Austria
This is Melk Abbey in the Wachau River Valley.  We were on the side of the river where our visit was to Gottweig Abbey. Gottweig sits on top of a mountain all by itself overlooking several Austrian towns including Krems. Thw monastry was founded by the Bishop of Passau in the 11th century.
It is difficult to capture the full majesty of this Benedictine monastery.  The tour was very thorough and interesting.  Crystal ended the tour by learning to make Austrian Dumplings in the abbey's kitchen. Near the sanctuary, there were stairs that lead down to a crypt.  Here we have the Shrine for the Bishop of Passau.  I believe the guide said that his head is in the golden encasement.

Vienna Austria
The main square in Vienna is massive - it is near Parliament and many the embassies.  The tiled roof of St. Stephens is unbelievable.  We took a horse-carriage tour on the square while it began to snow (magical).  No pix here - we had to stop the ride because we almost missed the bus.  The square also has the stable for the famous rare breed of horses - the  Lipizzan horses.

St, Stephens contains contains catacombs and the largest active organ in Europe.  Oddly, Macy's in Philadelphia has the world's largest.
The Hapsburg's 1441-Room Hunting Lodge in Vienna


 

They had a Christmas market at Schobrunn Palace.  This Hapsburg Palace was built in the 1600s as a hunting lodge -- it had 1441 rooms!!! We only visited 45 of them.  They are renting rooms there at descent prices - tempting.

Maria Theresa (the mother of monarchs) made it her home in the 1700s.  She had 16 children.  Most became monarch including her daughter Marie Antoinette,