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Melk Abbey Monastery — 5 Things You Definitely Need To See

Melk Abbey is one of the world’s most famous monasteries. We recently visited the abbey on a Danube River Cruise with Gate 1 Travel. If you’re planning a trip to Austria and thinking about visiting Melk Abbey, here are 5 things you definitely need to see at the abbey:

Melk Abbey

Melk Abbey

We spent the afternoon exploring and admiring the architecture of this gorgeous building with postcard-perfect views over the Austrian town of Melk. Scroll down to see the pink infinity staircase in the abbey!! It is one of the most beautiful staircases I have ever seen.

Read More: Taking A Danube River Cruise With Gate 1 Travel

Melk Abbey

1. Prelate’s Courtyard

This was one of our first views as we entered the abbey.

View from Melk Abbey

2. View from Melk Abbey

The abbey had panoramic views over the Austrian town of Melk.

Melk Abbey

From the balcony, you could also turn around for a closer look at the abbey’s ornate facade.

Melk Abbey

3. The Pink Staircase at Melk Abbey

How beautiful is this marbled spiral staircase connecting the church and the library?? This was our view at the top of the staircase.

Pink Staircase at Melk Abbey
But this is the view from the bottom looking back up!!

Melk AbbeyPhoto via Stephanie

How amazing is this pink staircase?? It is truly a work of art!

Baroque Garden Pavilion at Melk Abbey

4. Baroque Garden Pavilion

If you’re visiting the abbey, don’t miss the Baroque Garden Pavilion.

Melk Abbey

The inside is a little cafe where you can stop for a snack or a drink. The delicate pink and gold frescos reminded me of an English tea room.

Melk Austria

5. Explore the town of Melk

After exploring the abbey, we walked down the hill through the town of Melk.

Catholic church in Melk Austria
Catholic church in Melk Austria

Melk AbbeyPhoto via Stephanie

This was our final view of the abbey as we walked back to our Gate 1 Travel cruise ship.


See more posts from our Gate 1 Travel Cruise!


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Melk Abbey

Melk Abbey

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17 Responses
  1. Lower lisa

    Kevin and Amanda, 
    my girlfriend and I are about to take a gate 1 river cruise Amsterdam to Budapest.  so glad to hear about your trip.  How were the included tours?  In Koblez would you do the optional marks burg castle tour or just enjoy the city and cable car?  Are American dollars accepted?  anything we should remember to bring on the ship? Is there a preferred room side of the boat ? Nice to hear about your trip. Lisa

    1. Amanda

      Hi Lisa!

      The included tours were very good! Always with a local guide who was born and raised in the area so they were very familiar with the area!

      We did not go to Koblez or Marksburg Castle on our cruise, but all the optional tours we took were very good.

      Euros would probably be better! You can get them from your bank before you leave, or use the ATMs in the cities you will be visiting. Just be sure to let your bank know you will be traveling internationally so you can use your ATM card.

      You may want to bring a power strip (WITHOUT a surge protector) on the ship if you have multiple electronics to charge. There are only 2 outlets in the room. Also don’t forget sunscreen!

      I don’t think there is a preferred side, there are great views on both sides! :)

      Have a great trip! :)

  2. Jennifer

    We did a Greek islands cruise a few years ago and I really wasn’t a fan because I felt like so much of my time was wasted on days at sea. But I like that you really got to see so much on the river cruise! I would definitely give a river cruise a try.

  3. Katherine

    Hello Kevin and Amanda,

    We are looking at taking this exact cruise in October of 2015. Can you please give me an idea of how the food is on board the ship? Also, do you know if the ship allows you to take a “night off” and meet up with it at the next port? I have a lot of family history in Germany, so my husband and I might want to debark, travel to a town where some of my family came from, stay over in that town, and then travel back to the ship the next day.

    Also, was it a “smooth sail?” I am wondering if you felt a lot of bobbing up and down on the boat, since it is smaller.

    Your reviews, info and pictures are FANTASTIC — thanks so much for sharing your trip!

    -Katherine

  4. Ursl from soap|kitchen|style

    Thank you for these amazing pictures of my homecountry. My grandma lived in Melk an I loved staying with her. You were really lucky as the wether was perfect too.
    BTW I’m following your Blog for a long time and I have to say I’m in love.

    Best,
    Ursl from Vienna

  5. LyndaS

    You have convinced me through all of your photos that a river cruise is the way to go. I cannot believe all of the incredible places you were able to see – while on a cruise! And from what I see on Gate1’s website, it looks like a great deal with the room, cruise, plus 20 meals. I would love to be able to see so many postcard perfect places and NOT have to pack and unpack to do so.

  6. Erin @ Simple, Sweet & Savory

    Beautiful! I’m so jealous. What an amazing part of the world. I’ve been to Europe, but never Austria. Definitely a new bucket list item after seeing these gorgeous pics!

  7. Ashley | Spoonful of Flavor

    Wow, so amazing! Those staircases are beautiful. I can’t believe how much you were able to see on that cruise. I want to book my trip right now!

  8. @Travelpanties

    Picture is worth a thousand words! Gorgeous trip! Cruising is such a great way to see a lot in a short period of time! Looks wonderful! Definitely putting this on my list

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Meet Kevin & Amanda

Kevin and Amanda

We love to travel and to eat! Here we share our favorite quick and easy recipes, plus travel tips and guides for our favorite places around the world. If you have any questions about what camera I use or how I edit my photos, check out my photography tutorials.

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