Melk

Melk Abbey, gold and cream on its rock above the town, marks the western gate of the Wachau and is one of the great Baroque buildings of Europe. Benedictine monks have lived here since 1089; the present abbey was built between 1702 and 1736 to designs by Jakob Prandtauer. The library and the view from the terrace are the highlights.

Good to know

• Founded in 1089, when Margrave Leopold II gave one of his castles to Benedictine monks from Lambach Abbey.
• The Baroque abbey was built between 1702 and 1736 to designs by Jakob Prandtauer.
• The library holds many rare medieval manuscripts.
• Some ships moor at Emmersdorf on the opposite bank and take passengers to the abbey by coach.
• The Melk lock, at the power station about 2 km upstream of the town, frames the abbey between its gates as ships pass through.

Visiting the abbey

A guided tour takes about an hour. It covers the former imperial rooms, now the abbey museum; the Marble Hall, with its painted ceiling; the balcony between the Marble Hall and the library, with its view along the Danube; and the library itself, two storeys of books and manuscripts. You then see the Abbey Church on your own: High Baroque, all gold and marble under a great dome. Photography is not allowed in the interiors.

Opening

April to October

Open daily, 9.00 to 17.30 (last admission 17.00), with or without a guide. The abbey park and its Baroque garden pavilion are open too.

November to March

Visits by guided tour only, at set times, mainly at weekends. Check before you go.

In your own time

• Walk down from the abbey through the Hauptplatz and Rathausplatz, the two small squares at the heart of the old town.
• Allow time for the abbey park between April and October; it is easy to miss on a short visit.
• If your ship sails through the Wachau after Melk, be on deck: the stretch that follows is the finest on the Danube.
• Sailing upstream towards Passau, ships pass through the Melk lock just above the town. Look back as the gates open: the abbey is framed between them.

Excursions often offered

• Guided tour of the abbey, usually included in the cruise
• Artstetten Castle, offered by some lines as an alternative, from Ybbs
• Wine tasting on board as the ship sails into the Wachau