Melk Abbey and the Wachau

Overview

Built between 1702 and 1736 on a rock above the Danube, Melk Abbey is one of the most spectacular Baroque buildings in Austria. Its marble hall, library and church are lavishly decorated, and the library holds some 100,000 early volumes. The Wachau valley around it is the loveliest stretch of the Danube, lined with terraced vineyards and castle ruins, and was inscribed as a World Heritage landscape in 2000.

History

Benedictines founded a monastery here in 1089 and the present Baroque buildings date from an 18th-century rebuild; the Wachau was inscribed in 2000 for its intact medieval landscape.

Highlights

• •The abbey library
• •The Baroque church and marble hall
• •The Wachau vineyards
• •Danube cruises and Dürnstein

Practical tips

• •The abbey is visited on a guided tour — check times
• •Pairing with a Danube cruise is both easy and scenic

Practical information

Best time

May-October

Tickets

Abbey about EUR 14; cruises separate

Opening hours

9:00-17:30 (shorter in winter)

Local food

Wachau white wine, apricot jam, Austrian pastries

Getting around

About an hour by train from Vienna to Melk.

Visa

A Schengen visa is required; apply about one month in advance.

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