Melk brings together abbey history, exploring the city and experiences on the Danube. The Benedictine Abbey of Melk was founded in 1089. The abbey museum is housed in the former imperial rooms and presents the abbey’s history and present day. Those looking to focus their stay on culture will also find several different points of interest in the city’s history.
Abbey history and historic city walks
The 1.5-kilometre circular route “The Red Thread” takes you through Melk’s history and past historic sights. You can use an audio guide to explore, available to borrow from the Wachau Info Center, or follow the audio tracks using a QR code on your own smartphone. If you would like to use a loan audio guide, check the current borrowing options in advance.
Melk’s historic heritage can also be explored along four themed routes. Sterngasse, Melk’s oldest street, and the Ölberg relief at the parish church offer a special perspective on the city’s earlier history. The Late Gothic relief is considered a Calvary and is believed to have been created by a master of the Danube School around 1520. The differing details about its origins are deliberately stated with caution: the attribution is probable and the date is approximate.
The Nibelungenhaus and the former Sandtor gate are also part of the city’s history. The Late Gothic Nibelungenhaus stood beside the Sandtor gate, which once provided access to the landing stage and the ferry crossing over the Danube. The buildings in Sterngasse are often medieval at their core; their courtyards offer views of the abbey. The street and its architectural features can thus be seen as another part of the historic townscape.
Museum, city park and cultural programme
The Melk City Museum currently presents the city’s prehistory and early history. Visits are by appointment, arranged by telephone. The city park offers something different: the public park covers just over one hectare and opened in May 1886. These are two different ways to shape your stay – with a look at early history or time in an urban green space.
The cultural programme includes the annual Melk Summer Games, with theatre and humorous musical revues at the Wachauarena. The Tischlerei Melk cultural workshop in the city centre hosts cabaret and small-scale performances. If you would like to include an event in your travel plans, check the specific dates. This lets you choose between a visit with a set cultural programme and exploring historic places, without treating them as the same thing.
The Danube, routes and the Wachau Cultural Landscape
The Wachau Cultural Landscape extends along a section of the Danube Valley between Melk and Krems. Danube cruises offer views of this UNESCO World Heritage landscape; boats operate regularly between Krems and Melk. The timetable determines the availability of a specific cruise, so it is worth checking current connections before planning your other activities.
There are also various options for getting around on foot or by bike. Hiking trails of varying lengths in the Melk area lead through the plain, hilly terrain, forest and along the Danube. The Danube Cycle Path is developed around Melk; well-marked, easy-to-ride routes branch off it into the southern valleys and the more challenging landscape of the Waldviertel. When choosing, this means that length and landscape are the stated points of reference for the hiking trails, while the cycle routes also cater to different levels of difficulty in the terrain.
Tastings and seasonal offers
At “Wine & Wachau”, selected wines from the Wachau wine-growing region are tasted in a stone-vaulted cellar. The growing areas, soils and grape varieties are explained. If you plan to attend a tasting, check whether an appointment is required in advance. In June and July, the Wachaubad Melk offers swimming lessons and training for children and adults, aqua aerobics and diving from the tower. As programme dates may change, it is advisable to check the current offer before visiting.
First consider which of these experiences you would like to shape your stay; the offers listed range from history and culture to exercise and wine. This lets you choose Melk as a destination based on specific activities and then plan your stay around the dates and connections actually available.
Discover more destinations: Zelking, Blindenmarkt, Schönbühel An Der Donau, Artstetten, Leiben, Hofamt Priel, Hessendorf, Nächst Altenmarkt.
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