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Melk - the great abbey on the banks of the Danube

Climbed on a rock on the Austrian Danube, Melk Abbey liniază sky with yellow, white and orange its impressive creation. For a look at a slight distance, especially from the opposite bank of the river, building the old Benedictine monastery seems hard to get a stronghold. Only after it passes through the courts, rooms with riches, library and church, you recognize here the absolute ruler, entered in full after a victory nearly 1000 years ago: the religious spirit.
Between Vienna and Salzburg, A1 and the Danube River slowly winding through a landscape of rustic charm. The small village Melk integrates smoothly romantic whim in nature over the centuries have been careless. In 976, this area already held that trademark (border province), was entrusted to the Marquis Leopold I, Babenberg family, for it to organize defense of the local population against attacks coming from eastern Hungary. Fortress of Melk will remain for 100 years this noble families residing in Austria. Leopold II gives the castle from Lambach Benedictine monks, who settled here new abbey, whose owners are believers today. In the twelfth century, they opened a monastic school, the library will become famous collection of manuscripts. Umberto Eco is known to documented here for his novel "Name of the Rose" and, in appreciation, gave the name "Adso von Melk" one of the main characters, namely young apprentice Franciscan monk William of Baskerville, charged with investigating the death of monks from a monastery in northern Italy.
In the fifteenth century, Melk Abbey as the center of religious reform which included Austria and southern Germany. After the war with the Turks, the monastery will be reconstructed between 1702-1736 in the rich baroque style can be admired today in the form of clean: a simple four-sided construction and yet harmonious, occupying irregular rock. The two wings of the monastery are joined by a curved terrace, church facade behind which highlight the elegant twin towers, framing plan large dome removed.

Tour guide or simply follow the same long route Melk Monastery: Benedictine Hall,Court dignitaries, stairs Imperial, Imperial rooms, exhibition halls today, Marble Hall, terrace, library, church and court of Coloman. The ride ends in AbbeyGardens, where a restaurant with a capacity of 600 people remember that the fewincome of the abbey, the tourism is very important.

From town with medieval abbey entrance is on the so-called "Stairs of Beggars",giving a portal flanked by statues of saints and Coloman Leopold. The latter, anIrish monk sentenced to death in 1012 after being mistaken for a spy, became the first patron of the monastery, the tomb of being placed here. The large courtyardthat opens the back gate of the eastern facade of the abbey can be seen, withheraldic insignia, visitors entering the left and right, one of the old medieval fortresstowers of Babenberg.

Of Benedictine Hall, with its beautiful ceiling fresco, is entering the courtyard calledthe prelates, with statues of apostles and prophets. Trapezoid shape, with thesmall front room and having dome above figure, gives the impression that the courtis greater depths.

Imperial stairs connecting the exhibition halls of the imperial abbey wing, crossed by a long corridor of 196 m, almost the entire south side. Museum, opened here in 2001 after a new design spans 11 rooms with