Abbaye de Melk

Melk

Margrave Leopold II gave his castle to the Benedictines on 21 March 1089, and they have never left it since: nine centuries of continuous occupation. The present ensemble is one of the summits of European Baroque, built in barely a generation by Jakob Prandtauer from 1702 and completed after his death by his pupil Franz Munggenast, with frescoes by Johann Michael Rottmayr and Paul Troger. It has burned at least four times: on 14 August 1297, in 1738 when it had only just been completed, on 14 December 1805, and in 1974. It escaped the dissolutions of Joseph II, then the partial confiscation of 1938. It perches on a granite spur above the Danube, at the entrance to the Wachau.

Getting there : Admission charge (€16 full price in 2026); reduced hours and compulsory guided tour on weekdays in winter; park open from April to October

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound