The Melk Abbey is a Benedictine monastery, it lies on a rock ridge above the Lower Austrian city Melk at the entrance of the Wachau.
background
Melk Abbey is one of the most beautiful and largest unified Baroque ensembles in Europe. Its great architecture is known worldwide and is UNESCO world heritage. Over 450,000 visitors come to the Melk monastery every year. Melk Abbey is located at the western entrance to Wachau cultural landscape on a rock above the town of Melk. Benedictine monks have lived and worked in Melk Abbey since 1089. According to the rule of St. Benedict, they try to implement the ORA et LABORA et LEGE (pray and work and learn) in pastoral care, education (collegiate high school) and cultural areas.
History:
The Babenberger Margrave Leopold I resided in a castle in Melk from 976. On October 13, 1014, the remains of the St. Koloman buried. The history of the monastery began in 1089 when Margrave Leopold II handed the castle over to the Benedictines from Lambach Abbey and the first monks moved into the monastery on the rock.
A school has been connected to the monastery since the 12th century and valuable manuscripts were collected and made in the library.
A significant event was the fire in 1297 that destroyed the monastery and its farm buildings. In 1362 the monastery received that from Duke Rudolf IV Milker Cross, in its valuable setting there are wood splinters, they should come from the cross of Christ.
In the 15th century the monastery was the starting point of the Melker monastery reform according to the rules of the Benedictines. As a result of the Reformation and the Turkish Wars, the monastery lost its importance.
In the Baroque period, the abbot Berthold Dietmayr fundamentally redesign the monastery complex. This is how the Melk monastery complex was built in its current form in the years 1702-1746; it is the architect's main work Jakob Prandtauer.
getting there
Arrival via Melk. From the train station you can walk through the city center to Rathausplatz, from there the Sechsergasse leads up to the 1 Entrance to the abbey .
- Those who want to avoid stairs can reach the portal on the east side of the abbey Wiener Straße and Abt-Berthold-Dietmayr-Strasse. There is also access for wheelchair users and a parking space for authorized persons, as well as bike racks.
Arrival by car:
Motorway A1, exit Melk, follow the signs to STIFT MELK.
Danube bridge Emmersdorf B3a up to the roundabout B1 Wachauer Strasse, from there to the parking lot behind the abbey
mobility
Dynamic cards
The monastery complex is largely barrier-free. When viewing, wheelchair users can use an elevator to overcome differences in height, with the help of the staff.
Visit to the monastery
The entrance is via the south side of the monastery complex. The Stift portal leads to the Torwartlhof, where the 1 Information and the ticket center is located. On the right is a toilet and a waiting room with lockers.
On the west side of the Torwartlhof you first come to the 1 Benedikti Hall, where St. Benedict is depicted in the ceiling fresco. From here you can get to the large prelate's court, with a fountain in the middle.
The entrance to the museum area is reached through the archway on the left. Access via the Kaiserstiege. There are also toilet facilities next to the Kaisertreppe. The corridor leads to the side aisle of the collegiate church (access to the services) and to a prayer chapel.
The one further to the east 2 Staircase leads to the parking lot, next to it there is also a path without steps. From late autumn 2016 there will also be a lift system.
Visit Melk Abbey, Melk Abbey Park (May to October) and North Bastion
The monastery complex can be visited with or without a guide.
- 2 Melk Abbey, Abt-Berthold-Dietmayr-Str. 1. Tel.: 43 (0)2752 555 232, Email: [email protected]. Open: daily, from April to October with and without a guide from 9 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. From November to March only with a guide at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Group visits can be booked daily by prior arrangement within the opening times.Price: several price categories the current admission prices can be found on the website or inquire on 02752 555 232.
Visit to the monastery
The monastery museum is located in the south wing of the monastery. It is at the beginning of the tour and is accessible via the 3 Kaiserstiege .
