Melk Travel Guide

  Melk city center
by bakalapoe
 
  • Melk city center
      Melk city center
    by bakalapoe
  • Enter to the Abbey
      Enter to the Abbey
    by bakalapoe
  • Stift Melk
      Stift Melk
    by lotharscheer
  •   Melk
    by scarp601
  • Entering Through Abbey Grounds
      Entering Through Abbey Grounds
    by Mikebb
 

Pro

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 History, religion, art, nature in a wonderful connection 


Con

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 Possible long lines, tour groups vying for limited space 


In a nutshell

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 Nice town with famous Stift Melk, which is a great trip outside Vienna 

 

Explore Melk

Things to Do  

View from the Terrace of Melk Abbey

View from the Terrace of Melk Abbey, Melk

 Mikebb Says:  Melk is a a beautiful small Austrian town and the best place to obtain a birdseye view is from Melk Abbey.We had the option of returning to the riverboat by bus or walking back through the village.Naturally we chose the walk and we were certainly rewarded for our effort. 

Organ - Melk Abbey

Organ - Melk Abbey, Melk

 Mikebb Says:  High up closer to the ceiling than the floor is the magnificent organ. Well worth a photo, a pity no one was playing the day we visited.Asection of the beautiful ceiling can be seen behind the organ. 

The Abbey Church

The Abbey Church, Melk

 Mikebb Says:  The beauty of the Church hits you as soon as you enter. Gold everywhere you look, everything in perfect condition. Just take time to sit down for a few minutes and absorb the scene.No restrictions on taking photos. 

Melk Abbey - The Courtyard

Melk Abbey  - The Courtyard, Melk

 Mikebb Says:  The Courtyard is similar format to that of many Palaces, being the size of a small parade ground, surrounded by buildings on 3 sides and entry arch on the other.There is a beautiful clock mounted on the building to the right hand side. 

Gardens Melk Abbey

Gardens Melk Abbey, Melk

 Mikebb Says:  Our entry to Melk Abbey was through the gardens, the photo shows our entry point. The gardens were excellent and set the tone for what the Abbey would deliver.The garden also provides opportunity to take photos of the town and surrounding valley. 

MELK ABBEY PARK & GARDEN PAVILION

MELK ABBEY PARK & GARDEN PAVILION, Melk

 balhannah Says:  Time for me to see the gardenThe abbey park was designed as a baroque park in 1750 and in 1822 the majority was replanted as an English landscape garden. The area never used to be open to the public, but now is, so we are very lucky to be able to walk around it and enjoy the... 

MELK ABBEY - COLOMAN COURTYARD

MELK ABBEY - COLOMAN COURTYARD, Melk

 balhannah Says:  After the Church, we walked into Coloman courtyard. Coloman, according to legend, is a king’s son from Ireland on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, who was martyred in 1012 in Stockerau, near Vienna. He was suspected of espionage because of his strange language and clothing, and... 

MELK ABBEY - THE CHURCH

MELK ABBEY - THE CHURCH, Melk

 balhannah Says:  From the library we walk to the Abbey church with its twin onion-domed towers and high cupola.Another wow! Look at this!Wonderful baroque architecture, extravagant decoration, brilliant gold leaf and rich gilding is what sprung out at me!Everything was so richly gilded, and... 

Hotels  

Hotel Wachau

 13 Opinions

Restaurants  

MELK ABBEY RESTAURANT: GOOD FOOD

MELK ABBEY RESTAURANT: GOOD FOOD, Melk

 balhannah Says:  Our visit was complete, now all we had to do was find somewhere for lunch. As we walked along the pathway to head out, we saw a menu at the Abbey restaurant. We were very surprised to find the prices reasonable, so opted for one of the round wooden tables set up outside... 

Transportation  

Sailing into Melk by river boat

Sailing into Melk by river boat, Melk

 ranger49 Says:  This was a lovely way to arrive; we had sailed from Vienna at 11pm the night before and were up very early ro see the approach to Melk.. It was our first River Cruise and was way beyond our expectations - such a joy to go to bed at night without having to pack for the next... 

Shopping  

Many - and all that we saw.: Blessedly Untouristy

Many - and all that we saw.: Blessedly Untouristy, Melk

 ranger49 Says:  We enjoyed our walk about the little town of Melk because it seemed to be SO untouristy. Few, if any specialist "souvenir shops", just bakers, butchers and bakers, flower shops, banks a post office and business offices. A few clothes shops - some displaying items a tourist... 

Off The Beaten Path  

ST. MICHAEL'S ON THE DANUBE

ST. MICHAEL'S ON THE DANUBE, Melk

 balhannah Says:  We crossed over the river at Melk, and drove alongside the Danube passing by many little villages. on our way towards Vienna.We had to make a stop at St. Michaels, a fortified Gothic Church, which has a legend to it! It is a Wehrkirche, the German word for a church that was... 

OLD MONASTERY & CALVARY BARRACKS

OLD MONASTERY & CALVARY BARRACKS, Melk

 balhannah Says:  From across the other side of the Danube river, we could see a couple of large yellow building's. Wondering what they were, we found one was once a monastery with an adjacent hospital, and other were cavalry barracks. The Barracks were built by the Emperor Karl VI in 1723.... 

SCHLOSS PERSENBEUG

SCHLOSS PERSENBEUG, Melk

 balhannah Says:  This magnificent Castle sits upon a cliff overlooking the Danube River. What a view!The first historical mention of the castle can be found in 907. Over the centuries, the castle changed hands many times till 1593, when the Austrian imperial family took it over. 17 August... 

YBBS AN DER DONAU

YBBS AN DER DONAU, Melk

 balhannah Says:  Located 25kms from Melk and on the same side of the Danube River, is the town of Ybbs an der Donau.It has an old town, so some interesting buildings to see.One of them, was the WINE TOLL, one of the oldest buildings in town. It no longer has its Gothic roof so it has lost... 

THE STORY OF THE CHURCH FRESCOES

THE STORY OF THE CHURCH FRESCOES, Melk

 balhannah Says:  I took photo's of the Maria Taferl Basilica frescoes, at the time thinking they were "different!"It wasn't until I returned home, that I learnt there is a story being told in the frescoes, so now I will tell you....The story goes that where the Basilica is located, there... 

OTHER THINGS TO DO AT MARIA TAFERL

OTHER THINGS TO DO AT MARIA TAFERL, Melk

 balhannah Says:  There are a few more things to do at the Basilica and surrounds.One is to visit the Treasury if open when you are there.The treasury is painted in the style of Folk Baroque, including frescoes on the ceilings which depict the creation story, and others on the walls... 

MARIA TAFERL BASILICA

MARIA TAFERL BASILICA, Melk

 balhannah Says:  The Basilica in Maria Taferl, is the second most important place of pilgrimage in Austria.It is believed that the church stands on a site formerly used as a place of worship by the Celts, and in the courtyard is a 2000 year old sacrificing stone.The Basilica of Maria Taferl... 

VISIT MARIA TAFERL

VISIT MARIA TAFERL, Melk

 balhannah Says:  Maria Taferl is only 16kms from Melk. I you have the time, do make the trip here as the views and the Basilica are wonderful.Maria Taferl is the most important pilgrimage site in Lower Austria, and Austria's second-largest. We drove the car up the hill and parked in the... 

Favorites  

Musicians in Melk

Musicians in Melk, Melk

 ranger49 Says:  During the heyday of Princes and Emperors many musicians were called upon to entertain the rulers of the day. I do not know whether Anton Bruckner was ever among them but he did lodge in the town for almost a year in in the 1870s. The plaque commerorating his stay was close... 

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Map of Melk