Melk (Austria)

Melk (port locode ATMEL) is a Danube River cruise port and town in Lower Austria (Wachau Valley) with population around 6,000. The town lies between two small rivers (Melk and Pielach/Danube tributaries). Melk Abbey (monastery) is part of the city and on a mountain that drops steeply towards Danube. The downtown stretches down the flat western slope. Pochlarn is approx 15 km (9 mi) to the west along the river.

As a travel destination, Melk is best-known with Stift Melk - an 11th-century Benedictine monastery/abbey housed in a castle given by Leopold II/Leopold the Fair (1050-1095), Margrave of Austria (1075-1095) from the House of Babenberg.

Other famous landmarks and popular tourist attractions include Forsthaus (tourist info center), Wiener Tor (gate), Linzer Tor (gate), Rathausplatz (square), Town Hall, Lebzelterhaus (pharmacy), Kolomanbrunnen (market), Sterngasse (main street), Haus am Stein (town's oldest building), Round Tower, Schiffsmeisterhaus, Old Post Office (convention center), Pfarrkirche (Gothic church), Schallaburg (Renaissance castle).

Melk Abbey is famous for having the tomb of Saint Coloman of Stockerau (Irish), as well as the remains of Austria's first rulers - the Babenbergs. The settlement was first mentioned in 831 AD, and received market town rights in 1227. The current-day town's economy is largely dependent on businesses like Landesklinikum Mostviertel Melk (State Hospital with ~200 beds), Kraftwerk Melk (1982-inaugurated hydropower plant operated by Verbund AG/Austria's largest electricity supply company), and tourism.

On cruise shore excursions/roundtrip bus tours from Melk (where your riverboat remains moored) can visit Czechia's Cesky Krumlov. The town is on the Vltava River and is famous for its castle complex, which is one of Europe's largest - occupying 7 hectares / 17 acres and consisting of 40x buildings, 5x castle courts, 1x castle park. The Cesky Krumlov excursion features a 1,5-hour guided tour and ~4-5 hours of free time in the town.