Melk Abbey, near Vienna
Aerial view of Melk Abbey. Postcard image © P. Martin.
View of Melk Abbey from the town of Melk. Photo by JohnnyVA.
View of Melk Abbey from entrance staircase. Photo by Ray Pennisi.
River view from terrace near the Marble Hall. Photo by Douglas Sprott.
Exterior of the Marble Hall. Photo by Martin Hapl.
Facade and interior of the Abbey Church. Photos by Ray Pennisi.
Painted ceiling in the Abbey Church. Photo by Douglas Sprott.
Melk Abbey Library. Photo by Ray Pennisi.
The Emperors' Gallery. Photo by Douglas Sprott.
Melk Abbey (German: Stift Melk) was originally a palace, and it shows. Located on the bank of the Danube River between Salzburg and Vienna, Melk Abbey stands crowned by towers and resplendent in a golden hue.
The impressive Baroque ensemble at Melk was built in 1702-1736 by architect Jakob Prandtauer. Especially noteworthy is the church with magnificent frescos by Johann Michael Rottmayr and the library containing countless medieval manuscripts.
The monastic community of Melk is over 900 years old and black-robed Benedictine monks still stroll amidst the marble sculptures and frescoed walls. It is now also a prestigious coed monastery school with more than 700 students.
History
Melk has played an important role in the Danube region since Roman times, when a fortress was built on the promontory overlooking a tiny "arm" of the Danube. Melk also appears in the German epic poem Nibelungenlied, in which it is called "Medelike". The rock-strewn bluff where the abbey now stands was the seat of the Babenbergs, who ruled Austria from 976 until the Hapsburgs took over.
In the 11th century, Leopold II of Babenberg presented the palace at Melk to Benedictine monks, who turned it into a fortified abbey. Its influence and reputation as a center of learning and culture spread all over Austria, a fact that featured in Umberto Eco's popular novel The Name of the Rose. Eco researched his novel in the abbey's library.
Melk Abbey suffered damaged during the Reformation and the 1683 Turkish invasion, but it was spared direct attack when the Ottoman armies were halted outside Vienna. Reconstruction of the abbey began in 1702 in full Baroque style and was completed in 1736. The abbey church was damaged by fire in 1947, but is now almost completely restored.
What to See
The design of the present abbey ensemble (1702-36) is primarily the work of architect Jakob Prandtauer. The Marmorsaal (Marble Hall) contains pilasters coated in red marble and a richly painted allegorical ceiling painting by Paul Troger.
The library rises two floors and also features a Troger ceiling, along with some 80,000 volumes of priceless works. The Kaisergang (Emperors' Gallery) stretches for 198m (650 ft.), decorated with portraits of Austrian rulers.
The highlight of the abbey, though, is certainly the Stiftskirche (Abbey Church). The church has an astonishing number of windows and is richly embellished with marble and frescoes by Johann Michael Rottmayr with help from Troger.
There are fine views of the river from the abbey's terrace, which Napoleon probably used as a lookout when he made Melk his headquarters during the campaign against Austria.
The abbey restaurant (Stiftsrestaurant Melk) located near the entrance serves hot meals and monastery wine in beautiful Baroque and outdoor surroundings.
Quick Facts
| Names: | Stift Melk; Benediktinerstift Melk; Melk Abbey |
| Type of site: | Christian monastery |
| Faith: | Roman Catholic (Benedictine order) |
| Dates: | Founded 11C; rebuilt 1702 |
| Architecture: | Baroque |
| Status: | Active |
| Address: | Abt Berthold Dietmayrstraße, 1 A - 3390 Melk |
| Phone: | +43 (0) 2752 555225 |
| Website: | http://www.stiftmelk.at/englisch/ |
| E-mail: | kultur.tourismus@stiftmelk.at |
| Hours: | May-Sept: 9-5:30; Nov-Mar: only open on guided tours (see below); rest of year: 9-4:30 Abbey restaurant: Mar-Dec: 8-7; Nov-Jan: 9-5 |
| Tours: | April 1-Oct 31: daily 2:55pm in English; |
| Cost: | €7 adult; €4.10 students under 27 |
Map
Location map and satellite view of Melk Abbey. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. or a larger view, see our Austria Map or Google Earth download.
Sources
- Frommer's Austria, 12th ed.
- Stift Melk - Official website of Melk Abbey (German and English)
- 900th Anniversary of the Founding of Melk Abbey - Chronicles the abbey's history
- Abbey and Congregation of Melk - Catholic Encyclopedia
- The Melk Abbey - IgoUgo (user review with photos)
- A is for Abbey - IgoUgo (user review with photos)
- Melk - Virtual Tourist (several user reviews with photos; scroll down past the ads)
