A beautiful day in Budapest

The most visited site is Trinity Square, dominated by one of Budapest's most characteristic building, the Mathias Church, which is over 700 years old. The church itself is almost of the same age as the Royal Palace, and gave home to many coronation ceremonies. Many kings and emperors left their mark on the church, even before the Turkish occupation, when the church was converted into a mosque and its walls whitewashed. Inside lie in their sarcophaguses King Béla the 3rd and his Queen. Today's version of the church was finalized at the turn of the 19th century, when several smaller buildings were annexed to it and it was renovated in the Neo-Gothic style. The Gothic tower of the Mathias Church, with the Fishermen's Bastion in the background, is one of the most frequently photographed tourist sites in Hungary.

ENJOY !

MELK Benedictine Abbey

This Baroque abbey was rebuilt between 1702 and 1736 and as you know I am usually taken by or impressed with old churches,  but this Benedictine Monastery is certainly something very special -  it takes your breath away.

Sitting majestically high on a bluff overlooking both the Danube River and the the town of Melk in Lower Austria it is an impressive sight even before you go up the hill and enter the grounds.

Having read Umberto Eco's mystery novel "The Name of the Rose"  I do remember Adson von Melk one of the novels protagonist's, a tribute to this Abbey and it's famous library. Once you have traveled through the abbey including the new bastion, it 's Coloman courtyard, Marble Room, spiral staircase, Library , Abbey Church, The terrace gardens and Pavillion plus the eleven (11) rooms of the museum, with frescoes statues, ceiling paintings and other art work I think you will feel as I do: this is truly a worthy world heritage site that cannot be missed of you are ever anywhere near Vienna or Lower Austria