Have you ever visited, even spent the night, in an abbey? I’ve recently had the pleasure of staying at the (guest house of the) Benedictine Abbey of Göttweig – a unique travel experience that I can really recommend! The abbey with its imposing baroque façade, which towers over the city of Krems and the Danube valley, provided a perfect starting point for visiting the no less imposing Melk Abbey, a well-known Austrian landmark.
The view upon entering the abbey courtyard in Melk.
Exploring the world-famous Benedictine Abbey Melk at the gateway to the Wachau valley.
After Schönbrunn Palace, Melk Abbey is one of the most visited destinations in all of Austria – and for good reason. Perched on a rock above the river Danube, it is familiar to most people from speeding past on the nearby highway. Let me explain why you should rather stop here, or even better, spend the entire day in Melk and Melk Abbey.
View to the abbey garden of Melk.
On the ground floor of the modern bastion with its exhibition rooms is the shop area offering herbal products from the abbey gardens: gin, herbal salts, liqueurs and much more.
Entering Melk Abbey.
Melk, however, is more than just an imposing façade and magnificently landscaped gardens. The Benedictine monks here are exceedingly friendly; many guided tours of the monastery are given with passion by the students and graduates of the local grammar school. This time, we were also lucky enough to not only pass through the modern museum, the famous Marble Hall and the baroque Abbey Church, but to reach a part of the Abbey library where old books are restored. Check this out.
“Ex litteris immortalitas”: Johannes Deibl introduces us to the large-scale restoration project of around 10,000 of the total of 100,000 (!) books in the Melk Abbey Library.
Admittedly, it must be difficult to find a way to restore this book!
After our visit, it’s time for a short stop at the local abbey restaurant …
… before we getting to know the protégés of the paradise gardener Andrea Edelbacher in a part of the baroque monastery garden. Dear Melk Abbey, it was very nice to be with you!
Dürnstein Abbey and the history of the iconic blue church tower.
A little further downstream, about 30 kilometres from Melk Abbey, the equally visible Dürnstein Abbey welcomes us with its striking blue church tower. “It wasn’t always blue,” our charming guide Elisabeth Glatzenberger tells us. The tour through the permanent exhibition “Preserve what is beautiful” is interesting both with and without a guide; the museum is extremely interactive and pleasant to go through. When I look at the small playroom, where young and old can build the white and blue tower of the monastery with Lego bricks, I know that we will return with our little sons one day.
A mirror view to the abbey of Dürnstein with its famous blue church tower.
The museum itself is really interesting: Here we leave our messages according to the exhibition motto “Preserve what is beautiful”.
Finally: A close-up view to the famous church tower, which is only accessible as part of a tour.
Relax and rewind at the Gartenhotel & Weingut Pfeffel.
The Gartenhotel & Weingut Pfeffel is located in the immediate vicinity of Dürnstein Abbey and the small village of Dürnstein. The wellness area on the fifth floor of the house is a dream; the panoramic terrace offers one of the best views of nearby Dürnstein and the river landscape of the Danube valley. The Pfeffel family, in turn, is one of the most dedicated hotelier families I know – here you feel completely at home as a guest. We stop briefly and are welcomed to a typical wine tasting with Wachauer Laberln, a regional speciality. As guests from outside the area, you can also spend a particularly beautiful night in the hotel’s Geniesserzimmer rooms, a Lower Austrian quality brand.
Wine tasting and typical snack at the Gartenhotel & Weingut Pfeffel.
The view from the panorama terrace of the hotel towards Dürnstein.
Calling all foodies: Klosterhof Spitz restaurant.
At the end of our journey, I have this foodie insider tip for you: Klosterhof Spitz in the small town of Spitz on the Danube. The guided tour through the building and the wine cellar, both many hundreds of years old, is impressive. The restaurant uses the historic facilities for both the dining area as well as wine tastings. The cuisine is fresh, seasonal and varied. I can only recommend a visit.
Lunch at the Klosterhof in Spitz, a tip for all foodie travellers.
Enjoy your meal at the Klosterhof!
Check out this Flickr Photo Gallery from all the abbeys and surroundings we’ve visited:
Disclaimer: We have been invited by the Austrian Association of Monasteries, Abbeys & Convents “Klösterreich” on this trip to Melk and Dürnstein Abbeys. All opinions are my own.