Weltenburg Abbey near Kelheim, Bavaria, Germany
In 2010 I took a cruise of European rivers beginning in Budapest, Hungary and ending in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The rivers involved were the Danube, the Main, and the Rhine. The cruise ship stopped at many places, one of which is the subject of this set, the Weltenburg Abbey on the Danube near Kelheim, Bavaria. The Abbey is part of a complex that includes a Benedictine Monastery and a Brewery. It is located near what is described as “the Danube Gorge”, in itself a beautiful area. It is believed to be the oldest monastery in Bavaria, and was begun in 617. The current Abbey church was built in 1716, and is dedicated to St. George (and there is a statue of St. George killing the dragon inside). The Brewery is considered to be the oldest monastic brewery in the world, and has been operational since 1050. A wing of the Abbey facing the Danube contains a restaurant offering Bavarian food and beer, which can be consumed in the large courtyard.
When I took these photos, I was not doing much post-processing, so they have not been corrected for perspective, etc. I decided not to re-process them, and apologize.
Exterior views
DSC_5201 by
David Casteel, on Flickr
DSC_5228 by
David Casteel, on Flickr (main entrance)
DSC_5229 by
David Casteel, on Flickr (the Brewery)
Interior views
DSC_5203 by
David Casteel, on Flickr (main Altar)
DSC_5204 by
David Casteel, on Flickr (statue of St. George killing the dragon)
DSC_5214 by
David Casteel, on Flickr (part of the Organ)
DSC_5225 by
David Casteel, on Flickr (one of the side Altars)
DSC_5211 by
David Casteel, on Flickr (another side Altar)
DSC_5210 by
David Casteel, on Flickr (the Pulpit)
Full ceiling pano by
David Casteel, on Flickr (the ceiling)