican" plaza I've ever been in, but it's nice! They have a big stone plaque commemorating the plaza in Austrian and Spanish. There's a playground with outdoor ping pong tables, park benches, trash cans and places to hang out and throw a frisbee around! There's plenty of trees, and it's a nice spot to hang. It felt well lit and safe at night. The neighborhood isn't really Mexican. I couldn't find a taqueria anywhere around here, but there's plenty of Kabab places nearby. Overall, it's a nice place to come out and celebrate Mexican heritage. When going through, be sure to shout out a loud "Grito" to let everyone know- Viva Mexico!