 | Melk Things To Do | Tips 31 - 40 of 195 |  |
Popular Things To Do | Miscellaneous Things To Do Tips | All Tips (195) On leaving the marble hall you must now go outdoors to the terrace connecting the hall to the library . This is a very pleasant interlude because at this point you will have been indoors for at least an hour and some fresh air will be very welcome. It's also a great spot for taking photos because now you are overlooking Melk and on two sides, the broad sweep of the Danube. You also get a chance to admire the facade of the Abbey Church and see the monastery from another angle. |
Given the year of Mozart celebrations that's in it, the abbey at Melk have their own little exhibition in the library to remeber the great musician's connetions with the monastery. There is a portait of him at the top of the imperial staircase and here in the library they have some interesting documemts on display. One of these is the Abbot of the day's journal in which he mentions the visit of Mozart and the other is a copy of the 1792 Coronation Mass manuscript which Mozart composed. On 28/29 December 1768 Mozart came to the abbey with his mother,father and sister. The family arrived ina carriage drawn by four horses, had lunch with the Abbot and Prior, stayed overnight and and left the next morning en route to Linz. |
The inside of the church makes the outside pale into insignificance. A riot of marble and gold witha lot of black, it is not a style that particularly appeals to me but it is certainly spectacular. This church was built between 1702 and 1726 and extensive renovations were also carried out fairly recently. For the Benedictines, their church is meant to represent 'Heaven on Earth' and the decor certainly helps with this illusion. 4kg of gold leaf was used in the decoration and as in the marble hall, real and artificial marble. The most important thing about the church (at least from an Irish pilgrim's view) is that there is a very impressive burial monument to St Colman here. Just part of one of his leg bones is actually inside the tomb but it is treated with great reverence and respect. True to the Baroque passion for symmetry, opposite Colman's tomb is one commemorating Benedict. However there is not even part of a leg bone iin this one. |
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...you can see this impressive view from alomst everywhere.
I had the luck that whenever I visited Melk it was a sunny and cloudless day. Perfect for taking pictures. As you know, photos seldom can convey the beauty of buildings, nature, landscapes,... but maybe you can imagine the beauty of Abby Melk in the reality..... Leave a Comment |
About the Town Hall I can't say a lot. I haven't go inside and the building is not very extraordinary. But do you remember when I told you that you can see the Abby from almost everywhere in Melk. Take a closer look of the photo of the Town Hall.Check the window. The right one. Yes, correct!! You can see the Melk Abby even from the window of the Town Hall... Leave a Comment |
After our tour through Melk I went to a place which I never visited before. As I told you, I have been in Melk several time but never had to chance to visit the Melk Abbey.
The monastery can be reached from the town of Melk by a steep staircase called "Beggar's Stairway" or by the road up the side of the hill. Leave a Comment |
After the walk though the Old Town and the Linzerstrasse (with the Post house) I arrived the main street along the Danube River. I turned back and ... again Melk Abbey. But in the foreground you can see the House on the Rock.
The "Haus am Stein" was built in 1550. It is the watch tower of Melk's fortifcation and called "Lug ins Land". Leave a Comment |
At the end of the pedestrian zone we will find ourself at the Hauptplatz. Interesting, but during the festival it was quite empty there. Probably all the people wanted to watch the dancer and the singer. ;-)
The main attraction of the main square is the staute of St. Nepomuk. He is holding up his cruzifix protectively. The saint's gesture is connected to the road bridge which formerly led over the Weiher stream. Leave a Comment |
Do you remember the photo of the fountain at the Town Hall square? I am talking about the Koloman fountain.
In 1687 that fountain was placed in the center of the courtyard and remained there until 1722, when Berthold Dietmayr gave it to the town of Melk.
The fountain which is in the courtyard now was brought to Melk from the former canonical monastery in Waldhausen in Upper Austria at the beginning of the 19th century. Leave a Comment |
Do you remember what happened in Europe in summer 2002. Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic were hit most of all european countries. The pictures went through the world.
Melk is located at the Danube River. So a flooding is not really something new. But in summer 2002 it was such a flooding which noone could expect.
For the Melk it was the most terrible flooding since 1501. Leave a Comment |
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on December 21, 2006
Melk
on September 28, 2003
