Chapter I: Preface

It appears rather surprising that, while our printshops teem with views on the Rhine, and the shelves of our booksellers groan with the weight of Tours in its neighbourhood, no English pen or pencil should have been hitherto employed in illustration of the magnificent Danube. Captain Batty, it is true, in his beautiful work entitled “German Scenery,” has three or four views upon the river, and one or two modern tourists have slightly mentioned a town or so, which, lying on the post-road to Vienna, as well as on the banks of the Danube, they have passed through on their way to the Austrian capital. But, with the exception of the translation of Baron Riesbeck’s travels in Germany, published in the fifth volume of Pinkerton’s collection, which contains a very brief but faithful description of the river from Passau to Vienna, I am aware of few works in our language from which the slightest idea of its beauty and interest can be drawn, and of none absolutely dedicated to its history and illustration[1]. That the Danube should be so little known to our rambling countrymen is the more remarkable, as Vienna--voluptuous Vienna! is one of the points to which it leads, and the ease, pleasure, and velocity with which its stream may be descended, render, in commonly fair weather, the passage by water considerably preferable to the journey by land, though performed in the traveller’s own post-chariot; and as by land he _must_ return, he thus secures to himself the advantage of entirely new scenery, even if compelled by time or circumstances to retrace his line of route.

The road from Frankfort to Ratisbon is replete with interest--the beautiful banks of the meandering Mein; the battle-field of Dettingen; the fine chateau and gardens of Aschaffenburg; Wurtzburg with its splendid palace, its rich conservatories and rock-throned citadel; Nürnberg, the birthplace of Albert Durer, with its fantastic buildings, and gorgeous cathedral, all tempt the wanderer on to the heights of Hohen-Schambach, where the plain of the Danube bursts upon his view. The return from Vienna, by Salzburg and Munich, or through the Tyrol to the Lake of Constanz, and _so down the Rhine home_, leaves nothing to be wished for in point of scenery; while six weeks or two months, provided the traveller be not ensnared by the gaieties of Vienna, are amply sufficient, in fair weather, for the whole of the journey.

Having sought in vain, on my departure from England, for a book which would serve me as a guide and companion down the Danube, I was induced to take a few notes and sketches during my little voyage, in the hope that, when thrown, at my leisure, into something like a readable shape, they might become useful to future travellers, by at least standing in the gap till some abler hand should supply the desideratum. In the pursuance of this object, I was greatly assisted by a copy of Professor Schultes’ Donau-Reise[2], the best foreign guide down the Danube; but which is yet incomplete, and suppressed in Austria on account of its political and religious opinions. At the same time, however, that I acknowledge my obligations to this work, from which I have gleaned much information on points that could only have been explained by a native, or one long resident in the country, I must take the liberty of expressing my objection to its style, which renders its perusal a task to Germans themselves, and must make it almost a sealed book to a foreigner. Herr Schultes’ prolixity, and love of inversion, are enough to drive an English reader crazy. The latter, indeed, he carries to such an extent, that the waggish description of “the-in-general-strewed-with-cabbage-stalks-but-on-a-Saturday-night- lighted-up-with-lamps-market of Covent Garden” must hide its diminished head. The learned Professor sometimes keeps his inquisitive victim on the rack for pages, before he deigns to disclose the word which solves the enigma of his apparently interminable sentence. He seems to glory in this species of mystification, and, like poor dear innocent Dogberry, were he “as tedious as a king,” he would “bestow it all upon your worship.” Still, however, “there is matter in this madness,” and the Professor has been a diligent digger. The list of German authors, both ancient and modern, who have written upon the antiquities, history, and natural productions of the towns and shores of the Danube, was invaluable to a stranger like myself, as it enabled me at once to lay my hands upon authorities ‘pour vérifier les dates,’ etc. ‘Die Burgvesten und Ritterschlosser der Oestreichischen Monarchie, 4 T. Brunn, 1820,’ is another work, which has afforded me much curious legendary material; as have also the ‘Taschenbuch zur Geschichte verfallener Ritterburgen,’ etc., Wien, 1826, and other similar publications.

The Danube, whose waves have witnessed the march of Attila, of Charlemagne, of Gustavus Adolphus, and Napoleon; whose shores have echoed the blast of the Roman trumpet, the hymn of the Pilgrim of the Cross, and the “wild halloo” of the sons of Islam, whose name is equally dear to history and fable; to him who, in fancy, sees the lion-hearted Richard of England languishing for his native land, or follows the beautiful widow of Siegfried to the “rich King Etzel’s court,”--that such a theme was worthy of being treated by the first writers in our language, was an awful consideration for one of the humblest; that it had not been touched upon by any was the only encouragement. “You have often scribbled successfully for the stage,” said my friend ----, “why should you fear to write for the passage-boat?” The joke was a vile one, but the argument was conclusive. Gentle reader, this is my first appearance in the character of a tourist. I have taken the part at a short notice, no one else having appeared to sustain it, and respectfully solicit the usual indulgence.

