Saturday, September 8, 2018

Durnstein, Austria

Durnstein is famous for two things, and they are both in this photograph.

The main attraction is the Durnstein Abbey, and its main attraction is the beautiful blue tower which stands out while cruising down the Danube. You can take a tour of the place.

Up on the hill is Kuenringerburg, a castle. Richard the Lionhearted was captured here around 1192. According to legend, his servant, Blondel, had gone from country to country looking for Richard. Blondel sang a song that would only be known to his master. In this case, Richard recognized the tune, and started on the path toward freedom (a big bribe was involved). It's a nice story, anyway. The two are portrayed in a statue up the river a bit.

By the way, Napoleon suffered a defeat here of sorts, although it wasn't decisive. There's a roadside marker to remind us of that battle with Austrian and Russian forces.

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