Things to Do in Melk

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a great spiral staircase in
Melk

There are 2 stairs - both of them are leading from the monastery to the Basilica of Melk and you will use them , when you are leaving the smaller library and step down to the church. The first time I passed by without realizing the great possibilities for photographers and since I saw the perfect shot made by Manfred (MEdelmann) I started to get such a perfect photo as well. He won a prize with his photograph, but he was obviously able to take the pics from a higher level, that is closed for the public nowadays. Anyway, when-ever I come to Melk it takes me 20 minutes at these stairs to find the right angle for a photograph. Maybe I will simply step up next time, neglecting the signpost "no addmittance"

Directions: Both of these spiral stairs are almost identical, and you will find them at both sides of the church, where you may enter the library or step down to the lower terrace / balcony, before you get to the exit.


	Kleine Bibliothek / The small library	Tip Rating:

Updated By globetrott

on December 27, 2005

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Kleine Bibliothek / The small
library

The library consists of a total of 12 rooms, but only 2 of them are open for the public. The small library is next to the big library and the ceiling is also decorated by a fresco by Paul Troger. The books stored in that part of the library are mainly historic books of the 19th century. Behind an ornate iron-fence a stair is leading to the other rooms of the library, not beeing open for the ordinary visitors. From the small library an ornate spiral stair is leading down to the basilica of Melk !

Address: A-3390 Melk - Stift Melk

Directions: The Kleine Bibliothek / The small library is a part of the path through the museum of Stift Melk, next to the big Library.


	opening-times of Museum & Basilica	Tip Rating:

Updated By globetrott

on December 28, 2005

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Between april 1st and November 5th, 2006 you may visit the museum and Basilica of Stift Melk daily with or without a guided tour : May-September : 09.00a.m.-06.00p.m. (latest entry : 05.00p.m.) All of April and October 1st till November 5th : closed at 05.00p.m. (last e.04.00p.m.) guided tours in german are available at each full hour between 10.00a.m. and 04.00p.m. in may till september untill 02.00 p.m.in March and November and untill 03.00p.m. in April and October upon appointment you may book guided tours also in English, italian, spanish, dutch and french. --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- between Nov. 7th, 2005 and April 1st, 2006 You may visit the museum ONLY by a guided tour !! regular guided tours for individual travellers are daily at 11.00a.m. and 02.00p.m. All ours take about 1 hour

Phone: +43-(0)2752-555-232

Website: %B%CB%S4tours@stiftmelk.at

Other Contact: Fax+43-(0)2752-555-249


	Stift Melk - the Marmorsaal / Marble-hall	Tip Rating:

Updated By globetrott

on December 27, 2005

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Stift Melk - the Marmorsaal /
Marble-hall

Opposite of the library there is the Marmorsaal / Marble-Hall with frescos made by Paul Troger in 1731. The big fresco at the ceiling shows Pallas Athene on her lion-wagon as a symbol of wisdom. To her right Hercules. This hall was mainly used for banquets for the royal family, when they were in Melk and for special performances and festivities. Most of the time that hall is totally empty and so you may enjoy the great marble-floor and the great door-frames, made of marble. Don't miss to search for the heating, that was made by a special iron-grid in the floor, where the warm air was blown in almost unseen by the guests. .

Address: A-3390 Melk - Stift Melk

Directions: The marmorsaal / Marblehall is part of the museum of Stift Melk. Just follow the path through the monastery and you will pass through it on your way to the terrace overviewing the town of Melk.


	the museum of the monastery	Tip Rating:

Updated By globetrott

on December 28, 2005

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the museum of the monastery

A modern museum, that includes light- and sound-effects explaines the history of the benedictinian monks. The young Benedict had left Rome and built the monastery Monte Cassino in the year 529. The next room of the museum shows the beginning of the reign of the Babenbergers who founded Melk first as a castle, that was finally donated to the monks.The museum shows also various precious bishop's -robes, chalices and monstrances.

Address: A-3390 Melk - Stift Melk

Directions: The museum is the only way for the visitors to get to the library, the marble-hall and finally to the basilica.


