Austria: Along the Danube

[GERMANY.BAYERN 00653] 'St. Pauls church and cathedral in Passau.' Passau is the last German city before the Austrian border and maybe the prettiest. Here the Inn flows into the Danube and the Ilz as well. You never need to search a long time to find a river front promenade. The Inn is green and the Ilz brown, so whatever people sing about the Danube, this never adds up to blue. Photo Paul Smit.

[GERMANY.BAYERN 00648] 'Party in Passau.' Passau is having a party at the town hall square. Passau is the last German town along the Danube before the Austrian border and maybe the prettiest. Here the Inn (in the background) flows into the Danube and the Ilz as well. You never need to search a long time to find a river front promenade. The Inn is green and the Ilz brown, so whatever people sing about the Danube, this never adds up to blue. Photo Paul Smit.

[AUSTRIA.OBER 04179] 'Stift Engelszell at the Danube.' At Austria's only Trappist monastery the monks don't brew beer but stronger stuff, like a nice, very creamy advocaat. After a visit to the church you indeed need a nip; quite shocking, these skeletons of saints in their gilded glass coffins. Photo Paul Smit.

[AUSTRIA.OBER 04187] 'Sleeping beauty 2.' Quite a sight, these skeletons of saints in their gilded glass coffins in Stift Engelszell, located on the banks of the Danube near Engelshartzell. After a visit you could need a nip. Fortunately, the monks at Austria's only Trappist monastery distillate good drinks. Like a nice, very creamy advocaat. Photo Paul Smit.

[AUSTRIA.OBER 04195] 'Schlögener Schlinge.' After cycling, walking is the most popular activity along the Danube. For instance at the Donau-Höhen-Rundwanderweg (Danube Hills Path) between Passau and Linz. Favourite spot for a break is the viewpoint above the rivers's largest loop near Schlögen, nicely called Schlögener Schlinge. Photo Paul Smit.

[AUSTRIA.OBER 04201] 'Cycling the Donauradweg.' Europe's favourite cycling route, the Donauradweg, mostly follows former towpaths. In the old days about sixty heavy horses were needed to tow one boat upstream. The cobbled paths, neglected since the time of the steamboats, were asphalted in the eighties and built the frame of the cycling route from Passau to Budapest ever since. Photo Paul Smit.

[AUSTRIA.OBER 04210] 'Evening at the Haupplatz.' Hitler loved Linz and rewarded it with lots of employment in the form of industry. The allied bombs it attracted did the town no good. Surprising therefore that the city centre has such a historic feel again. Sidewalk cafés and cosy shopping streets add to the atmosphere. Photo Paul Smit.

[AUSTRIA.OBER 04216] 'Old Linz near Alte Markt.' Hitler loved Linz and rewarded it with lots of employment in the form of industry. The allied bombs it attracted did the town no good. Surprising therefore that the city centre has such a historic feel again. Photo Paul Smit.

[AUSTRIA.OBER 04231] 'Gaze of an angel.' High in the basilica of the Augustine St. Florian monastery white plasterwork angels look down on you with black eyes. Photo Paul Smit.

[AUSTRIA.OBER 04239] 'Library of Stift St. Florian.' The monks of the Augustine St. Florian monastery do not belong to a mendicant order; it's wealth whereever you look, like in this sumptuous baroque library. Photo Paul Smit.

[AUSTRIA.OBER 04242] "Arching like a Celt.' Excavation of the Century they called the events following a farmer ploughing up a little bronze ring in 1980, near Mitterkirchen. Eighty Celtic graves saw the light and inspired village officials and archeologists to reconstruct a Celtic settlement, including a burial mound. Visitors are not only invited to have a look in this prehistorical open air museum, they can do things themselves. Like arching. Photo Paul Smit.

[AUSTRIA.NIEDER 03579] 'Buying the best ciders.' Between Enns and the Strudengau, behind the right shore of the Danube, lies the Mostviertel, the Cider Region. Most means cider as well as juice. Herber Most is cider, but forget about the dry apple beer as we know it. Herber Most is refreshingly acid with a velvety aftertaste, has no bubbles and is made for 2/3 from pears. Süßmost is the unfermented juice of both apples and pears. The best address for tasting and buying ciders is the Mostgalerie in Stift Ardagger. Photo Paul Smit.

[AUSTRIA.NIEDER 03589] 'Stift Melk, the Power of Baroque.' The monks themselves criticised the unchristian wallowing in architectural exubarance of their new monastery. But it had to be, to impress in face of Protestantism, that even in Melk had the upper hand in those days. Now, centuries later, the monastery is still a must: 300.000 tourists a year visit Austria's largest baroque structure. Photo Paul Smit.

