The Danube Gorge

Finally, we were on our way to the Danube Gorge, also known as the Weltenburger Enge. The rain was back, but it wasn't bad. We decided to brave the deck so we'd have a good view of things, even thought they were serving food and drinks in the lounge below. The sun started peeking out now and again, and more people came out, so we made the right choice.

This area has been settled since the Celts. Apparently, if you hike around here, especially back by the monastery, you can find signs of both the Celtic and Roman settlements that were in the area. All up the Danube, then the Altmühl, then the Main to along the Rhine was the frontier of the Roman Empire. It would be a great trip to travel it-- another UNESCO designated thing. There were some interesting pre-historic finds as well. I wish I had known all this when I was planning the trip, but that would have meant cutting something else out. Too much to see, too little time and money to see it.

The boat ride was nice. Calm. Pretty. The rain held off as we sailed through the gorge, which is a protected area with a limited number of boats allowed through it. We saw a few people hiking along the banks, a few buildings. Somewhere, there's supposed to be a pirate's cave.

We came around the bend, and there was the abbey. If you hike it from town, you're on the side opposite, and have to pay the guys with the little boats to take you across. I didn't see anyone doing this, no boats, so it was a good thing we didn't attempt the hike.

Here are some pictures. It's not narrowest gorge we've been in. It's not the deepest gorge. But it's the Danube's gorge, so that was perfect for us.

Oh, and to all the Strauss fans out there, the Danube isn't blue. To quote the old Spike Jones and the City Slickers song, "Oh, the Danube isn't blue, it's green."Read more