Melk, Austria in 2010 – the Benedictine Abbey – Part 1

In 2010 I took a 15-day cruise of European rivers, and one stop on the Danube River was Melk, Austria. On a hill above the town is a large Benedictine Abbey, and a tour of that facility was part of our stop. The Abbey was founded in 1089 when Leopold II, Margrave of Austria gave one of his castles to Benedictine monks from Lambach Abbey. In the fifteenth century the abbey became the center of the Melk Reform movement which reinvigorated the monastic life of Austria and Southern Germany. Today's Baroque abbey was built between 1702 and 1736 to designs by Jakob Prandtauer. Particularly noteworthy are the abbey church with frescos by Johann Michael Rottmayr and the library with countless medieval manuscripts. Over the centuries it has been the victim of several fires, and it underwent significant restoration between 1978 and 1995. The Abbey is a World Heritage Site and receives many visitors each year.

There are too many pictures for a single set. This set is of the Abbey other than the church; Part 2 is of the Abbey Church.

Exterior views

DSC_4797 by David Casteel, on Flickr (the Abbey from the Danube River)


DSC_4891 by David Casteel, on Flickr (twin towers and dome)


DSC_4801 by David Casteel, on Flickr (the courtyard)


DSC_4845 by David Casteel, on Flickr (front of the Abbey church)


DSC_4883 by David Casteel, on Flickr (statue in the Garden)

Interior views

DSC_4850 by David Casteel, on Flickr (the Library, over 100,000 books)


DSC_4851 by David Casteel, on Flickr (part of the Library ceiling)


DSC_4861 by David Casteel, on Flickr (a spiral staircase)


DSC_4882 by David Casteel, on Flickr (looking down the spiral staircase)


DSC_4884 by David Casteel, on Flickr (a big wooden clock)


DSC_4812 by David Casteel, on Flickr (paintings in the Emperor’s Gallery)

Link to Part 2: https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-674693-1.html#11759253