[GERMANY.BAYERN 00643] 'Cathedral of St. Stephan in Passau.' Passau is the last German town along the Danube before the Austrian border and maybe the prettiest. Here the Inn (photo) flows into the Danube and the Ilz as well. You never need to search a long time to find a river front promenade. The Inn is green and the Ilz brown, so whatever people sing about the Danube, this never adds up to blue. Photo Paul Smit.

[GERMANY.BAYERN 00669] 'Bavarian drinking beer.' Typical Bavaria: drinking a Mass of beer. Passau, where the photo is taken, has a southern spirit with its street cafés and its river front promenades along the Danube, the Inn and the Ilz. Photo Paul Smit.

[AUSTRIA.OBER 04193] 'Sleeping beauty.' Quite a sight, these skeletons of saints in their gilded glass coffins in Stift Engelszell, located on the banks of the Danube near Engelshartzell. After a visit you could need a nip. Fortunately, the monks at Austria's only Trappist monastery distillate good drinks. Like a nice, very creamy advocaat. Photo Paul Smit.

[AUSTRIA.OBER 04194] 'Schlögener Schlinge.' After cycling, walking is the most popular activity along the Danube. For instance at the Donau-Höhen-Rundwanderweg (Danube Hills Path) between Passau and Linz. Favourite spot for a break is the viewpoint above the rivers's largest loop near Schlögen, nicely called Schlögener Schlinge. Photo Paul Smit.

[AUSTRIA.OBER 04198] 'Danube near Schlögen.' The Donau-Höhen-Rundwanderweg (Danube Hills Path) between Passau and Linz offers beautyful views at the river, like here near Schlögen. Photo Paul Smit.

[AUSTRIA.OBER 04203] 'Cycling the Donauradweg.' Europe's favourite cycling route, the Donauradweg, mostly follows former towpaths. In the old days about sixty heavy horses were needed to tow one boat upstream. The cobbled paths, neglected since the time of the steamboats, were asphalted in the eighties and built the frame of the cycling route from Passau to Budapest ever since. Photo Paul Smit.

[AUSTRIA.OBER 04215] 'Evening at the Haupplatz.' Hitler loved Linz and rewarded it with lots of employment in the form of industry. The allied bombs it attracted did the town no good. Surprising therefore that the city centre has such a historic feel again. Photo Paul Smit.

[AUSTRIA.OBER 04225] 'Gaze of an angel.' High in the basilica of the Augustine St. Florian monastery white plasterwork angels look down on you with black eyes. You cannot help the feeling of being observed. Photo Paul Smit.

[AUSTRIA.OBER 04233] 'Augustine Chorherr in St. Florian.' Gernot Grammer is one of the Augustine Chorherren of the St. Florian monastery. The monks do not really belong to a mendicant order; it's wealth whereever you look, like in this sumptuous staircase. During a guided tour you'll see marmor of all colours and a baroque library without any straight line. Photo Paul Smit.

[AUSTRIA.OBER 04240] "Baking Celtic bread.' Excavation of the Century they called the events following a farmer ploughing up a little bronze ring in 1980, near Mitterkirchen. Eighty Celtic graves saw the light and inspired village officials and archeologists to reconstruct a Celtic settlement, including a burial mound. Visitors are not only invited to have a look in this prehistorical open air museum, they can do things themselves. Like helping to bake bread in a Celtic bread house. Photo Paul Smit.

[AUSTRIA.NIEDER 03575] 'Oldest cider cellar.' Between Enns and the Strudengau, behind the right shore of the Danube, lies the Mostviertel, the Cider Region. Most means cider as well as juice. Herber Most is cider, but forget about the dry apple beer as we know it. Herber Most is refreshingly acid with a velvety aftertaste, has no bubbles and is made for 2/3 from pears. Süßmost is the unfermented juice of both apples and pears. The oldest Mostkeller (cider cellar) can be found below Gasthof Oismühle in Oismühle, 30 km south of the Danube. Photo Paul Smit.

[AUSTRIA.NIEDER 03580] 'Tasting the best ciders.' Between Enns and the Strudengau, behind the right shore of the Danube, lies the Mostviertel, the Cider Region. Most means cider as well as juice. Herber Most is cider, but forget about the dry apple beer as we know it. Herber Most is refreshingly acid with a velvety aftertaste, has no bubbles and is made for 2/3 from pears. Süßmost is the unfermented juice of both apples and pears. The best address for tasting and buying ciders is the Mostgalerie in Stift Ardagger. Photo Paul Smit.