Melk

Melk is a town in Austria in the province of Lower Austria on the Wachau valley  along the Danube. Melk is a town in Lower Austria, famous for its Benedictine abbey built overlooking the Danube. Towards the middle of the eleventh century, a Norman named Ansgot opened a hospice at Melk for the poor and pilgrims.

The abbey was founded in 1089 when the Babenberg family decided to move its capital. Two towers, the only remains of the Babenberg Castle, can still be seen.  In Umberto Eco’s novel The Name of the Rose, the narrator (the Benedictine novice Adso) comes from Melk Abbey, and from there he writes his story many years after the facts. On October 13, 1014, the body of St. Koloman was transferred to Melk and buried. It reminds the “Kirtag” (festival ) , it is committed annually on 13 October

Access : Coordinates: 48.233333, 15.35 / By train : Melk Station is on the Western Railway between St. Polten and Ybbs, but international trains do not stop there.
By plane :  The nearest airports are Wien-Schwechat and Linz-Horsching, both are about 100 kilometers from Melk. While Vienna Airport is a major international airport with many flights, Linz Airport is only a small regional airport. /
By car : Melk can be reached from Vienna and Salzburg or Linz via the A1 West Motorway. Along the Danube the B3 run on the left and the B33 on the right bank; they are connected by a bridge on the outskirts of Melk.
By bicycle :  The Danube Cycle Route (Passau – Vienna) also runs on both sides of the Danube / By boat :  Near the mouth of the Melk in the Danube is the 2 pier of the Brandtner shipping and the DDSG blue danube, there are scheduled trips between Melk and Krems and excursions.

By cruise ship : Melk is also a popular destination for some river cruises./
By bus :  The WL1 bus line runs every hour from Melk on the left bank of the Danube via Spitz to Krems on the Danube, the WL2 line runs every two hours on the right bank.

Highlights :

• Melk Benedictine Abbey (Benediktinerstift Melk), Abt-Berthold-Dietmayr-Strasse 1 , from 1702 to 1736 by Jakob Prandtauer Baroque Benedictine monastery Melk, one of the most impressive monasteries in Central Europe. The Abbey itself has enormous dimensions. Its southern front is 363 m long.
  The collegiate church stands out above all for its unique interior. The ceiling frescoes are created by Johann Michael Rottmayr. In the 64-meter-high dome, musical angels float and underline the impression that the sky is opening up. The marble high pillar is a self-contained composition in which the columns, crowns, canopies and medallions have their place.
  Other attractions include around 200 listed buildings, its buildings, parts of the former city fortifications or shrines., Benedictine Abbey Melk , – Abbey Museum – Marble Hall– Library– Coloman Courtyard– Abbey Church, Opening  Hours:May through September: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (admission until 5 p.m.)April and October: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (admission until 4 p.m.)Abbey park: May 1 to October 31, daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Schallaburg Castle (Renaissanceschloss Schallaburg), Schallaburg 1 (5km south of Melk). Apr-Oct M-F 09:00-17:00, Sa Su and holidays 09:00-18:00. A well-preserved German Renaissance castle.
• Town Hall (Rathaus), Rathaus Platz 11 (in the center of old town). Built in 1575./ Haus am Stein, Kremser Stra?e 2. Built in the 15th century tower, this is the oldest building in Melk. The building is a private residence and is not accessible.
• Stadtmuseum Melk (Alte Post / Altes Posthaus), Linzer Strasse 3-5,The most beautiful post office in Austria. Open only for special exhibits: Th-F 09:30-13:00, Sa-Su 15:00-19:00. Built in 1792 by the Viennese architect Franz Wipplinger.
• Old Town Melk, below the Benedictine Abbey, is well worth a visit , In Rathausplatz stands the old House for Itinerants (Lebzelterhaus) from 1657 , the Hauptstrasse ,Main Square (Hauptplatz) , In Sterngasse is the old abbey tavern dating from 1736 ,Town Hall (Rathaus), Rathaus Platz 11 (in the center of town). Built in 1575
• Stadtbrunnen : In front of the town hall stands the city fountain with the crowning figure of St. Koloman.The fountain came to the city in 1722 as a gift from the abbot Berthold Bietmayr, /Parish Church of the Assumption “
• Stadtpark,( town park ) located between railway line and old town, beautiful old trees./ Brewery tower, once a corner tower of the city wall
• The station and the surrounding buildings are also listed buildings / Pilgrimage church Maria Taferl ,Basilika Maria Taferl ,Nr. 1 3672 Maria Taferl , open every day.

Activities : cycling , the Danube Cycle Path is one of the most scenic cycling routes in Europe / River cruise on Danube / Water Sports / Sightseeing Tours / c cycling routes in Europe. It extends for about 1,200 kilometers from Donaueschingen in Germany to the Hungarian capital of Budapest./ Hiking , The Wachau World Heritage Trail is a 180 km long-distance hiking trail

Go next : Explore the Wachau Valley / Tulln / Vienna / Donau / Nibelungau / Strudengau / Upper Austria / Linz