Melk: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
Melk was the first seat of the Babenbergs, the dynasty that founded Austria, and in 1089 they handed their castle on the rock to Benedictine monks. The monks are still here, in a golden baroque abbey rebuilt in the early 18th century that dominates the whole valley. Below it the little old town is pressed between rock and river. This walk goes up through the town to the abbey and its gardens, then down to the Danube arm; allow half a day, two hours of it inside the abbey.
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A short history of Melk
In 976 the Babenberg dynasty gained control of the area, and the fortress on the cliff above the Danube was one of its first seats. In 1089 Margrave Leopold II handed it over to Benedictine monks, who have lived there continuously ever since. Between 1702 and 1736 the architect Jakob Prandtauer rebuilt the abbey in the Baroque style, with an enormous library and a gilded church. Umberto Eco named the hero of "The Name of the Rose" Adso of Melk. In 2000 the small town at the foot of the abbey was included in the Wachau Valley World Heritage Site.
The ten best sights in Melk
1Melk AbbeyBook the library and church on a timed ticket in summer; the terrace view is part of it
2Abbey garden pavilionA painted baroque pavilion in the abbey park; open in season
3Melk Concentration Camp MemorialThe preserved crematorium of a Mauthausen subcamp, by the barracks south of town
4SchallaburgA Renaissance castle 5 km south with a big exhibition each year
5Artstetten CastleFranz Ferdinand's family castle and his grave, 15 minutes west
6WachauarenaOpen-air stage under the abbey for the summer theatre season
7RathausplatzThe old-town square; park below and walk up
8Aggstein ruinA castle ruin high on a cliff over the Wachau; steep road up
9Venus of Willendorf find siteA large copy marks where the famous figurine was dug up
10Spitz and the TausendeimerbergWine village under a terraced hill; good lunch stop on the ride
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in Melk →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Melk:
Free walking tours in Melk
The abbey on the rock
Melk was the first seat of the Babenbergs, the dynasty that founded Austria, and in 1089 they handed their castle on the rock to Benedictine monks. The monks are still here, in a golden baroque abbey rebuilt in the early 18th century that dominates the whole valley. Below it the little old town is pressed between rock and river. This walk goes up through the town to the abbey and its gardens, then down to the Danube arm; allow half a day, two hours of it inside the abbey.
- Rathausplatz · Melk appears as Medelike in the Nibelungenlied, one of the stops on Kriemhild's journey down the Danube.
- Hauptstraße · The shops sell Wachau apricots in every form; the Wachauer Marille is a protected regional product of the valley.
- Melk Abbey · Umberto Eco named Adso of Melk, the young narrator of The Name of the Rose, after this abbey, whose library holds some 1,800 manuscripts.
- Abbey garden pavilion · The pavilion's walls and ceilings were painted in the 1760s by Johann Wenzel Bergl with exotic landscapes, a dream of faraway lands.
- Wachauarena · Every summer the Sommerspiele Melk festival plays here in the open air, with the lit abbey as the backdrop.
- Melk arm of the Danube · Melk is the western gate of the Wachau, the valley listed by UNESCO in 2000, and most Wachau boat trips start or end at this landing.
Into the Wachau
Downstream of Melk begins the Wachau, the most famous 30 km of the Danube: steep terraced vineyards, apricot orchards, castles on the cliffs. This half of it, from Melk to Spitz, is the wilder one, with a robber-knight ruin and the place where a 29,000-year-old figurine was found. Ride the north bank and cross back by the roll ferry, or drive; about 40 km round, half a day to a full one with lunch in Spitz.
- Emmersdorf · The bridge at Melk is the last road bridge over the river until Mautern, near Krems, some 30 km downstream.
- Aggstein ruin · Legend says its robber lord left prisoners on a rock ledge called the Rosengärtlein, the little rose garden, to starve or jump.
- Venus of Willendorf find site · The limestone figurine, about 11 cm tall and some 29,000 years old, was found here in 1908 and is now in Vienna's Natural History Museum.
- Spitz-Arnsdorf roll ferry · The ferry has no engine for crossing: it hangs from a cable over the river and is pushed across by the current alone.
- Tausendeimerberg · The hill's name means thousand-bucket mountain, from the claim that in a good year its terraces yield a thousand buckets of wine.
