After a visit to St. Florian Monastery, we woke to a day on the river.

A Morning Stopover in Engelhartszell

We woke to cruising along the Danube as we made our way to a morning stopover in Engelhartszell, a small market town on the banks of the Danube in the river valley in Upper Austria. We moored right at the town, so it was a quick hop off the boat for a few miles of walking and exploring this little town.

The Abbey

Of course, the main structure that dominates the town landscape is the Abbey. Yes, another beautiful Baroque church. The monastery attached to the Abbey brews beer, which is for sale and reportedly quite good. In front of the Abbey are apple trees and a long corridor of chestnut trees leading the way to the entrance. On this crisp fall morning, the sight was lovely.

A Brisk Walk Through Town

Our brisk walk through town brought us to many lovely homes and buildings, and a church on the hill.

The Schlögen Loop in the Rain

We walked back to the boat along the Danube just in time for lunch and a sail through the river valley and the Schlögen Loop. This was our one afternoon of scenic cruising, given all the disruptions and rescheduling due to the low water levels, and the moment we began to sail, it began to rain. The irony was not lost on anyone… lol. Regardless of the weather, the sailing was beautiful through the valley and the small towns along the way.

Through the Lock and On to Passau

As we neared the border of Germany, the ship passed through a good-size lock, which is always fun and interesting to observe. Around 6:30pm we docked in Passau, where we would spend the night aboard before disembarking in the morning to make our way to Prague, bringing the Avalon River Cruise portion to an end.