Author Archives: Jan European Barging & River Cruises

Visit the Baroque Stift Gottweig Monastery on a River Cruise to Austria

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The Benedictine Stift Gottweig Monastery stands on the eastern edge of the famous Danube valley area, the Wachau which is among Austria’s most famous wine regions. On the southern banks of the Danube, opposite to the town of Krems, the monastery is positioned 449 meters above sea level. Given its peculiar placement on the Göttweiger Berg mountain, it is also known as the “Austrian Montecassino”.

Established by Saint Altmann, the bishop of Passau in 1083, the Stift Gottweig Monastery was handed over to the Benedictines in 1094. Since then, forestry and wine-growing have substantially anchored the local economy with great emphasis on the development of the wine-growing industry.

The old cloister of the monastery was destroyed in 1718 following a great fire. After that, the construction of baroque buildings was executed according to the plans of architect Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt. The major attractions in the monastery are the museum in the imperial wing which is one of Austria’s most important museums; the imperial staircase under a marvelous ceiling fresco painted by Paul Troger in 1739; the monastery church with crypt and cloister and the imperial and princes’ rooms. All these attractions held in the Stift Gottweig Monastery rank high among Austria’s religious and artistic sites.

History of the Stift Gottweig Monastery

As stated earlier, the Stift Gottweig was founded by Saint Altmann, the bishop of Passau in 1083 as a monastery of canons regular and later handed over to the Benedictines in 1094. Prior Hartmann of St. Blaise’s Abbey in the Black Forest was elected abbot. Under his direction (1094–1114) the monastery transformed into a prestigious seat of learning and stern monastic observance He established a monastic school, set up a library, and built a nunnery at the foot of the hill where it is believed that Ava, the earliest German language poetess known by name (d. 1127), lived as an anchorite. The nunnery was later on shifted to the top of the hill and stayed there until 1557.

However, the abbey began to diminish so swiftly between the 15th and 16th centuries that it was without any abbot at all between 1556 and 1564. By 1564, there was not even a single monk left in the abbey. During these critical circumstances, an imperial deputation turned up at Göttweig, and elected Michael Herrlich, a monk of Melk Abbey, as abbot. The new abbot, who continued his office until 1604, reinstated the monastery both spiritually and financially. He got it rebuilt after it had been almost entirely engulfed by fire in 1580.

The Wine

Stift Gottweig has an extensive wine estate with the most important sites being Gottschelle, Silberbichl and Göttweiger Berg. This wine estate has the honor of being among the first producers to offer KREMSTAL DAC wines. The varietal breakdown consists of Grüner Veltliner, 60%; Riesling, 30%; Chardonnay, 4%; and Pinot Noir, 6%. The Göttweiger Messwein, or Altar wine, for centuries, has been a tradition in this Benedictine abbey.

The Silberbichl is a wide terrace vineyard positioned above the Danube River and was recognized as a site already in 1562. It is composed of “old Danube” gravel and weathered stone which are covered with loess. “Silber“ (silver) in the name Silberbichl possibly comes from “Glimmer” (mica-slate) which is present in large prices here while “Bichl” is a variation of “Bühel”, or hill.

The site which faces southeast is situated in the wine-growing region of Wachau. Riesling is largely planted here because it is perfectly suited to the soil.  Other wines grown in this area are Göttweiger Berg Wines and Gottschelle Wines.

Call us to book your holiday on our Danube River cruise to Austria and visit the splendid Benedictine Stift Gottweig Monastery!

For more information contact: Europeanbarging, 888-869-7907, jan@europeanbarging.com

French River Cruise in Angers, France

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The city of Angers is a French city situated in the north west of France. It is the capital of the Maine-et-Loire department of the French region Pays de la Loire. Before the French revolution, Angers was the capital of the province of Anjou, and so the residents of both the city and the province are called Angevins.

The historic city of Angers greatly appeals to the historians and visitors who want to explore France’s rich medieval history as it is a part of the French region which was known as Anjou in the Middle Ages. Angers is a busy and vibrant city today which is inhabited by approximately 150,000 people in the city itself and around 270,000 people in the greater metropolitan area.

Angers offers several places of attraction and the best way to explore the city is by foot. Almost all the major tourist attractions and shopping areas are situated close to one another except for the nearby lake, Lac de Maine, which is around 30 minutes from outside of the center of the city. But that too can offer you a wonderful experience when you walk to the lake on a summer evening and come back to your place.

The castle fortress of Angers is the most dominating of all the attractions held by the city. It is an amazing defense work with 17 towers and a massive mediaeval tapestry of the Apocalypse. This tapestry is probably one of the most impressive artworks that the Middle Ages have graciously passed on to us.

