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!!!

My friend and I spent a few days driving around Lower Austria and Burgenland at the beginning of…read morethis month. Melk was our first stop after leaving Vienna. We were there for the Melk Abbey and for an afternoon in the Wachau Valley. The Melk Abbey makes a visit to Melk totally worth it. The abbey was founded in 1089 (!!!), but the Baroque abbey you'll see when you visit was built between 1702 and 1736. The abbey sits at the top of a rocky outcrop in town, so it's a little bit of a walk through town and then up to the abbey (but not as strenuous as it seemed when we were looking up at the abbey from town). There's a lot to see at the abbey - the church, the library, the views... You can't take photographs inside the abbey, but you can see pictures of it online to get an idea. It's really stunning. It was really beautiful, and I'm so glad we made a stop in Melk to see it!

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!

This is a must visit and quick stop for teh intricate baroque architecture. Try to go on a weekday…read moreat 3:00 when there is a free organ concert. The organist played 9 pieces over a 30 minute period including familiar pieces such as Pachelbel's Canon in D, Mendelssohn's wedding march, and the outstanding finale, Bach's Toccata.

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!