Your visit

Getting there

By car

Melk Abbey

Melk Abbey on Google Maps

Abt-Berthold-Dietmayr-Straße 1, 3390 Melk

There is parking in the large Abbey carpark. From here, Melk Abbey can be reached by a set of steps or a footpath (a few minutes’ walk); there is access for those with reduced mobility via the new lift.

Melk Abbey offers access to all those with reduced mobility. However, the Baroque Garden Pavilion can only be reached by steps.

If the route from the Abbey carpark is nevertheless too difficult, it is possible to arrange access in advance by driving directly to the delivery yard. Please inform us when buying tickets if you need to use this option. Please note that your vehicle must be parked elsewhere after arrival.

From Vienna or Linz
Journey time approx. 60 minutes

  • A1 motorway, Melk exit
  • At the roundabout, take the second exit onto road B3a towards Melk. Drive for 1.7km.
  • Bear right and take road B1 in the direction of Melk Nord/Pöchlarn/Schönbühel/Wachau Rechtes Donauufer/Industriegebiet. Drive for 313m.
  • Turn right onto road B1 in the direction of Pöchlarn/Melk West/Stift Melk. Drive for 165m.
  • At the roundabout, take the third exit onto Dietmayrstraße in the direction of Stift Melk. You will reach the main Abbey carpark after 898 m.

From the left bank of the River Danube (Wachau, Waldviertel)

  • Take the road B3/B3a over the Danube bridge, then follow the signs for Stift Melk.

Wheelchair access
Please use the small Abbey carpark (Abt Berthold Dietmayr Straße 1, 3390 Melk, a side road off Wiener Straße).
When you reach the barrier, please ring the bell for "Stiftspforte".

 

Pielach Castle
Auf der Schön, 3390 Melk

Access via Pielacherstraße 50 (cul-de-sac). Free parking next to Gugler brand-digital-print (5 minutes’ walk). Shuttle service from Melk Abbey (see the information at the concert)

The concert hall in the historical Castle Pielach can only be reached by steps.

 

From Vienna or Linz

  • A1 motorway, Melk exit
  • Take the road B3a in the direction of the B1. At the roundabout, take the second exit in the direction of Pielacherstraße.
  • Access via Pielacherstraße 50 (cul-de-sac).

From the left bank of the River Danube (Wachau, Waldviertel)

  • Take road B3/B3a over the Danube bridge towards the B1.
  • At the first roundabout, take the third exit.
  • At the second roundabout, take the third exit towards Pielacherstraße.

From Melk Abbey

  • At the first roundabout, take the first exit towards the B1.
  • At the second roundabout, take the third exit towards Pielacherstraße.

By train

From the railway station, you can walk (approx. 10 minutes) or take a taxi to Melk Abbey.

In order to make it easier for our guests to attend events on Fridays and Saturdays, we are now offering a night train on these days from Melk to Vienna in partnership with Austrian Federal Railways, the Transport Association for the Eastern Regions and the State of Lower Austria.

Friday and Saturday Nights

Toward Vienna: Depart Melk 11:34pm / Loosdorf 11:39pm / St Pölten 11:55pm / connecting Railjet to  Vienna: 12:02am
Toward Linz: Depart Melk: 11:57pm (via Amstetten)

 

Route to the Abbey (approx. 15 min. walk)

  • Take Lindestraße eastwards towards Hummelstraße.
  • Turn left onto Hummelstraße towards Jakob-Prandtauer-Straße.
  • Continue along Jakob-Prandtauer-Straße until you reach Wiener Straße.
  • At the bakery Teufner GmbH, take the second road on the left onto Abt-Berthold Dietmayr-Straße

Taxi: Zwölfer Reisen Melk

Daily from 7.30 a.m. till 9.30 p.m. (outside hours by appointment)
Telephone: + 43 664 / 606 74 606
E-mail: 

Box office & Admission

Box office

The concert box office and customer service centre in Melk Abbey are in the first courtyard on the right. The opening times during the Barocktage are Friday to Monday, 9am to 8pm. The box office in Pielach Castle opens one hour before the start of each concert, as does the box office for the night concerts. During the festival, we can be reached during opening hours under the following numbers: T +43 (0) 2752 555 57 / M +43 (0) 664 60 499 558

 

Admission

The public are admitted 30 minutes before the start of the concert (exceptions for artistic reasons are possible). To prevent disturbance during a concert, late arrivals will only be admitted during the interval or during applause at the discretion of the ushers.

DISABLED ACCESS

We aim to offer all possible support to those with reduced mobility at our events. Please inform us when you are buying your tickets so that we can discuss the details. Melk’s Wachau Arena has disabled parking spaces opposite the entrance, spaces for wheelchair users in the stalls and disabled access to all the areas open to the public. The Wachau Arena in Melk and the Tischlerei Melk Kulturwerkstatt both have induction loop systems provided by Gottwald. An induction loop carries the sound wirelessly into your hearing aid, suppressing background noise such as echoes. We are very grateful to Gottwald for helping us offer our cultural programme to those with hearing difficulties.

