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| Melk, Lower Austria, Austria |
Melk is a small, historic and picturesque town of only 5,000 residents, which lies in the Wachau region of Lower Austria. It is famous for its massive Baroque Benedictine Monastery, known as Stift Melk, which stands high on a bluff above the town and overlooks a bend in the River Danube. The present Abbey replaced an existing Abbey in the early 1700’s and has recently been restored. It is particularly well known for its fantastic interior design and frescoes, and is considered to be one of Austria’s major tourist attractions.
Melk was originally established to utilise its strong position as a border defence post, having had a castle built for the Babenburgs on the cliff where the Abbey now stands. This was to defend the area against the invading Turks and Huns. The castle and church were later made over to the Benedictines in 1089 by Margrave Leopold II, which then grew into one of the most important Abbeys in the country. The size and power of the Abbey eventually meant that it became the spiritual, intellectual and cultural centre of the country. By the 13th century the small village had grown into a market town which it remains to this day although it is also a busy tourist destination.
Just 5 kilometres south of Melk can be seen the 16th century Renaissance Scallaburg Castle, which is located amidst the picturesque landscape of the Mostviertel district. The castle is considered to be one of Austria’s most beautiful castles, and is a must see if you happen to be in Melk.
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