Center of a world empire, world-class exhibition
N 48°16'037'' E 015°16'877''
Day: 47-50
Sunrise:
06:25 – 06:29
Sunset:
19:27 – 19:21
Total kilometers:
1163.76 Km
Temperature – Day (maximum):
29 °C
Temperature – day (minimum):
23 °C
Temperature – Night:
20 °C
Latitude:
48°16’037”
Longitude:
015°16’877”
Maximum height:
290 m above sea level
Our friends Jessy and Pfleidi visit us. We use the time to visit the former imperial city of Vienna. Because they are not here with their bikes, we ride with them in the car. This way we can see Vienna without having to park our bikes anywhere. It is not easy for me to describe the Danube metropolis, which was a royal seat for over seven centuries, traditionally one of the cultural centers of Europe and once the center of a world empire. Today’s Vienna presents itself to us as a multifaceted city of which we only catch a glimpse during our short visit. The city center is swarming like an anthill on this day. Horse-drawn carriages or horse-drawn carriage drivers wait for tourists in many places. The impressive buildings with their stately splendor, the Art Nouveau style, the many churches, palaces, castles and parks are a challenge to our perception. We enjoy a Sacher cake at the famous Hotel Sacher and make a detour to the famous Prater. For us, Vienna is an excursion into a world of concentrated culture, an excursion into a world of contrasts, into a world in which the spirit of Emperor Franz Josef and Empress Sissi still lives today.
Our excursion to Melk Benedictine Abbey (monastery) also enriches our trip and underlines the religious history of this region. We would never have thought to experience a world-class exhibition here in this small town. After centuries of eventful history, the monastery experienced a glorious heyday, especially after the Turkish wars. The seventeen-year restoration work was only completed a few years ago. Today, the monumental Baroque buildings gleam majestically above the roofs of the city. We stroll through the magnificent halls in amazement. View the magnificent paintings and exhibits of immense value. “Wow”, I exclaim as we enter the library of the Benedictine monastery. In a total of twelve rooms, 1888 manuscripts and 750 early prints from the 15th century. 1700 works from the 16th century, 4500 from the 17. and 18,000 from the 18th century. Together with the newer books, a total of around 100,000 books. The sight of this concentrated knowledge makes my skin crawl. I stroll through the hall with its almost indescribable ceiling frescoes, almost in awe. We reach the monastery church via a spiral staircase. You don’t need to be religious to appreciate the church, which is richly painted and decorated down to the last detail. We could spend many more hours wandering around the monastery park, but it’s time for us to think about leaving. If we wanted to see all the castles and palaces here in the Danube region, it would probably take us years. Unfortunately, our lives are not long enough to absorb everything we like.