FOOTNOTES (PREFACE)

[1] While this volume was passing through the press, “A Summer’s Ramble amongst the Musicians in Germany” appeared, in which pleasant book, a dozen pages are allotted to an equally brief and spirited notice of the banks of the Danube from Passau to Vienna. Upwards of one hundred years ago, Lady M. W. Montague descended the Danube from Ratisbon to Vienna, a voyage of which she dismisses her account, in a dozen lines. “We travelled by water from Ratisbon,” says the fair writer, “a journey perfectly agreeable down the Danube, in one of those little vessels that they very properly call wooden houses, having in them all the _conveniences of a palace, stoves in the chambers, kitchens_, etc.” (I do not know what exertions might have been made for the accommodation of a British Ambassador, his Lady and suite, but the Danube, I suspect, has not seen such another boat during the last century.) “They are rowed by twelve men each, and move with such incredible swiftness, that in the same day you have the pleasure of a vast variety of prospects; and within the space of a few hours, you have the pleasure of seeing a populous city, adorned with magnificent palaces, and the most romantic solitudes which appear distant from the commerce of mankind, the banks of the Danube being charmingly diversified with woods, rocks, mountains covered with vines, fields of corn, large cities, and ruins of ancient castles.”--_Letter to the Countess of Mar_, dated Vienna, September 18th, o. s. 1716.

[2] Ein handbuch für Reisende auf der Donau. Von J. A. Schultes, M. Dr. etc. Wien, 1819. Stuttgart, 1827.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

Page

First View of the Danube and Ratisbon--Description of Boats on the
Danube--The City of Ratisbon--The Cathedral--The Heide Platz--Church
of the Scotch Benedictines--The Bridges--The Rath-haus--The Abbey of
St. Emmeram--Story of Frederick von Ewesheim--Church of the Dominicans
--The Neue-Pfarre-Kirche--Ober and Nieder Münster--Karmeliten Kloster
--The Horses’ Church--The Promenades--Unterhaltungs Haus--Maximilian
Joseph Gasse--David and Goliath--Embarkation--Wörth--Donaustauf--The
Dunkel-boden--Sossau
1

CHAPTER II.

Straubing--The Bridge--The Hauptstrasse--The Stadtthurm--The
Pfarr, or Collegiat Kirche--Story of Agnes Bernauer--The
Ramparts--The Atzelburg--Ober Altaich--Bogenberg--Kloster
Metten--The Natternberg--Deggendorf--The Gnade Zeit--Confluence
of the Isar and the Danube--Rafts from Munich to Vienna--Nieder
Altaich--Hengersberg--Osterhofen--Hoch-winzer--Hofkirchen--Kinzing--
Hildegartsberg--Vilshofen--Collegiat Stift--The Sandbach--New Road
to Passau--Maximilian Joseph I., late King of Bavaria--Louis I., the
present Monarch--Statue of a Lion--Approach to Passau
32

CHAPTER III.

Passau--The Inn-stadt--The Fair--The Cathedral--The Bridge--Fortress of Oberhaus--Celebrated View--Mariahilf--The Ilz-stadt--The Sword Cutlery--Present Manufactures and Commerce of Passau--Talismans--Goitres--Excursions into the Environs of Passau--Confluence of the Inn and the Danube--Krempenstein--Hafner Zell--Its Manufactories--Fichtenstein--The Jochenstein--The Ruin of Ried 77

CHAPTER IV.

Engelhard’s-zell--Rana-riedl--Marsbach--Wesen
Urfar--Waldkirche--Hayenbach--The Schlägen--The Rhine and the
Danube contrasted--Ober Michl--Neuhaus--Aschach--The paper-money of
Austria--Castle of Schaumberg--Environs of Aschach--Ober Walsee--Story
of Hans von Eschelberg--Sketch of the Insurrections in the Seventeenth
Century
96

CHAPTER V.

Efferding--Ottensheim--Kloster-Willering--Linz--The Platz--The
Landstrasse--The Schlossberg--The Landhaus--The Theatre--The
Bridge--The Pöstlingberg--View on leaving Linz--Steyereck--The
River Traun--Ebelsberg--Luftenberg--Monastery of St.
Florian--Tillysburg--Spielberg--Mauthausen--Ens--Origin and History of
the City--Antiquities discovered in its neighbourhood
137

CHAPTER VI.

Nieder-Walsee--Castles of Clam and Kreuzen--Ardagger--Grein--The
Strudel and the Wirbel--Mistakes of various Authors concerning
them--St. Nikola--Sarblingstein--Freystein--Hirschau--The
Isper--Bösenbeug--Story of Bishop Bruno and the Lady
Richlita--Ips--Gottsdorf
180

CHAPTER VII.

Marbach--Maria-Taferl--Pechlarn--Wiedeneck--Mölk--Lubereck--The Valley
of the Wachau--Schönbühel--Aggstein--The Teufel’s Mauer--Spitz, and
the Ruin of Hinterhaus--Church and Village of St. Michel--Castle of
Dürrenstein--Narrow escape of Marshal Mortier during the Campaign of
1805--Mautern--Stein--Krems--Kloster Göttweih--Trasen-Mauer--Arrival
at Tuln
217

CHAPTER VIII.

Tuln--Langenlebern--Greifenstein--Story of Etelina--Korneuberg--The
Bisamberg--Kloster Neuburg--Leopoldsberg, and the Khalenberg--A
glimpse of the capital--Nussdorf--Arrival at Vienna--Bird’s-eye View
and Description of the Environs from the Temple of Glory in the Brühl
267