I have written about our first stop of Wachau Valley Durnstein and how quaint it is. Well driving from there, on our way to Gmunden, our final stop in the valley was Melk. Well for the uninitiated, the Wachau Valley is the wine country of Lower Austria and is basically a 36 km long stretch along the river Daube; starting from Krems and ending in Melk. Of course this quaint piece of paradise is a UNESCO World Heritage site and should not be missed.

Melk is a thousand year old settlement and is the place of Melk Abbey and monastery. The huge yellow structure can be spotted from a distance and would require a big chunk of time to explore. This place contains the remains of the first Austrian dynasty. Of course we were in a rush (we had squeezed this Wachau Valley excursion within our road trip) so we took pictures from outside and bade goodbye.

The Melk Abbey is a Benedictine abbey and is built on a rock; overlooking the Danube. That's why it can be seen from all around. As I have said before, you can take a cruise on the Danube along this entire stretch; or can drive through it (like we did) or can do a day trip from Vienna. Whatever is feasible, you can opt for that but you should not miss this at any cost.

If you are a wine lover, then this place is paradise for you. Not only the vineyards along the Danube are picturesque, but the wineries are so freaking cute too! We are teetotalers but never miss a chance to imbibe the local culture. The houses are quintessentially cute and I could not stop taking pictures!