- Under the title "On the way from yesterday to today", the monastery museum tells the over 900-year history of Melk Monastery in a contemporary and very varied design and presentation using art treasures and media. The marble hall, the library and the monastery church are masterpieces of baroque architecture . The 4 Marble hall at the western end of the south wing served representative purposes. A fresco with motifs from antiquity adorns the ceiling, it was created by Paul Troger. The 2 Pen library is one of the most harmonious and important baroque libraries. Around 10,000 equally bound books give the room an unmistakable atmosphere. Of the 1 Arbor (Balcony between marble hall and library) offers visitors a great view of the Danube landscape and the west facade of the collegiate church.
After the library you come to the most important and most beautiful area of the monastery, the high baroque collegiate church.
Actually, only a redesign of the monastery church in need of renovation was planned in 1701, but then it was finally a new building. The church, built by Jakob Prandtauer, is 69 m long, 25 m wide, its dome reaches a height of 64 m. However, the two towers of the west facade are from his successor Joseph Munggenast, they were built in their current form in 1738 after a fire.
The interior of the church was designed by well-known artists: Paul Troger, Johann Michael Rottmayr and Antonio Beduzzi are just a few of the baroque artists from that time. In the high altar are statues of the apostles Peter and Paul. The coffin on the left side altar contains the remains of St. Koloman, in the right side altar is a cenotaph, which is dedicated to Benedict, the founder of the order. The frescoes on the ceiling symbolize this Heavenly Jerusalem. During the visit, the area of the side altars and the choir area remains blocked off by a grille.
The conclusion of the sightseeing tour through the monastery walls leads to an obligatory museum shop.
Abbey Park
The monastery park borders with the north bastion on the monastery complex
- 5 Abbey Park. Open: May-Oct daily 9 am-6pm.Price: Included in the monastery entrance fee, own parking cards available.
One can be found on the north side of the garden 6 pavilion with a self-service café.
The garden with the baroque garden pavilion represents an essential part of the entire monastery complex. The paradise garden, in which something blooming, fragrant, healing and edible grows in every season - planted according to the specifications of Walahfrid Strabo (9th century) - which in Modern architecture designed Jardin méditerranéen, the Jardin oriental with a view of the Danube valley, a meditavely designed "Beneditkusweg", the historical water basin, 250 year old linden trees and other accents invite you to relax.
North bastion
The north bastion, a historic building from the Baroque era, expanded with contemporary architecture, is an important hub between the monastery building and the monastery park. The "Wachau Laboratory" is located on the first floor, where changing exhibitions are designed by the "Museum Makers" (a project of the Stiftsgymnasium).
The viewing terrace gives guests a wonderful view of the surrounding area as well as the monastery grounds, especially of the baroque garden pavilion.
Mineral collection
The mineral collection, the beginnings of which date back to the 18th century, grew into a stately collection. The collection is in the former baroque prelate library.
- Mineral collection Melk Abbey. The ceiling is adorned with a ceiling painting, it shows the pre-baroque monastery.
.Open: April-October 12:30 pm-1:30pm.
For conservation and organizational reasons, the tour is limited in time and to a maximum of 25 people.
Special exhibitions
Changing special exhibitions by local and internationally known artists in the Wachau laboratory of the north bastion, in the columned hall and in other areas of the monastery deal with a wide variety of topics from the past and present, art and culture.
Photography and filming is not permitted indoors.
Dogs are not allowed into the monastery building or into the park. Dogs must be kept on a leash in the courtyards.
shop
A souvenir shop is at the end of the tour in the south wing, a second with pen-specific products in the north basei.
kitchen
- 1 Abbey restaurant (is on the way from the pen to the parking lot)
- The café in the Stiftspark, accessible as part of a tour
Practical advice
- Services in the collegiate church: on Sundays and public holidays 9.30 a.m. (except Corpus Christi - start 9.00 a.m.)
- Midday prayer "In the middle of the day" in the collegiate church (daily Apr-Oct) at 12 noon
A visit to Melk Abbey should take 2 to 3 hours into account. A guided pure sightseeing tour lasts about an hour, the visit to the monastery park can vary depending on the walking paths. A visit to the bastion with the Wachau laboratory should take about 30 minutes or more.
A large free car park is available
literature
Web links
http://www.stiftmelk.at - Official website of Kollegiatstift (?), Then Benedictine monastery Melk, Austria
