05/04/2023
About 18 kilometers north of Melk is the enchanting town of Spitz. Located on the left bank of the Danube, this old market village has been occupied since the time of the Celts and was first mentioned in AD 830. It has been fortunate in retaining many of its beautiful Renaissance and Baroque houses, a fact that adds to the charm of its quaint streets.
05/04/2023
Just five kilometers below Melk on the right bank of the Danube, Schloss Schönbühel stands on a crag rearing high above the river. Built in the 12th century on the site of a former Roman fort, the castle has been remodeled several times and dates in its present form - incorporating the old walls - from the early 19th century.
05/04/2023
The Wachau Valley is the name given to the 30-kilometer stretch of the Danube between the towns of Melk and Krems. Here, the river cuts a narrow, rocky valley between the foothills of the Bohemian Forest and the Dunkelsteiner Wald.
05/04/2023
In the village of Maria Taferl, high above the Danube and offering fine views of the Danube Valley, stands a handsome Early Baroque pilgrimage church. The Basilica of Maria Taferl is said to have been built on the site of an oak tree with a revered image of the Virgin, and the old twin-towered church - built between 1661 and 1711 - has long been a place of pilgrimage.
05/04/2023
About 16 kilometers north along the Danube from Melk are the spectacular ruins of Aggstein Castle (Burgruine Aggstein). Standing more than 300 meters above the river on a steep-sided crag, the castle offers magnificent views of the Wachau Valley.
05/04/2023
Visitors with a feel for history will be fascinated to tour Artstetten Castle (Schloss Artstetten). This stunning chateau was the hereditary castle of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the Hapsburg throne, whose assassination precipitated World War I. He and his wife are interred in the crypt here, and the castle is filled with historical objects relating to the archduke and the Hapsburg family.
05/04/2023
Just 12 kilometers northeast of Melk and also on the Danube is the small town of Aggsbach-Dorf, famous as the home of the Servite monastery of Maria Langegg. Perched 550 meters above the Danube, this stunning structure was rebuilt in Baroque style in 1773, with some interesting old frescoes and a fine library added.
05/04/2023
Just five kilometers south of Melk stands 900-year-old Schallaburg Castle (Schloss Schallaburg). This stunning fortress is considered the most important piece of Renaissance architecture in Lower Austria due to its magnificent two-story arcaded courtyard and rich terra-cotta decoration.
05/04/2023
Take some time to stroll through the narrow streets of Old Town Melk, below the Benedictine Abbey. The Town Hall Square (Rathausplatz), the Hauptstrasse, and the Main Square (Hauptplatz) form the village center, together with Kremser Strasse and Wiener Strasse.
05/04/2023
Standing grandly above the Danube and looking more like an imperial palace than a monastery, the buildings of Melk Abbey (Stift Melk) are laid out around seven courtyards.