I found the stairway to heaven!
It is in Melk Abbey in lower Austria.
The Benedictine Abbey was founded in the 12th century and is the oldest continuously operating school in Austria.
900 lucky co-educational pupils attend school here.
The Abbey over looks the The Danube River,
and the medieval town of Melk which was the center of intellectual life in Austria in the middle ages.
It is off the beaten tourist path in November and is a wonderful place to explore.
Melk is in the Wachau Valley section of The Danube River which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Cheers to you from the stunning Wachau Valley~
Share this:
Discover more from Cindy Knoke
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Ever since seeing “The Sound of Music” as a kid, I’ve longed to visit Austria. Your photos only confirm that longing for me, Cindy. Thank you for sharing its beauty!!
Well, then you must visit. Besides, I’m selfish, I want to see YOUR photos!
That photo of the stairway is wonderful Cindy!
You are in such an interesting place! May your travels continue to bring surprises, smiles and wonder 💛
What lovely, kind sentiments. Thank you~
Exquisite and so artistic Cindy and you took the most amazing shots as well. I love love the bicycle too. So cute! You had the most amazing views of such a beautiful place. Thanks for sharing. 😀
I love anyone who “gets” the bicycle! I would so love to meet the whimsical and creative artist. Thank you Sonel. You are very kind~
Definitely something I wouldn’t miss. The artist is definitely very creative. I would love to see what other work he/she has to offer. 😀
You’re very welcome Cindy. ♥
<3
Wow…stunning 🙂
It certainly made a impact on me and I am glad you agree~
Gorgeous!
Thank you my dear Bette~
Oh how GORGEOUS – I do love the knitted cover on the bike, complete with the “new-age” scanning code – just fabulous! 🙂
She is dressed in her winter best!
Wow, these are out of this world beautiful! Thank you for sharing! What a heavenly place to visit. Surely this is the stairway to Heaven! Blessings!
I guess they won’t let us climb it because we aren’t ready for heaven yet!
I’m feeling rather dizzy now! I also canoed on the Danube, wonderful river.
Ooooooh, how fun that would be!
What a beautiful place. Thank you for the peek. 🙂
You should see the library, and you will cuz I took some verboten pics! Bad and getting badder……
Götterdämmerung und Donner und Blitzen. Very, very frightening. Can’t wait. 🙂
Are you a Wagner fan? My husband and son are and I sat through 18 or so hours of The Ring cycles. Jim keeps trying to get me to go to Bayreuth to do it again!
Heaven forfend. No, just fooling about mit ze vords. 🙂
Laughing…..
Boy, stunning is an understatement. What a place! Gorgeous photos, Cindy. It looks like a lot of fun.
Adjectives are hard to come up with to describe a place like this. Stunning does it.
🙂
The stairway is incredible, Cindy. I can understand why someone might believe it would take them to heaven. –Curt
Are you humming Led now? I have been since I saw it. I wonder what it would be like to climb and to read books in the library ……
Uplifting, perhaps. 🙂
Yes! 🙂
Very beautiful photo’s … Great job thumbs up 😉
Awwww, thank you!
Oh my gosh the architecture is fantastic! I wished we had buildings like that in my city! Hugz Lisa and Bear
I wish we did too! Cheers to all of you~
Wow, what a gorgeous building and valley – it’s picture book perfect!
Sometimes things are picture perfect! 🙂
🙂 Especially when you are behind the camera!
I can say exactly the same thing about you my friend! <3
Exquisite!
… And <3 's & lol's on the bicycle!
I knew you would like the bike!
WordPress is hiccuping for me today: yours is the second blog that didn’t show up in my reader. Good thing I decided to come by just to check or I would have missed these stunning photos! The stairway is magnificent! I could spend all day staring at it. 😊
When WP hiccups, I get indigestion! Thanks for coming by…..
I would be very sad to miss this post (or any post of yours!). 😊
Awww, I feel the same about you and your wonderful blog! People like you are why I love blogging. <3
Oh, if only the walls could talk – can you imagine all the remarkable conversations that were held on this “stairway to heaven.” I love traveling with you, my dear friend…
You are the best travel companion Rebecca and yes, I can just imagine the conversations in the stairwell. The stairway connects the church to the library and rivals the library in Vienna. So amazing, filled with ancient books on philosophy, science, medicine and religion. I could live there!
You continue to inspire me!!! BTW its C S Lewis’s birthday! I’m drinking tea and reading a book in his honour!!💛🍁💛
My kids were so massively into CS, such a wonderful contributor to their lives. Happy Birthday CS and happy teatime Rebecca. It sounds like a lovely way to spend the day!
Happy Sunday to you.
Visa versa 2 U X 2!
Stunning and this is amazing. Did you climb those stairs?
No they were roped off, wish I could have!
You are one fantastic photog Cindy! <3 <3 <3
You are a very nice person for saying this! <3 <3
Fantastic !!
It truly was amazing!
Such beauty, wow. I want to visit Austria one day, too.
I hope your making a bucket list. Bucket lists are excellent for your mental health…..
No, a list would make me feel pressure to get to things and feel a failure if it never happens. I am okay with having the occasional unfulfilled longing. 😉
That works too, but be careful what you wish for, it so often does come true and not just in your marvelous fairytales. You never know where your life will be twenty years from now. You could be traveling the world…….and fufilling your travel longings.
Are your longings being fulfilled? You’ll have to create new dreams. 🙂
Lots of them, never all of them of course, but I am surprised about where my life is now. I would never ever have imagined this life 20 years ago when I was working full time and raising my children.
