Melk, an Introduction
Budapest, Tuesday 15th of November 2022Budapest: Mahart No. 2. (Belgrad rkp.). MS AmaVenita: +31 638 69 46 55. Cruise Director, Roland Noordermeer: +49 151 1464 70816:00 – ish am MS AmaVenita arrives in Budapest our final port of call for this cruise.6:00 - 7:00 am Early risers’ pastries available in the lounge.7:00 - 9:00 am Breakfast is served in the restaurants downstairs.8:30 am – 12:00 noon Freedom of Choice Tour: Culinary Walk & Grand Market Hall9:00 am – 12:00 noon Freedom of Choice Tour: Shoe Monument & Hospital in the Rock9:00 am – 12:30 pm Freedom of Choice Tour: Castle Hill Hike and two bridges.9:30 - 10:30 am Late risers’ pastries available in the lounge.12:00 noon Lunch is served in the restaurants downstairs, light lunch in the lounge.Afternoon at Leisure, Enjoy Budapest or do a bit of packing4:00 – 5:00 pm Afternoon Tea in the lounge with background music for those on board7:00 pm Dinner is served in our “Verde Grill” & “Bella Cucina” Restaurants downstairs and the last time second week’s menu in the “Chef’s Table” Restaurant located in the Aft9:00 pm Join us in the lounge for some very dynamic Hungarian Folklore, not to miss out on. Great Choreography fromClick for today’s CurrencyWelcome back to Budapest:Today is our last full day together on board. Join us in the morning for a sightseeing tour which will showcase some of the many highlights this city has to offer. It will be mainly by coach but the castle district is on foot. or, you might like to set out on an active three-hour Hike up and down the Castle Hill via the Liberty & Elisabeth Bridges or join a culinary tour of Budapest’s Grand Market Hall. Spend the rest of the day at leisure and find your last minute souvenirs, which you can certainly find at one of the many shops along the Vaci utca or Market Hall. After dinner enjoy some spectacular Hungarian Folklore Dancing, with a great performance by the Hubay Folklore Group in the Lounge and then it is time to say goodbye to your newly made friends, as we should get ready for disembarkation the next dayQuote of the Day:“Learn to light a candle in the darkest moments of someone’slife.Be the light that helps others see; it is what giveslife its deepest significance.”-Roy T. BennettBudapest, Tuesday 15th of November 2022 Your Freedom of Choice Tour, Culinary Walk:Join your local guides at the embankment and gain a fascinating insight, during your walk, into how locals do their daily shopping and continue to explore Budapest’s lively Central Market Hall.While at the market, you’ll have the opportunity to taste some of the local specialities and your guide will share the secrets of making traditional Hungarian goulash soup. Make sure to bring a bottle of water with you, because only at the last stop at the bakery is an opportunity to get a drink.On the ground floor, you'll find a large selection of sausages, meats, cheeses, fruits and vegetables, on the second floor, there are food stands and plenty of vendors selling handicrafts, clothing, embroidery, chessboards and other souvenirs. Paprika and Tokaji are also sold here. In the basement, there is a fish market and the whole place is full of locals doing their shopping. The building is also of great architectural significance for the city. you can choose to stay in town or join your guide on a walk back to the ship in time for lunch. Afternoon is at leisure, a good time for packing.Your Freedom of Choice Tour, Hospital in the Rock: Hidden among the nearly ten kilometres or six miles of natural caves and tunnels beneath Buda Castle Hill is the Hospital in the Rock Museum, which preserves the history and rooms of a secret underground hospital that was later turned out into a nuclear fallout shelter. During World War II some of the fortified caves beneath Budapest’s Buda Castle were being used as an air raid shelter but the city’s mayor saw potential. A secret surgical hospital was built under the hill serving war victims. In 1958, with the fear of Cold War gripping countries across the globe, the hospital was expanded to include shelters from both nuclear and chemical attacks. Luckily the shelters never had to be used, and eventually the facility was opened to the public as a museum in 2008.Join an expert guide on a coach tour showcasing other parts of the city than the city tour last Thursday, with a stop at the shoe monument, near the Parliament. Continue towards the Buda side for a guided tour in smaller groups through the museum, consisting of operating theatres and machinery filled nuclear bunkers, all of which have been restored to their wartime conditions. You have never seen such a large collection of utensils, masks, intact surgery rooms, machinery, helicopter, weapons, with its lifelike wax figures and still working equipment, which re-enact medical scenes and much more. After the tour, you might opt on staying in town, at the Buda side, or join coach and guide