	Grosse Bibliothek / The big library	Tip Rating:

Updated By globetrott

on December 27, 2005

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Grosse Bibliothek / The
big library

For a Benedictinian monastery the library is the most import part of the monastery - after the Basilica of course. This is one of the reasons why the libraries always got a lot of attention by the architects. Paul Troger made the frescos of the ceiling again between the years 1731 and 1732, and besides several giant globes you may find there 1888 manuscripts, 1700 books of the 16th century, 4500 books dating back to the 17th century and 18.000 books dating back to the 18th century. Togeather with newer books there are more than 100.000 books in the library.

Directions: The Grosse Bibliothek / The big library is a part of the path through the museum of Stift Melk.


	the Basilica of Melk	Tip Rating:

Updated By globetrott

on December 28, 2005

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the Basilica of Melk

In 1701 the Basilica was rebuilt by the architect Jakob Prandtauer in the way you see it today. Ornate decorations are to be found at all parts of the Basilica and especially when the sun shines in, everything is glittering. Johann Michael Rottmayr made the frescos and the paintings at the altar, Antonio Beduzzi was the architect of the interior design, Giuseppe Gall-Bibiena made the pulpit and the altar and Peter Widerin made the sculptures. At 2 side-altars you may see sakophages : One is for the bones of Holy Koloman, the other one is ment for Holy Benedict, BUT it is empty. - see tham at my last 2 pictures !

Address: A-3390 Melk - Stift Melk

Directions: The Basilika is at the end of the museum-path through the monastery of Melk. There is also a possibility to get inside the church without paying an entrance-fee, BUT you may see everything just through a glass-wall !


	a precious altar by Joerg Breu	Tip Rating:

Updated By globetrott

on December 28, 2005

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a precious altar by Joerg Breu

In the year 1502 Joerg Breu made the precious altar that is shown in one of the larger rooms of the museum. Make sure you see ALL of the paintings, because you would normally expect such an altar to have paintings only at the front-side. This one has paintings also at the backside and several times I did not realize that myself, when I visited the monastery of Melk. In the middle-ages most people were not able to read and write and so such altars had also the purpose to explaine the Holy Bible.

Address: A-3390 Melk - Stift Melk

Directions: This altar by Joerg Breu is a part fo the museum-path through the monastery.


	Stift Melk - high above the village & the Danube	Tip Rating:

Updated By globetrott

on December 27, 2005

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Stift Melk - high above the
village & the Danube

Stift Melk - high above the village & the Danube - dates back more than 1000 years and in the year 976 Leopold I, count of Lower Austria, built his residence in Melk. In 1089 the palace / castle of Melk was given to the benedictinian monks and it became the centre of education and religious life in that area. Precious works of art, paintings, old, handwritten bibles and books and reliquaries were taken to Stift Melk and step by step the monastery grew bigger and bigger. The monastery was rebuilt several times and the architecture you may still see today was built by Jakob Prantauer between 1702 and 1736. Famous painters like J.M.Rottmayr, Paul Troger, L.Martielli, A.Beduzzi and many others were responsible for the many great painted ceilings all over the monastery.

Address: A-3390 Melk - Stift Melk

Directions: You cannot miss the monastery in Melk, it is the highest building in the area, visible already from a big distance. By car follow the signposts for "Stift Melk" or walk up the steps from the town-square of Melk.

Website: http://www.stiftmelk.at/englisch/index.html


	the cuppola & great frescos by J.M.Rottmayr	Tip Rating:

Updated By globetrott

on December 28, 2005

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great frescos by J.M.Rottmayr

The frescos at the ceiling of baroque churches were always ment in order to show the people, what the heaven will look like. All of the ceilings of the Basilika of Melk are decorated with ornate frescos, mostly by Johann Michael Rottmayr , a well-known painter of his time. Rottenmayr (1654-1730) made also the frescos in the Residenz in Salzburg, in Schloss Mirabell. In Vienna he made the frescos of Karlskirche, Palais Liechtenstein, Peterskirche and also in Klosterneuburg, Heiligenkreuz and Breslau.