A wonderful place, and indeed worth a visit. I’d like to do that tour again – I havent been there since I was sixteen…and that, was loooong ago. Marvellous shots.
I have been over at your blog drooling over your photos of the icy landscapes. So beautiful!
Haha – yes, thank you, I’ll be returning to them myself…seems to be the only snow we’ve had for two years! Sometimes (read always) our photos are important for the memory…
Gorgeous…it looks like a fairytale!
So much of Germany and Austria do look exactly like that!
Hubby’s side is 1/4 from Austria. But so long ago I couldn’t tell you were. They escaped oppression to the states.
Beautiful photos. I never did get to learn how to do photos yet. I spent about three weeks in Kentucky with Hubby while he worked this summer. And well now we are nearing the the beginning of winter.
That yarn-bombed bike was interesting. We’ve had a few trees done around here. I thought it was an American thing. Guess though that bike isn’t going anywhere…
Love the stairs! Almost off to our second TG… Continue to explore where you are!
Hugs, Jules
Hi Jules wonderful to hear from you. Happy second TG to you and your family. Lucky you. We are home at The Holler now trying to recover from jet lag. We took three long flights from Budapest! Be well my friend~
Just sitting uncomfortably can be very tiring. As well as waiting in all those lines to get on flights and finally getting out of the airport! 🙂
Home from our mid-day meal – time for a nap!
Oh I would love a nap……..
Incredible! I would love to see this in person, but through your lens is very satisfying. 🙂
So pleased you enjoyed and cheers to you!
Beautiful!! I loved the title, too.. Zeppelin being an all time favourite… 🙂
Yay, another Led head! 😉 Thank you~
You are taking photographs of the most magnificent places, and I loved the crochet covered bike 😊
I loved it too! Be well my friend~
Liebe Cindy wünsche dir eine gute Nacht und eine schöne Weihnachtszeit Klaus in Freundschaft
Glückliche Advent mein lieber Freund. Ich liebe Ihr schönes Land ! <3
You bring true life to your gorgeous photos Cindy, always! 🙂
Awwww, so thoughtful. Thank you~
Beautiful photos – love the first one of the spiral!
Isn’t that staircase magnificent? It speaks volumes!
Amazing photos, Cindy! Beautiful.
Oh so nice. Thank you! <3
Amazingly beautiful and what colours!
I think back home now about the people who can go to churches like this anyday they wish to think, meditate and pray. How incredible this would be.
Indeed!
Wow. Stunning photos!
Thank you so much and cheers to you!
Wow! I mean, WOW. Your photos are beyond breathtaking. I can’t imagine being able to see that in person. Absolutely amazing! Yes, there is definitely beauty in this world! 😀
It is so spiritually inspiring. I am glad you see the beauty my friend! <3
Stunning! I just love these photos!
Oh, I am truly honored.
Absolutely breathtaking photos, Cindy. And I love that you found the stairway to heaven… Happy to know you’re enjoying your vacation! 😀
Home now but the incredible cathedrals are still resonating with me. Jim & I got locked in a pitch black empty one. More on that later!
Great photographs Cindy. I like the fried egg effect at the top of the stairs in the first image. 🙂
Yes! I like it too! 🙂
And an awesome stairway to heaven it is too! It’s a long way for Wolfie’s furry legs to run up and down though!! 😉
Wolfie might chew the ancient books in the library! 😉
That would be very naughty of Wolfie! 😉
Gorgeous photos, Cindy. I hope to get there some day…now I must!
Oh good, looking forward to hearing about it when you do!
Gosh, these are amazing pictures. The intricate designs and architecture is very impressive. I also love that crocheted bike. What a fascinating place to visit. 🙂
These medieval towns in Germany and Austria are absolutely beautiful. So pleased you enjoyed and thank you~
Beautifully majestic. I was away in Galveston and really missed everyone. It was a needed vacation provided by my daughter and her family. We enjoyed it tremendously. I found myself energized by the sunrises and sunsets and standing with angels as the life giving waters embraced the sea shore. Your pictures move my spirit in wonderful ways. Thanks for sharing Cindy!
What a lyrically beautiful comment Wendell, reflective of your beautiful heart. <3
that’s a beautiful interior!
and the bicycle is extra cute 😀
Yep, the bike has it’s winter sweater! 😉
hihi 😀
Impresionante reportaje con unas preciosas fotos. 🙂
Muchas gracias amiga mia! <3 <3
Wow, wow, wow! Absolutely gorgeous photos! xoxo
It is always such a treat to hear from you Fae! Hugs my friend~
It definitely feels to be in heaven Cindy!
All those Phots that you have posted; I felt as if I was going with you to the places.
Serenity all over.
It worth visiting the place, if one can’t, should visit your blog.
I welcome you to read my Etheree -“The Shining Rock”
Shiva
Yes, I feel your non-virtual presence Shiva and greatly appreciate your very kind words. Very happy you enjoyed and cheers to you my friend~
Truly a heavenly staircase Cindy and how lucky the students are to be able to study in such beautiful surroundings.
Hi Pauline. Wonderful to hear from you. It would be incredible to study there even though I imagine it is rather strict. It looks like a Harry Potter school. Something out of a fantasy.
A place where dreams are made…
Thankyou Cindy for taking me to such a beautiful abbey ( I love the title of your post ) …and that bicycle ! So amazing ….love , megxxx
Awww, makes me glad I posted. Thank you!
Hello! Austria is a beautiful country! I’m getting ‘Harry Potter’ from the medieval town of Melk. Lovely pictures! 😀
Yes! Me too, I just said that to someone a few comments back. Great minds…….. 😉