Ferry and Bike Ride along the Danube

We began the day with a 3-hour ferry ride along the Danube, which included occasional narration to point out some of the features and history of the area.

Arriving at the town of Melk, we toured an 11th century Benedictine abbey, including several rooms of its famed library of books and manuscripts. The Baroque-era church was awe-inspiring, but rather over the top, we thought. No photos allowed at the Abbey.

After lunch, we got on our rented bikes to ride back along the route we'd travelled by ferry, about 25 miles. There was a bike path along both sides of the Danube, most of the way. Often the path took us through small villages with narrow roads and polite drivers.

The scenery along the ride was stunning--vineyards, castles, castle-ruins and cute villages. At one point we decided to cross to the other side of the river and used a small ferry (large enough for 2-3 cars and 30 bicyclists). The ferry rode along a cable stretched across the river, transported only by the current of the river--no power needed.

We picked up dinner fixings from the Italian market in the plaza outside our apartment, and enjoyed the local wine left for us by our host.Read more