Weltenburg Abbey and Danube Gorge

Between Kelheim and Weltenburg the Danube cuts through a Jurassic limestone ridge in a gorge about five and a half kilometres long, where the river narrows from over a hundred metres to around eighty and the cliffs rise a hundred metres on both sides, with named rock formations along the way. Boats run the passage from Kelheim. At the lower end stands Weltenburg abbey, founded around 617, with a church of 1716 to 1739 by the Asam brothers, whose oval nave uses hidden windows to light a St George on horseback from behind. The abbey brewery claims a founding date of 1050 and is often described as the oldest monastery brewery in the world.

What you actually see

• The gorge - limestone cliffs rising 100 metres over a narrowed river.
• The Asam church - an oval nave with concealed lighting behind the altar.
• The monastery brewery - beer brewed on the site, dated by the abbey to 1050.
• The boat passage - a five-kilometre run between the rock walls.

When to go

April to October; boats run seasonally and are cancelled in high water, which happens after heavy rain. The abbey courtyard fills on summer weekends.

Honest expectations

Boats stop entirely in winter and in flood conditions. The abbey courtyard is essentially a large beer garden in season. The church closes for services.

Nearby

Kelheim and the Befreiungshalle lie upstream; Regensburg is east.