Kelheim, Weltenburg Abbey, Danube Gorge and Hall of Liberation

We were bused to the Benedictine Abbey first thing in the morning, just as the workers who were dressed in traditional Bavarian costume, were setting up the pleasant beer garden in preparation for the day's customers. The Octoberfest had started the day before, so the day's patronage was expected to be busy. First things first........we had a tasting of the Abbey's famous beer. Said to be the oldest monastery brewery in the world, dating back to 1050,  the dark coloured beer has won many international awards. Not bad however drinking beer at 10am did not encourage me to relish my tasting or finish it.

In part of the Abbey a beautiful Abbey Church offers a memorable interplay of colour and contrast. The ceiling fresco and 'false' dome were influenced by the builder and architect's  study in Rome. 10.15am the church bells started to peel out and it was only the first of many we heard throughout the day and valleys.

I walked to the river's edge of the Danube, across a wide expanse of river pebbles to the very low level of the river. Is this an omunious sign of things to come?

After our beer tasting and a stroll aroud the abbey we joined river cruise through the Danube Gorge. Lots of history here...Romans, Napoleon, Celts, Bavarian soldiers and Benedictine monks, just to note a few. This section is a national park, show casing the green vegetation and landscape.

Last but not least we had a stop off at what I would consider one of maybe 5 (?) most impressive buildings I have ever seen. This large memorial to the Bavarian soldiers who had lost their lives in fighting of the 'War of Liberation' that led to the overthrow of Napoleon in 1815 was built by 1863. It evokes the memories of the Pantheon in Rome. Large white marbled angels representing the individual states of Germany at that time circle the inside of this light filled interior. The views from here are also stunning and well worth the effort of climbing 'many' steps. (too many for me to count) Even DH managed the climb but used the lift on the way down.