Around the World, where to go: Melk, Austria, Europe’s Oldest Library and the Melk Abbey

Posted on January 15, 2008 
Filed Under Around the World, Austria

This post is part of my Around the World series. Read more about what this series here. I haven’t been to this place, but I intend to go.

One of my readers suggested that if I choose to go to Austria I should not forget to visit the city of Melk.

Melk Abbey seen from below

Library and Abbey

Situated about 150km from Vienna, one the bank of the Danube, with a great scenery (see the photos below), Melk is not really part of the usual tourist path, from what I can see, but it really has some incentives: first of all, here you can find Europe’s oldest library. The library is part of the Stift Melk, a massive baroque Benedictine abbey, with quite a history behind it.

The abbey was founded in 1089, the library was part of a school founded in the 12th century, a lot of manuscipts being actually produced there. The abbey you can see today was built between 1702 and 1736.

Now, there still is a school there, with approx. 900 students (maybe I can take my master’s degree there :D )

An interesting thing is that Umberto Eco, in his famous novel “The name of the Rose”, named one of the characters “Adso von Melk”, as a tribute to the abbey and its library.

Usually, when I go somewhere, I try to visit a lot of locations, both cultural and less cultural (well, can we call EuroDisney cultural? ), but Melk is also attractive to me because I intend to live several days in locations that are not important tourist locations (like Vienna or Salzburg), to get a taste of the way people with a different cultural background live day to day. And, who knows, hotels there might be a lot cheaper. So, if they have wireless, Melk, here I come :)

P.S.: I almost forgot, there is also a castle there. Do you know similar places I should go to? Small cities with great history? Not in Austria necessarilly.

Pictures below, after the jump.

Church in Melk, view from aboveMelk Abbey Library (door)Melk Abbey Library with fresqueMelk Abbey Library with fresqueMelk Abbey Library with fresque (great colors)Melk Abbey seen from belowMelk, Austria - overview (with Danube)Melk, Austria, city overview

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Related posts:
Around the world
Austria, Graz: Aiola Island
I’m Going Around the World: Austria
Around the World: List of countries I want to visit in 2008

Comments

6 Responses to “Around the World, where to go: Melk, Austria, Europe’s Oldest Library and the Melk Abbey”

  1. Adela on January 15th, 2008 10:43 am

    It’s funny, for such a small town (because it is really small) to share a sheer merge of old and new. Wireless for example is to be found even in the corner cafe, which looks like a Hansel and Gretel cottage. Also the man selling sausages and cheese in the middle of the street has a sort of medical appeal. Hmm, you’ll see what I mean when you get there, as it will hit you. Enjoy the trip.

  2. Bobby Voicu on January 15th, 2008 2:01 pm

    @Adela: is it worth staying there for more than 2-3 days? :D

  3. Adela on January 15th, 2008 4:49 pm

    Well, I have no idea, as I’m not sure what else is to visit except Stift Melk(which takes half a day to fully check). Depending of the time you get there, you may be lucky enough to catch a traditional “fête” , or a wine tasting day, or cheese holiday.

    Or you can simply leave your car in the parking area and grab a ticket for the Danube trip. I remember that they had several options/trips/destinations etc.

    Austria has bad roads (as related to Western Europe), incredibly smooth ones (as related to Romanian roads) and things to see for at least one year round. Go the way the wind blows and don’t worry about the destination. It’s gonna worth all your “trouble”.

  4. Maya on January 16th, 2008 4:11 pm

    Well i would recommend you Saalbach Hinterglem where i am spending 3-4 nights every year when i get to Austria…The pension is very nice,private,and quite cheep…The hosts are also nice and friendly…I can give you the link to their website if you want to pay them a visit…http://www.saalbach.net/hagleitner/DE/index.htm…The area is beautiful and near to some famous sights like i’ve already said in my other comment…If you are heading towards Switzerland then you shouldn’t skip Interlaken,it’s about 60km away from Bern and it’s extraordinary beautiful…From there you can visit a lot of places,even the highest peak from the region the Jungfrau….and you can do many other activities…I’ve stayed at Alphotel Eiger,which is also a family bed&breakfast quite the same with the one from Saalbach….you can check it out here…http://www.alphotel-eiger.ch/…I hope i could be helpful in one way or another…anyway you won’t regret visiting these places and the sights i told you about in my comment to the other subject are near to Saalbach so you can visit them as well…

  5. Razvan on January 23rd, 2008 5:18 am

    Hey everyone,

    great post and thanks for all the tips.
    i have a question for all of you:
    how do you find apartments to rent for longer stays, like 1 month ? i found some sites but they seem a little pricey.
    I am planning a trip kinda like yours Bobby, so I’d appreciate any tips.

    thanks

  6. Maya on January 23rd, 2008 9:08 am

    Well @Razvan..You should tell me the places you want to go to,make some kind of a route and i will check it out for you,i am some kind of a master in finding cheep,clean and nice places to stay…I recommend
    you that pension in Saalbach(http://www.saalbach.net/hagleitner/EN/index.htm) that is not expensive and i also know a place in Italy(http://www.dunarossa.com/index2.htm) which is not expensive either…You can also check the Students Hostels…These are very clean places and they are all over Europe…Anyway i will try to find some apartments too,if you tell me approximately where you want to go..

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