Melk

Melk: The Abbey That Justifies the Detour

Melk is a small town on the Danube about 85km west of Vienna. You’d drive through it without a second thought if Stift Melk — the Benedictine abbey looming on a cliff above the river — wasn’t one of the most extraordinary pieces of Baroque architecture in Europe. The abbey dominates everything. It’s visible from miles down the river, and from the town below it appears to press up against the edge of the cliff with theatrical confidence.

The monastery was founded in 1089, though what you see now is largely the result of a massive rebuilding between 1702 and 1736 under Abbot Berthold Dietmayr, who employed architect Jakob Prandtauer. Prandtauer and later his cousin Josef Munggenast built something that looks different from every angle as you approach it — curved and recessed walls, twin towers framing a central dome, an endless quality of columns and decorated surfaces.

The Abbey

Tours run continuously throughout the day and cover the main rooms. The library is the standout: 100,000 volumes, many medieval manuscripts, ceiling frescoes by Paul Troger, and a general atmosphere of extravagant seriousness about the intellectual life. Admission is around €15 for adults.

The abbey church is technically still a working monastery church, which means attending mass (generally at 7:15am) is free and offers access without the tour crowds. The frescoes by Michael Rottmayr in the dome and nave are exceptional, and the gold altars are as baroque as it gets — which is to say, considerably more than is strictly necessary, and better for it.

The terrace behind the main buildings offers a view down the Danube that appears in most Wachau Valley photography. Come in the afternoon for the best light.

The Wachau

Melk sits at the western entrance to the Wachau, a 36km stretch of the Danube between Melk and Krems that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its combination of terraced vineyards, medieval villages, and forested hills. It’s excellent cycling country — the Danube Cycle Path runs through the whole region and is well-maintained. Cycling from Melk to Krems with a stop at Dürnstein (where Richard the Lionheart was held captive in the 12th century) takes about four to five hours at an easy pace. Bike rental is available in Melk.

The Wachau produces Grüner Veltliner and Riesling that are among the best in Austria. Most vineyards have Heurigen (wine taverns) open in summer.

Getting There

Melk is 85 minutes by train from Vienna Westbahnhof (direct trains, around €20 one way). River cruises between Vienna and Passau stop here, making a combined boat-and-train approach sensible for a day trip or overnight stay. Most people do Melk as a day trip from Vienna.

The town below the abbey has a handful of restaurants and guesthouses. Gasthaus zur Post on the main square is reliable for Austrian standards. For a longer stay, accommodation in Spitz or Dürnstein within the Wachau is more atmospheric.