Melk Abbey

Enjoy Melk Abbey

The Benedictines share the beauty of the Baroque building with around 430,000 guests from all over the world each year. Visitors can expect innovative exhibition rooms, sumptuously decorated halls, and an unforgettable view from the terrace of the Danube valley and the High Baroque Abbey Church.

The Baroque north bastion at the entrance to the Abbey has been open to visitors since June 2011. The Abbey shop is on the ground floor. From the terrace there is a stunning view of the surrounding landscape, from the foothills of the Alps to the forests and the Abbey complex itself, particularly of the Garden Pavilion and the Abbey Park.

Our guests come not only to enjoy superb music but also to explore the Abbey and its surroundings.

Melk Abbey

Each year, Melk Abbey in the Wachau World Cultural Landscape draws hundreds of thousands of visitors. Concert audiences come not only to enjoy the musical programme but also to discover the Abbey and its surroundings.

Over the Pentecost holidays it is possible to visit the Abbey with or without a guide between 9.00am and 5.30pm. There are no admissions after 5.00pm; the last tour begins at 4.00pm.

  • Visitors will need about 2½ hours to view the Abbey
  • Tours last about 1 hour
  • Visitors will need about 1 hour to view the Abbey Park and bastion
  • Contact details for a guided tour: T +43 2752 555 232, E tours[at]stiftmelk.at

Abbey Park

The Abbey Park is an integral part of the work of art that is Melk Abbey. The Baroque Garden Pavilion and its exotic frescoes are a particular highlight. Your concert tickets allow you to visit the Abbey Park for free during the Barocktage. The opening times for the Abbey Park on the Pentecost weekend are: Fri – 9.00am to 7.45pm / Sat/Sun/Mon – 9.00am to 7.15pm.

Your Concert Tickets and the Abbey Park

The Abbey Park is an integral part of the work of art that is Melk Abbey. The Baroque Garden Pavilion and its exotic frescoes are a particular highlight. Your concert tickets allow you to visit the Abbey Park for free during the Barocktage. The contours of the park follow the original Baroque layout with a planting arrangement from the first half of the 19th century.

Our tip: the concert tickets provide free entry to the Abbey Park during the festival.

Opening times over the Pentecost weekend: 
Fri: 9.00am to 7.45pm
Sat/Sun/Mon: 9.00am to 7.15pm.

Mass

On Pentecost Sunday and Monday, a mass is held in the Abbey Church at 9.00 am lasting around an hour. Information on Melk Abbey and the sung prayers are available at www.stiftmelk.at

Gastronomy

Culinary delights at the festival

The students at the Abbey School and the Verein der Freunde der Festspiele Melk will serve rolls and beverages outside St Koloman's Hall an hour before the start of the concert, during the intervals and after the events (except for evening concerts and concerts in the Abbey church and Garden Pavilion). On the Abbey grounds (open until 06:00pm) there are also the Abbey Restaurant and the Café in the Garden Pavilion (open until 06:00pm).

‘Schmelzer Würfel’ (Schmelzer Cube) – a real delight
During the Whitsun festival a small, special praline is available – the Schmelzer Cube. The bakery and pastry shop Mistelbacher in Melk makes the cubes exclusively for the Festival. The delicacy is named after the composer and violinist Johann Heinrich Schmelzer who was born in the region.

Stiftsrestaurant Melk

Stiftsrestaurant Melk

Ob ein gemütliches Frühstück zur Einstimmung auf die Matinee oder ein genussvolles 3-Gänge Menü vor dem Besuch des Abendkonzerts, das Stiftsrestaurant sorgt während der Barocktage FR - MO von 9:00 bis 20:00 Uhr für Ihr leibliches Wohl. 

Um Reservierung wird gebeten. 

Kontakt:
Stiftsrestaurant Melk
restaurant[at]stift-melk.com
02752/52555 

THE TOWN OF MELK

Town of melk

Hundreds of thousands of visitors come to Melk each year to see the world-famous Benedictine Abbey. The town beneath the Baroque masterpiece is a jewel of no less cultural and historical value. Melk received its borough rights in 1898, officially raising it to the status of a town, but it is first mentioned in historical documents in 831 under the name “Medlica”. Strolling through Melk is like leafing through a sumptuously illustrated picture book, being inspired and experiencing more than 1,000 years of the town’s history.

The gateway to the Wachau Valley has many historical delights on offer for the visitor – from Melk’s old town walls to its captivating Baroque facades, where the remains of the old frescoes, many in very good condition, are still visible. In Melk, you are never far from a piece of history, whether it be the Haus am Stein, covered in an ancient vine, the town’s two Baroque towers or the oldest post office in Austria. Locals and tourists often sit around the spring of St Coloman (whose bones are interred in Melk Abbey) to soak in the town’s ethereal atmosphere with a glass of fine wine or a delicious cup of coffee.

The Benedictines

The Benedictines share the beauty of the Baroque building with around 430,000 guests from all over the world each year. The visitors can expect innovative exhibition rooms, sumptuously decorated halls, and an unforgettable view from the terrace of the Danube valley and the High Baroque Abbey Church.

World Heritage - Wachau

Wachau

Become one. Remain one.

Where Culture and Landscape merge – the Wachau.

