AUSTRIA’S MAGNIFICENT MELK ABBEY

The visitor to Vienna, perhaps Central Europe’s most majestic city, will find it impossible to delight in more than a tiny fraction of its historic, architectural, musical, ecclesiastical and many other attractions.  Its 1.8 million people represent almost one quarter of the total population of the Republic of Austria reflecting the fact that for some 600 years it was the capital of the Habsburg empire which ruled much of central Europe and beyond.

Amongst the numerous possible excursions, tours and visits offered by the city, a trip along the Danube, Vienna’s famous river, should be a high priority.  One of the particularly interesting destinations offered by some river expeditions is the Benedictine Abbey at Melk.

The small town of Melk, with a resident population of just over 5000 people,  is also readily accessible from Vienna by road or rail and is an interesting historical destination in its own right. Its major attraction, however, is the Abbey, said to be one of the most splendid examples of Baroque architecture in the world

Melk was originally a fortified Roman town that was later occupied by the Babenberg family who built a castle on a steep hill overlooking the Danube to defend the border with Hungary.  In 1089 the local ruler gave the estate at Melk to the Benedictines on which to build the Abbey.

Since the 12th century a school has been connected with the Abbey, and valuable manuscripts have been collected and created in the library.

The Abbey was completely rebuilt in the 18th century with the co-operation of some of the most renowned artists of the time.  The buildings are laid out around seven courtyards. The most prominent part of the complex, which has a total length of 325m, is the western end with a twin towered church rising above a semicircular terrace. There are magnificent frescos in the library, the marble hall and the church.  It even includes a ballroom to meet the entertainment needs of occasional visits by the former Habsburg monarchs!

The Abbey has been undergoing extensive restoration work since 1978, and large-scale adaptations have been carried out for the areas of the school, the guest house, culture, and tourist facilities. Melk Abbey now presents itself to visitors as one of Austria’s highlights and one of Europe’s great cultural sites.

Guided tours are part of any trip to the Abbey and are offered daily in English from  April 1 to October 31 and at other times by arrangement.  They take about one hour. There is an excellent restaurant that provides meals amongst the oleanders in the attractive grounds of the Abbey. Danube river tours from Vienna arrive in good time for lunch before the tours commence.

Information concerning the Abbey and the town can be found on the Lower Austria Tourist Office website.  For visitors wishing to spend more than a few hours in the Abbey and to explore Melk itself, which is quite small but contains a great variety of architectural gems, the town offers a range of accommodation.

The staff at Travelscene Samford would like to thank Philip Courtenay for this lovely article.  If you have any questions please call Jenny or Joanne on 3289 3700.