back to the ship in time for lunch. Afternoon is at leisure, a good time for packing.Your Freedom of Choice Tour, Castle Hill Hike: Join your local guide at the embankment and start an active hike along the Danube towards the green liberty bridge, at the Buda side hike to the lower part of the castle district and start the ascend. Up there cover large parts of the enormous plateau. You can enjoy some free time to explore the hill and start your descent, cross the Danube via the Elisabeth bridge below the Gellert Monument, take a right to return to the ship for lunch. Afternoon is at leisure, a good time for packing.Please note: This is a three hour hike and includes a steep hill and many steps, so please remember that it requires a certain level of fitness.Some other places you might like to visit: (please check with your local guides for more suggestions)St- Stephen´s Basilica: Budapest´s largest church can be spotted from almost anywhere in the city. Built in the mid 1800 in the neoclassical style is worth a visit.The Andrassy Boulevard: Or the “Cultural Avenue” is not only famous for its many museums but also for the many fancy shops, cafes and private residences. Here you will find the…House of terror Museum: One of the most interesting and controversial museums in the city. Used first by Hungarian fascists as their headquarters and then by the Nazis as a prison, this building went through many times, but all of them quite dark.Museum of Fine Arts: Enjoy a wonderful collection of Italian, Spanish, Dutch and other masters which is not too large, means just when you are tired you are through as well. Tip: take the yellow Metro line there, the oldest on the continent. Classic!
Melk Abbey Entrance
Entrance of the Abbey bla bla
Melk Gatekeeper's Court
Gatekeeprs court here yo an see th enetrance bla bla
Melk, Prelate's Court
Entering th ePrelate's court please move a bit to the right and enjoy the bla bla
Melk, Emperor's Staircase
test look up staircase, enter museum bla bla
Melk, Beggar's Staircase
Beggar's Staircase into town bl abla
Melk, Town Hall Square
The town hall square here in melk is pedestrain bal bal bal jjd bla bla
Melk, Old Bakery
Old bakery salt depot etc bla bla bla
Melk, KZ Memorial
WWII Subterranean Bomb Proof Shelters: During WWII , at the beginning of 1944, the Allies had achieved air superiority over the Nazis and the main target for bombing campaigns was the Nazi war industry. This increased the need for subterranean bomb proof shelters for the most important production facilities, consequently they were moved to existing or new mines in Southern Germany and Austria.Concentration Camp:In the spring of 1944 the SS evicted the engineer battalion and converted the Birago Barracks into a concentration camp, including a gas chamber and crematory. Slave labour was needed for drilling and excavating the quartz quarry and the SS knew that this would entail the use of a lot of prisoners. Every day the locals saw the emaciated prisoners walking through the town towards the railway station from where they were transported to the quarry 3.2 kilometres or 2 miles out of town.Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG: The most important reason for excavating a 65,000 sq. metres or 700,000 sq. foot mine was to create a bomb proof shelter for the ball bearing production facility of Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG and other such like companies who would share the space. During this period around 5,000 prisoners lost their lives. Their bodies were cremated and the ashes were thrown into the Danube right here.Allies Approach:On the approach of the Allies to the area the SS initially planned to lock up all the prisoners in the mine and blow it up. However in April 1945 the SS decided to transport the prisoners , those unfit to travel were immediately killed by lethal injection administered in the camp’s sick-bay. Of the remaining prisoners around 6,000 were transported to Mauthausen, where probably all were exterminated in the gas chambers and about 1,500 were sent to Ebensee, from where a few survived after being liberated by the US Army on the 6th of May 1945. Two days later, on May 8th the Red Army reached Melk and found an empty concentration camp, but confiscated the machinery from the quartz quarry.
Melk, Parish Church
Parish church of melk bla blajdielkmenlknwlknwlklwknclknwclkwnclkcml;kw
Melk, Main Square
MAn square walk to the midlle etc bl abl abla directions bank butcher shops et look up.
Melk, Old Post Office
The Old Post bulding bla bl abl aaakdkdjdjd
Melk, Fisherman Gate
Fisherman Alley Fisherman Gate Melk river bla bla bla
Melk, St. Leopold Bridge
High Water Barrier 2013 bla bla, please deliver high water picks and old pics as I can make a slide so that the guests can actually slide the difference standing at zebra crossing by the way in opposite of the mautturm
Melk, Abbey View
Good bye great view etc.