The Regional Angers Marcé Air Museum is another prominent attraction in Angers. It was created by some local aviation aficionados with the aim to let the generations know about the role of those great men of the great flying adventure, such as Roland Garros, René Gasnier and so on. The purpose of this museum was to provide the visitor a chance to recognize the second national collection of light and winged aircraft in France. The museum often holds temporary exhibitions, guided conferences, and restoration of the “vieux coucous” demonstrations in order to provide a delightful experience to the visitors.
The Museum of Fine Arts (Beaux Arts) is yet another attraction in the city. It has been accommodated in the Barrault residence, a late 15th century private home since 1796. The museum’s collection displays many paintings among which are the paintings by eminent painters such as Chardin, Watteau, Fragonard, Boucher, David and Ingres. The collection also encompasses Goldsmith’s work, enamel, and ivory arts.

Book your European family vacation on our French river cruise and visit Angers France for an enjoyable family experience!

For more information contact: Europeanbarging, 888-869-7907, jan@europeanbarging.com

Cruising Upper Loire Valley on the Meanderer

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http://www.europeanbarging.com ~ 713-240-6753 ~ 888-869-7907: The 6 passenger deluxe Meanderer is the only barge offering multiple excursion options. Choose from escorted cycling tours, walking tours or tours by mini van. Aboard this luxury barge cruise in France, you’ll get an opportunity to experience life there from a truly unique perspective.

 

Ballooning from the Meanderer barge

Carrying between Continue reading →

Visit the Gutenberg Museum in Mainz While on a Rhine River Cruise

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A visit to the Gutenberg Museum in Mainz is often included on any Rhine River cruise that stops in Mainz or Frankfurt. When visiting this museum, tourists are able to find greater meaning in books and the way they are formed. The purpose that these materials have made in life, from the bible and other world-renowned literature is superior to many. The records that have been stored without damage and are very visible to the eye can be credited to Gutenberg. Located in a quiet area near the river, there are many places for tourists to shop comfortably.

At the museum, there are reconstructions of print shops and Gutenberg’s hand press, an exhibition of incunabula, and the first two Gutenberg bibles are on display in a strong room. They also have a section devoted to the Far East with colored woodcarvings and prints from Japan, China, and Korea. There is even an exhibition on the electronic future of books. Most displays have an English translation. You can purchase a guide in several different languages with your admission.

A group of people founded the museum in 1900, 500 years after Johannes Gutenberg’s birth, to honor the inventor and present his technical and artistic achievements to the public at large. They also aimed to exhibit the writing and printing of as many different cultures as possible.

Publishers, manufacturers of printing machines, and printing houses donated books, apparatus, and machines, which formed the basis of the collection. In its first few years, the museum was part of the city library, meaning that the most beautiful and characteristic volumes from the library’s extensive collection could be requisitioned for the museum. Visitors were thus presented with a survey of almost 500 years of the printed book. In time the museum expanded to include sections on printing techniques, book art, job printing and ex-libris, graphics and posters, paper, the history of the writing of all cultures of the world, and modern artists’ books.

The Gutenberg Museum was originally laid out in two rooms at the Kurfürstliches Schloß (Electoral Palace Mainz), which also accommodated the city library. The museum moved into the new library building on the Rheinallee in 1912. The same year, 1925, saw the installation of a reconstruction of Gutenberg’s workshop which soon became one of the museum’s main attractions. Typefounding, typesetting, and printing could now be demonstrated visually. The replica of Gutenberg’s printing press, rebuilt according to the 15th- and 16th-century woodcuts, proved an object of great interest to visitors and was henceforth shown at a large number of exhibitions all over the world.

In 1927 the museum was able to move into the building Zum Römischen Kaiser (1664) in Mainz. This is now where the museum’s administration, the restoration workshop, the library, the Gutenberg Society, and the domicile of the Mainzer Stadtschreiber are housed. The Late Renaissance building was heavily bombed in 1945; the museum’s contents had been stored in a safe place and thus remained intact. In 1962, the restoration of the Römischer Kaiser was complete. A new, modern exhibition building was also opened in the place where once the guest house König von England stood.

Acquisitions

The museum made several important acquisitions in the following years, among them a second Gutenberg Bible, the Shuckburgh Bible in two volumes (1978), and two block books printed using wooden formes and today extremely rare. Another major change was the introduction of the museum’s educational unit in 1989. In 2000, the old museum building was restored and extended.

For river cruises that dock at Mainz, we have many options – from short-mini cruises of 4 nights, 6-night cruises from Strasbourg, and various  7-night cruise itineraries.

For additional information or to check availability, contact us at www.europeanbarging.com 888-869-7907 or jan@europeanbarging.com