Durnstein - Lionheart's Prison

Wachau Valley Village Church

The rain stopped as we sailed away from Melk and headed downstream to our next stop at Durnstein. There was a towpath beside the river and several brave souls rode the cruise-supplied cycles all the way – we stood and cheered them when they arrived back on board.

This stage of the river passes through the Wachau Valley, a world heritage site for its beauty; hilltop castles, postcard villages, vineyards, and apricot orchards carpet the hillsides. I had to acknowledge that its greenness shows the benefit of rain. This area has seen conflict over the centuries; battle after battle as empires ebbed and flowed; not only chateaux but also fortified churches tower above the river. We sat on the sundeck, relaxed, and drank in the splendour.

As Durnstein approached, Weiser, one of the valley’s apricot producers, joined us in the lounge and gave a presentation, with samples, of their wares – our waiters ran around with trays of glasses as each bottle was opened. Herr Weiser pointed out that the family had stores in Durnstein and many of us went straight there from the tasting – it was that good. I bought some apricot liqueur.

Blondel and King Richard Statue

Durnstein’s most famous occupant was the English King Richard the Lionheart (Lowenhertz). Richard was a celebrated warrior – he led his first army to victory at the age of 16. The son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, he spent most of his life fighting wars away from his home country. He was one of the leaders of the Third Crusade alongside Philip of France. It was during this campaign, against the Muslim leader Saladin, that he made the mistake of disrespecting the Austrian King, Leopold V. As they captured the city of Acre, in modern-day Israel, Leopold raised his standard beside those of Philip and Richard. Believing him to be a mere vassal of the Pope, Richard’s men cast Leopold’s standard down into the moat.

As he journeyed home, Richard was captured by Leopold and held for ransom, here in Durnstein Castle. Leopold asked a King’s Ransom but didn’t reveal where he was holding his captive. In legend, Blondel, Richard’s trusty troubadour traveled from castle to castle singing a verse from a love song he’d composed with Richard. When he reached Durnstein, Richard sang the second verse back to him and thus his prison was revealed. There’s a statue commemorating this beside the castle.

Walking through Old Durnstein

The walk up to the castle was steep and lengthy and there’s little of the fortress left but the views. So, we decided to pass and explored the village instead – it’s charming as it hugs close to the hillside, forcing you to walk up and down steps and pass through archways as it reveals its treasures. Not quite Melk but there’s a beautiful church (Stift) cast in Wedgewood blue – the church tower is a Danube landmark. Set in the former Augustine Monastery it discloses a lush interior of gold, marble and, of course, its own pair of Catacomb Saints.

As we purchased our Weiser liqueur it started to rain again, so it was time to head back to the ship for supper and the journey to Vienna – I couldn’t wait to visit the City of Music.

Tower of Stift Durnstein with the Castle in the background

Melk Abbey - Saintly Versailles

We docked in Melk early one morning and I went up on deck. It was raining and ordinarily I would have been disappointed, I hate rain, but it had been so hot that, frankly, I just stood there and let it run down my face. Heaven!

When we’d boarded in Nuremberg we ran into a couple who were at the conclusion of their cruise, just waiting to get off: “If you see nothing else, you must see Melk Abbey!” they said.

So, after breakfast, we took our receivers and an umbrella and we boarded the bus, heading up to the palatial abbey that dominates the Melk skyline. This has been a Benedictine Monastery for almost a thousand years and although its library had been celebrated for a long time, it had been a Spartan  residence for many centuries. Yet, Abbot Berthold Dietmayr in the early 1700’s launched a rebuilding project that created a Baroque palace, complete with a cathedral-like church. Don’t think ‘cold stone edifice;’ this complex is closer to Versailles. Unfortunately, photography is not allowed – so I had to buy the Guide Book.

Ceiling on the Marble Hall

After its renovation the Abbey was used as a Royal Palace with whole sections reserved for Empress Maria Theresa, the only female Hapsburg Ruler, and her husband Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor. There’s a grand marble hall, like a ballroom, and the ceiling depicts scenes from antiquity, with likenesses of the Hapsburgs serving as the heroes.

The Melk Cross on Austrian Stamp

Much of the Abbey is given over to a museum with crown jewels and vestments of the Catholic Church on display. Treasured among these is the Melk Cross, allegedly a sliver of the True Cross (the actual cross of Jesus). The sliver was bestowed upon the Abbey in 1040 and subsequently installed in this exquisite cross in 1362; good luck catching a glimpse of the sliver though, it’s screwed into a compartment in the back. But, the cross has its own story, having been stolen in the 12^th Century and reappearing in Vienna. Legend says that God commanded its return to Melk; the cross disappeared from Vienna and was taken by boat back up the Danube to Melk; it was considered a miracle.

St Coloman’s Relics

Melk has its own saint, Saint Coloman, an unfortunate Irish Prince. In legend, he was on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and lodged near Melk for the night. No one could understand a word he said so they arrested him. Within weeks he was hanged from a tree and his body left on display. Intolerance for those different from us goes back a long way… But, his flesh didn’t corrupt; even after 18 months it was as if he’d only just died. He was declared a saint and his  his remains interred in a white sarcophagus high in an altar of the abbey church.

But Coloman isn’t the only Saint interred in the Abbey Church. Two decorated skeletons I took note of as we walked the aisles revealed their own story…

Catacombe Saint in Melk Abbey Church

The Roman catacombs were discovered in 1578, revealing a cache of more than 500,000 skeletons. It was the time of the Counter Reformation; a resurging of Catholicism in reaction to Lutheran austerity, and the Catholic Church seized these skeletons declaring them martyrs. They were named, and then ‘sold' to churches throughout Europe as Catacomb Saints - the Vatican didn’t sell them, of course but collected expenses and donations for excavation, transportation, blessing and decoration. Huge sums were spent decorating them with silver and jewels before the hapless characters were displayed in altars. They were particularly popular in Austria and Germany – people named their children after them.

Yellow Cobbles in Path

There was a problem – the skeletons were a mix of Jews, Christians and Pagans – fortunately, Vatican priests were able to determine which ones were martyrs by the glow or aroma they radiated.

In most of Europe these rather grotesque relics have long since been reinterred but in Melk, they are still on display.

The rain had stopped when we left the Abbey so we walked down the hill and through the town back to the ship. The route wouldn’t be obvious but it’s marked – you simply follow the yellow brick route – some of the cobbles are coloured. We stopped at a café for a Kafe: Austria has a well-deserved reputation for its coffee shops and this place was no exception – I would have loved to stay longer but it was time to cast-off.

Great Coffee in the Cafe in Melk Townsite