Melk General Tips

by dvideira
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wachau

Melk is located only 85 kilometers from Vienna and is easy to make a day trip to enjoy the beauty of the place. Melk is situated on the Wachau. The Wachau is a stretch of the Danube Valley between Melk and Krems, in Lower Austria. It is one of the most beautiful river landscapes in the world. It preserves in an intact and visible form many traces - in terms of architecture, (monasteries, castles, ruins), urban design, (towns and villages), and agricultural use, principally for the cultivation of vines - of its evolution since prehistoric times. You can reach Melk by car or by train, but I believe one of the most interesting ways of doing this is taking a "wachau river cruise" "Take the train in the morning from Westbahnhof (Vienna) to Melk,visit the Melk Abbey, then board the ship in Melk at 13:50 for the journey to Krems and return to Vienna by train, arriving at Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof." For timetables, kombitickets and more information: BlueDanubeCruises AustrianRailways


	The Town Hall square (Rathausplatz)	Tip Rating:

on January 2, 2006

The Town Hall square
(Rathausplatz)

The Town Hall square in Melk is the centre of this small town. There, you find an intimate atmosphere, with old buildings, that are part of the history of Melk. You have the possibility to go to stroll on this place, to shops, to sit into a fashionable restaurant or coffeehouse, or in summers, to drink a cold beer to a comfortable terrace.


	The Danube valley, around Melk	Tip Rating:

on February 20, 2006

The Danube valley, around Melk

The city Melk has the privilege to be placed in the Danube valley. This splendid area is a region for the love on the first gaze. Into this magical surroundings the nature and the constructions is narrow together interconnected. The cloister castle of Melk has been long ago part of the miraculous landscape in the Danube Valley. The majestically bridge over the Danube, the wine terraces and high over the stream the castle ruins, produce, all together, a grand romantic landscape. In 2000, the Danube Valley became a World Heritage site due to its harmonious mix of natural and man-made beauty.


	The Abbey Park	Tip Rating:

on February 21, 2006

The Abbey Park

The Stiftspark was created in the year 1750, as baroque garden. Later, in the year 1822, this garden was changed, and redesigned, in bulk, to an English landscape park. In the 1995 began a deep renovation scheme for this park. The 250 year old lindens are a special attraction of the park. Many tourists go for a walk, on which quiet and shady avenues of the park.


	The splendid architecture elements of the building	Tip Rating:

Updated By Fam.Rauca

on February 22, 2006

by Fam.Rauca,
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The splendid architecture
elements of the Stift

The splendid architecture elements of the Stift Melk, the narrow corridors, the light colour of the walls, and the stone embroidery, are important and special qualities of this construction. In the year 1978, began the renovation of the old building, and lasted, until recently, 2006. The restoration works, from the baroque splendour construction, enable adaptation measures for some areas of the Abbey.


	The entrance in the first yard of the Stift Melk	Tip Rating:

on February 23, 2006

The entrance in the first yard
of the Stift Melk

Just like a mightier castle, the Stift Melk, have high-quality architecture elements. From the Stift parking place, that looks like an idyllic park, one can going, down, on the lovely staircase, through the first gate, in the first court of the Abbey. This entrance is built into a unique manner, and the nature elements, round, fits exactly, to which architecture of the gate.


	Looking Up at the Abbey	Tip Rating:

By yooperprof

on August 12, 2003

by yooperprof
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A Higher Dominion

Before it was an Abbey, it was a fortress: this is prime real estate indeed! Tenth century warlords and chieftains realized that this hilltop high above the Danube was a place of strategic importance, and they established a bastion there that helped to establish Melk as a key location for the control of the entire region. Really, it was quite a coup for the Benedictenes to gain control of the location, and to use it as the base of their own operations. The Benedictenes were also very interested in power - albeit in a somewhat different fashion from the typical medieval warrior.


	Walking into Melk from the Train Station	Tip Rating:

By yooperprof

on August 12, 2003

by yooperprof
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Melk Abbey looms above
the village

Melk is about 50 miles west of Vienna. Some visitors come from the capital by boat, others by coach; I arrived by train. In all, Melk Stift is said to receive half a million visitors a year! But if you are fortunate, you can still feel as if you are making a personal pilgrimage to this impressive site. I was there on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in early June, and I didn't feel at all pressed or crushed or lost in a throng. When I was there, the village center was practically deserted; I felt as if I had the place to myself. (I've been told that the July and August are the busiest months at Melk.)


	Map of Melk	Tip Rating:

By socrates_07

on September 28, 2003

by socrates_07
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Map of Melk

I know, I know... this map won't be a great help for you but at least you can see the town planning of Melk. At the foot of the map (on the left side) you can see the Danube river. And I think you can see the Melk Abby as well. On that map I marked the Tourist information.


	The Village Square in Melk	Tip Rating:

By yooperprof

on August 12, 2003

by yooperprof
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Pedestrian pathway

Before climbing up to the Abbey, I was able to find an ATM machine in the village square, and to have a coffee at one of the outdoor cafes in the village square. (It continues to impress me that you can find ATM machines that accept my bankcard from rural Michigan all around the world.)