Melk Abbey has the size of a small village:

1 365 windows, 497 rooms, 2.2 ha (5.44 acres) of roofage.

The library holds 100 000 books, including 1 800 manuscripts.

A guided tour takes approximately 50 minutes and includes the museum rooms, the Marble Hall, the balcony and the library. For the complete visit (abbey incl. church, abbey park with Baroque pavilion between April to October, Northern Bastion with Wachau Lab, and special exhibitions) we recommend that a stay of at least 2.5 hours.

Melk abbey has a parking lot for cars and busses. Please follow the street signs STIFT MELK-P.

GPS address for the abbey visit: Stiftsstrasse or point of interest: Stift Melk

(Suppliers should please ask for correct address in advance.)

Groups and individual visitors who purchase admission tickets to Melk Abbey may use the parking lot free of charge. The parking ticket must be validated at the cash desk (first courtyard) when buying the admission tickets. Within 15 minutes after drawing a parking ticket, the parking lot can be left free of charge/without validation of the parking ticket.

Groups (with or without guided tour) should make a reservation in advance under tours(at)stiftmelk.at

Individual travelers and groups get tickets on the spot at the ticket office in the first abbey courtyard.

Groups must make a reservation for a guided tour.

Individual travelers can always buy tickets for the next guided tour for individual travelers on the spot. It is, however, also possible to pre-book tickets under tours(at)stiftmelk.at .

A ticket to the monastery includes:

a visit of the abbey museum, the Marble Hall, the balcony, the library, and the abbey church, as well as the Northern Bastion with the Wachau Lab (year-round) and from April to October it includes the abbey park with its Baroque pavilion as well.

The pier for local liner cruises and cabin river cruises is located on the Danube: you go along Fährstraße, cross the green lifting bridge, walk through the pedestrian area of the city center and then up the stairs (or alternatively along Wiener Straße without stairs) to Melk abbey. Duration: approx. 30 minutes

Yes. The entrance to the abbey park is included in the normal admission ticket for Melk abbey. Guests who want to visit only the abbey park can get tickets for the abbey park and the Northern bastion at the entrance to the abbey park. Tickets for the abbey visit (incl. park) are available at the ticket office in the first abbey courtyard.

With prior reservation, guided tours for groups are possible every day in German, English and French (to some extent also in Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Russian, and Hungarian).

Individual travelers can join guided tours in the following languages:

German:
May – September: daily at 10 am / 11 am / 12 pm / 1 pm / 2 pm / 3 pm / 4 pm
April & October: daily at 10 am / 11 am / 12 pm / 1 pm / 2 pm / 3 pm
November – March: daily at 11 am / 1.30 pm / 3 pm

English:
May – September: daily at 10.55 am / 1.55 pm / 2.55 pm
April & October: daily at 10.55 am / 2.55 pm
November – March: daily at 11 am / 1.30 pm / 3 pm

French:
May – September: daily at 3.05 pm

Spanish:
May – September: daily at 2.50 pm

Italian:
July – August: daily at 2.45 pm

Yes, most of the abbey visit is wheelchair-accessible (exception: the interior visits of the garden pavilion and of the mineral collection are not wheelchair-accessible, and the gravel paths in the abbey park can cause difficulties for wheelchair users). There are some alternative entryways for wheelchair users, so we ask impaired guests to please check in at the ticket office / information counter in the first courtyard so that we can assist them.

Is it allowed to take photos in Melk abbey?

For copyright reasons and with due regard to the religious context, privacy regulations, personality rights, the protection of art treasures, and the orderly operation of this cultural monument, it is not allowed to take photos or videos in the interior rooms of Melk abbey.

In the abbey’s outdoor areas (balcony, abbey park, garden pavilion, inner courtyards and Northern bastion) it is allowed to take photos for private purposes.

Every commercial utilization of photos is prohibited and requires special permission. Photos of the complete abbey building may not be marketed or sold through commercial photo agencies or private web pages.

It is allowed to publish private souvenir photos on private pages of Facebook, Google+, Twitter, as well as on private homepages, with due regard to privacy regulations and personality rights. It is, however, forbidden to publish photos of the abbey on photo portals (e.g. Flickr or 500px).

For the use of remote-controlled drones, UAVs, multicopters, or the like above abbey grounds to take aerial photographs or videos or for any other purposes, a permit is absolutely necessary and is therefore only allowed upon consultation of the monastery, because flying devices can lead to extended risks for persons and objects, and can cause the possible violation of rights (e.g. personality rights) and disturbances in the operation of this cultural monument. If you have further questions, please write to foto(at)stiftmelk.at

Is it allowed for a photographer to take professional pictures of Melk abbey? Where and how do you get a photo permit?

For all professional photo shoots, filming and sound recording on the entire premises of Melk abbey (interior and exterior), a prior written permit is necessary (please send your request to foto(at)stiftmelk.at at least 7 days in advance).

Authorized photos and films of the abbey premises may only be used for the previously approved purpose. Every other use is only allowed upon consultation of the monastery. It is forbidden to market or sell authorized pictures through commercial photo agencies or private web sites. Taking photos, filming and recording is only possible at the times previously approved by a representative of Melk abbey.

The monastery has large photo archives and would be pleased to provide photos free of charge for articles, travel preparations etc. Please write to foto(at)stiftmelk.at .

Is it possible to take wedding photos in Melk abbey?

For couples who get married in Melk abbey, it is possible to take photos in the outdoor areas of the monastery. But it is imperative to make a request and get a permit from a representative of Melk abbey under foto(at)stiftmelk.at .

Is is possible to use drones, multicopters etc. above abbey grounds?

For all aerial photographs taken from above abbey grounds, a prior written permit is necessary (please send your request to foto(at)stiftmelk.at at least 7 days in advance). Permits are granted only in exceptional cases and under strict conditions, because flying devices can lead to extended risks for persons and heritage-protected objects, and can cause the possible violation of other rights.

Dogs are allowed in the courtyards of the monastery, but we ask dog owners to keep their dogs on a leash. In the interior rooms and in the abbey park dogs are not allowed, with the exception of official service and guide dogs.