I did the most touristy thing there is to do in the Wachau Valley today: I visited Melk Abbey. Melk Abbey is a Benedictine abbey founded in 1089 and is one of the most popular attractions in Austria.
Austria 2022: Day 10 (Melk)
Author: Laura Irwin
Austria 2022: Day 9 (Aggstein Castle)
I kind of picked up where I left off on yesterday’s adventure this morning. I drove back to Spitz on the northern side of the Danube, took a ferry across the river, visited Aggstein Castle, and then drove back along the south side of the river, stopping along the way to visit a few of the small villages dotted along the river.
Austria 2022: Day 8 (Dürnstein to Spitz)
Today I spent the day exploring the area between Dürnstein and Spitz. I had planned to do more, but it was hard not to stop in each little village to wander around and take pictures.
Austria 2022: Day 7 (Dürnstein)
For me, vacation is all about having those “I can’t believe this is real” moments. Moments that happen just once when you visit a place for the first time. Today was full of those moments as I walked all over Dürnstein, Unterloiben, and Oberloiben. Technically, Unterloiben and Oberloiben are both part of Dürnstein, but they are separate villages a couple of miles away. I had a walking map for Dürnstein with a few suggested routes. Of course, I picked the longest route at 9km (5.5mi), but a wrong turn had me extend that a bit. And it’s about a half mile each way from my hotel into town. So I did a LOT of walking.
Austria 2022: Day 6 (Vienna to Dürnstein)
Breathtaking. I can’t think of a better way to describe my first impressions of the Wachau Valley. I spent the day making my way from Vienna to Dürnstein, my home base for the next five nights. And the scenery along the way was nothing short of spectacular.
Austria 2022: Day 5 (Vienna)
Considering I woke up this morning with almost no plans for the day, it ended up being a pretty good day in Vienna.
Austria 2022: Day 4 (Bratislava, Slovakia)
Slovakia was not high on my travel bucket list, but when I learned that Bratislava is only an hour away from Vienna by train and is often a recommended day trip, I knew it would be part of my itinerary for this trip.
Austria 2022: Day 3 (Vienna)
I only did three big things today, with some mid-afternoon rest thrown in, but they were all amazing.
Austria 2022: Day 2 (Vienna)
Despite how tired I was, I made it until 8PM last night before I crashed and slept until almost 6:30 this morning. I could probably have slept longer, but Vienna was calling!
Austria 2022: Day 1 (Boston to Vienna)
I love Vienna. I mean, I really only walked around for an hour or so, but I already love it. The history, the architecture, the culture… I can’t wait to explore more in the coming days!
Traveling with Laura 