Weltenburg Abbey

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Weltenburg Abbey is located on the Danube River just north of a small town known as Kelheim.  Kelheim is situated right where the Main/Danube Canal joins with the Danube River making it a vital town along the waterway.  Just up river, on the Danube River at the entrance of the gorge is the most beautiful Benedictine Abbey, Weltenburg Abbey.  This monastery is the oldest in Bavaria and was founded in 600 AD.  Currently there are only 6 monks living there.

 

By far, the most enjoyable way to reach Weltenburg Abbey is a short boat ride up the Danube River from Kelheim.  It is not a long cruise but is it quite beautiful.  Along one bend in the river where the current is particularly difficult, you can find iron rings driven into the rock wall.  Sailors used to use these rings to help pull the ships around the bend of the river.  The current there can be quite treacherous. If you don’t want to ride in a boat there is a lovely drive around the back side of Weltenburg Abbey that gets you to and from Kelheim.

 

Weltenburg abbey is known also for beer.  Seems a bit odd to me but the monks there are self-sufficient and have produced a rather large reputation for their brewing skills.  The Abbey is beloved by the locals and when disaster is at hands the locals come running to their aid.  In recent years the Abbey was besieged by flood waters from the Danube River.  A new flood protection system was installed leaving the locals with nothing to do but to drink some beer and marvel at the depth of the water and how well the new system worked.  If you are ever at Weltenburg Abbey check out the marks on the wall were the water levels during floods has been recorded.  It is quite impressive.

 

The upper floor of one of the sections of the Abbey has been turned into a hostel.  If you find yourself in Germany and want to see the Abbey, partake of its beer, and spend the night you can do that.  I can’t vouch for the accommodations (I don’t believe there is air conditioning) but the view, the boat ride, and the beer seem to be worth the effort.  

 

If you would like to see photos from our visit to Weltenburg Abbey, click here.  To learn more about our experience on a River Cruise on the Danube River with Avalon Waterways River Cruise, click here.

 

If you would like to visit Weltenburg Abbey or if you are interested in a River Cruise, contact us, your Weltenburg Abbey experts and River Cruise specialists.  We can help you plan your perfect River Cruise.