Visit the Wachau and become one with colourful past and vibrant present, with preservation and innovation in harmony, with cultural institutions, vineyards and fruit farms of international renown, with guarantees of comfort and enjoyment, intact nature and the residents of the region. Keep discovering new dimensions of your favourite destination or return time and again to your favourite sites. Look forward to meeting us. We look forward to meeting you!

World Heritage 

With its cultural treasures, an enchanting river valley and a sun-drenched world-class wine-growing region, the Wachau is a synthesis of the arts and has been a world heritage site since 2000. Learn more.

Wachau apricots

Those who taste apricots from different regions will immediately recognize the distinctive flavour of the Wachau apricot. This is why it enjoys EU protection as a designation and a product. Learn more.

Vinea Wachau

The 200 or so members of Vinea are committed to the protection, quality and reputation of Wachau wines. Steinfeder, Federspiel and Smaragd can be produced solely by members of Vinea. Learn more.

Art and culture

The Wachau has inspired poets and artists from time immemorial. Today, internationally renowned cultural programmes, cultural and theatre festivals, culinary events, and museums and exhibitions inspire enthusiasm. Learn more.

Shipping

From the deck of a white Danube ship, a grand view of the UNESCO world heritage landscape opens up. Between Melk and Krems these ships link places worth visiting such as Spitz, Weissenkirchen and Dürnstein. Learn more.

Best of Wachau

The best hosts from the Wachau have joined together for the “Best of the Wachau” initiative, offering outstanding genuine experiences. Learn more.

Festival Wine

Award-winning wine by "JAMEK"

For many years now, visitors to the festival have enjoyed wines from the house of Jamek, the family business that manages the Abbey's vineyards in the Wachau region. Since 2014, the Jamek wine estate and Internationale Barocktage Stift Melk have presented a festival wine. Sales proceeds benefit the concerts of the festival.

Bread and Wine

Reception with >Bread and Wine<

After the evening concerts, Melk Abbey and the Internationale Barocktage invite all concert guests to a convivial evening of bread and wine. This traditional end to the evening takes place in the 'Wirtschaftshof' for concerts in the 'Kolomanisaal', in the 'Prälatenhof' for concerts in the Abbey church, and in the Abbey park for concerts given there. If the weather is bad, the event will take place in the 'Barockkeller'.

Arcadia Opera Shop

Arcadia Opera Shop

Since 2014, Arcadia Opera Shop Vienna has opened a temporary outlet where it could advise festival visitors wishing to purchase CDs. Sales kiosks will be located at the entrances to the concerts. Signing sessions after the concerts will be announced on the spot.

Tip: Members of the Friends' Association receive a 10% discount on CD purchases.

Accomodation

Enjoy

Combine your visit to Internationale Barocktage Stift Melk with a short break in the world cultural heritage site of the Wachau region. The website of the Danube Lower Austrian tourism office offers a comprehensive service to help you find ideal accommodation.

Early booking is advisable due to number of people travelling over Whit weekend.

Finding & booking accommodation

Impressions

Barocktage for children

Der Dreh mit dem Dudl mit Schikaneders Jugend

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Barocktage for children

Internationaler Johann Heinrich Schmelzer Wettbewerb

Max Volbers (flute recorder) - Johann Heinrich Schmelzer Preis (endowed with EUR 5.000 as well as a concert commitment during the baroquedays)
Evgeni Sviridov (violin) - prize awarded with EUR 1.000,-

more ...

Internationaler Johann Heinrich Schmelzer Wettbewerb

>Bread and wine<

Traditional ending after the concert. KS Michael Schade and Herwig Jamek at the wine tasting in the Barockkeller.

more ...

>Bread and wine<

Culinary

Wine from JAMEK and the >Schmelzer-Praline< from the Konditorei Mistelbacher

more ...

Culinary

Friends association of Internationale Barocktage Stift Melk

Would you like to have a closer connection and lively contact with artists and KS Michael Schade, the artistic director of the Internationale Barocktage Stift Melk? Then we cordially invite you to become part of the family of the Internationale Barocktrage Stift Melk.
More information:

more ...

Friends association of Internationale Barocktage Stift Melk

Concert at the Abbey Church

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Concert at the Abbey Church

My Visit

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Barocktage for children

Der Dreh mit dem Dudl mit Schikaneders Jugend

Internationaler Johann Heinrich Schmelzer Wettbewerb

Max Volbers (flute recorder) - Johann Heinrich Schmelzer Preis (endowed with EUR 5.000 as well as a concert commitment during the baroquedays)
Evgeni Sviridov (violin) - prize awarded with EUR 1.000,-

>Bread and wine<

Traditional ending after the concert. KS Michael Schade and Herwig Jamek at the wine tasting in the Barockkeller.

Culinary

Wine from JAMEK and the >Schmelzer-Praline< from the Konditorei Mistelbacher

Friends association of Internationale Barocktage Stift Melk

Would you like to have a closer connection and lively contact with artists and KS Michael Schade, the artistic director of the Internationale Barocktage Stift Melk? Then we cordially invite you to become part of the family of the Internationale Barocktrage Stift Melk.
More information:

Concert at the Abbey Church