- Hinterhaus ruin · The ruined castle stands on the rock above Spitz among the vineyards, a short climb with a view along the valley.
Emperors and memory south and west
The hills around Melk tell the last chapters of the Habsburg empire and its darkest years after it. Within half an hour lie the grave of the archduke whose murder started the First World War, the birthplace of the last emperor, and a Renaissance castle. In Melk itself, by an army barracks, stands the memorial of a Nazi camp where thousands died. A day by car, about 90 km; visit the memorial quietly, and check opening days, as several sites close in winter.
- Melk Concentration Camp Memorial · In 1944-45 about 14,000 prisoners were held in this Mauthausen subcamp and forced to dig tunnels for arms factories; nearly 5,000 of them died.
- Schallaburg · Its arcaded courtyard is decorated with hundreds of terracotta figures from the late 16th century, rare north of the Alps.
- Artstetten Castle · Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie, shot in Sarajevo in 1914, are buried here, because Sophie was not of high enough rank for the imperial crypt in Vienna.
- Maria Taferl · The pilgrimage church stands on a ridge high above the river, and its terrace looks straight down onto the Nibelungengau stretch of the Danube.
- Persenbeug Castle · Karl I, the last emperor of Austria-Hungary, was born here in 1887; the castle is still owned by the Habsburg family.
- Schloss Luberegg · The small palace on the bank, from the late 18th century, was a summer residence of Emperor Franz II.
Getting to Melk and getting around
- Melk station · Trains on the Westbahn to Vienna and Linz; five minutes downhill to the square
- Bike hire at the station · nextbike racks here and around town; bikes can be returned further down the Wachau
- Spitz-Arnsdorf roll ferry · The cross-river ferry on the cycle path, 16 km downstream; carries bikes
Cheap eats in Melk
Melk lives from the abbey's visitors, so the quick food sits on the Rathausplatz and the Hauptstraße below it. The fruit of the region is the Wachau apricot, and it turns up in cakes, dumplings and jam everywhere. For lunch on the bike, buy rolls at a bakery and eat them on the river bank; for a sit-down coffee, the square is the place.
- Café Konditorei Mistlbacher · Apricot cake and coffee, about €7
- Bäckerei Teufner · Rolls and pastries for the ride, about €1-4
- Corrado café · Espresso on the square, about €3
- Pizza & Kebap Giovanni · Kebab or pizza slice, about €6-9
- Löwenimbiss · Sausages and fries, about €5-8
- WOK IN · Noodles and rice boxes, about €9-12
Museums in Melk
- Melk Abbey · Museum rooms, marble hall, library and church; about two hours
- Schallaburg · A new large exhibition every season
- Artstetten Castle · Franz Ferdinand museum and crypt
- Melk Concentration Camp Memorial · Small memorial with exhibition; check the opening days
- Abbey garden pavilion · Painted pavilion in the abbey park
Nature and day trips near Melk
- Abbey park · Baroque garden and a quiet forest path
- Melk arm of the Danube · Flat riverside path by the boats
- Tausendeimerberg · Vineyard terraces above Spitz
- Aggstein ruin · Cliff-top ruin with a huge valley view
Things to do in Melk with kids
- Roll ferry ride · A river crossing driven only by the current
- Aggstein ruin · Towers, walls and stories of robber knights
- Venus of Willendorf · See the giant copy where she was found
- Abbey park · Space to run after the abbey tour
Where to eat in Melk
- Rathauskeller · Austrian dishes in the town hall cellar
- Anton Seeböck's Erbin · Old-town inn on the square
- Melker Stiftsrestaurant · Restaurant at the abbey gate, with a terrace
- Wachauerhof · Hotel restaurant with Wachau wines
- Hotel Restaurant zur Post · Traditional cooking in an old post inn
Frequently asked questions about Melk
What is there to see in Melk?
The top sights in Melk are Melk Abbey, Abbey garden pavilion and Melk Concentration Camp Memorial. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in Melk?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of Melk without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in Melk?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Melk, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The abbey on the rock.
How do you get to Melk and get around?
The main ways are Melk station, Bike hire at the station and Spitz-Arnsdorf roll ferry. Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in Melk, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in Melk that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in Melk for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.