Date

Friday 4th October 2019

Holy Places Visited

  • Basilica, Maria Taferl
  • Pfarrkirche [“Parish Church”], Klein Pöchlarn

Distance Travelled

Approximately 19 km (12 miles)

Route

A thick mist filled the lower part of the Danube valley below us in the morning; it was both very unexpected and visually impressive.

I joined the 10am service in the Basilica and then set off walking towards Melk. I followed the Pilgerweg [“Pilgrim’s Way”] route back down the partly-forested hill into the town of Klein Pöchlarn, where I visited the parish church.

I then walked for many kilometres alongside the Danube, heading eastwards and downstream, before crossing to the south bank over the lock (Schleuse Melk) and hydroelectric dam, the Donaukraftwerk Melk [“Danube Power Station at Melk”], which generates clean, green and renewable hydro-electricity.

I walked on through some woodland to the town of Melk, which has the impressive Benediktinerstift Melk [“Melk Benedictine Abbey”] on a hill overlooking the town.