A cradle of culture
Barely larger than a market town, Melk has certainly earned the title of a city: as a "capital of the Baroque". The world-famous abbey, built over 200 years ago by Jakob Prandtauer and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, towers above the town center, visible from afar. Benedictine monks live in and manage the abbey and run the renowned abbey grammar school. The collegiate church is considered a masterpiece of high baroque architecture. The abbey park, designed according to the ideal of the English landscape garden, invites visitors to stroll and relax.
A lively cultural scene has also established itself around the Stiftsberg in Melk: from the annual International Baroque Days around Whitsun to the Melk Summer Festival. From the autumn cultural festival "Wachau in Echtzeit" to the year-round cabaret program in the "Tischlerei" cultural workshop.
Would you have guessed?
As a settlement site, Melk is older than the legendary Carthage. Over 6,000 years ago - in the Middle Neolithic Age - people settled on the plateau where the Pielach flows into the Danube. The Romans in turn built a "Burgus" in Melk to fortify the Danube Limes.
