Melk

The must-see in Melk. The abbey is built on a bluff overlooking the Danube River to the northwest and the town center to the south. Most of the design of the present abbey (a reconstruction started in 1702) was by the architect Jakob Prandtauer. The 200m-long Kaisergang (Imperial Corridor and Abbey Museum) is decorated with portraits of Austrian rulers. The Marmorsaal (Marble Hall) contains pilasters coated in red marble; a richly painted allegorical picture on the ceiling is the work of Paul Troger. The Bibliothek (Library), rising two floors, again with a Troger ceiling, contains some 80,000 volumes. The Stiftskirche (Abbey Church), with its 200-ft dome and symmetrical twin towers, dominates the abbey complex and emphasizes its sacred purpose. Damaged by fire in 1947, the church is now almost completely restored, even to the gold-bullion gilding of statues and altars.

Originally designed as a Baroque park in 1750, and replanted in 1822 as an English garden.

Built in 1792 by the Viennese architect Franz Wipplinger, the building now houses a collection of prehistoric artifacts from the region, as well as a photographic archive and library. Special exhibits change annually.

Built in 1575.

Built in the 15th century, this is the oldest building in Melk. The building is a private residence but can be appreciated from the outside.

The accordion was invented in Vienna in 1829, and since then became popular around the world. This private museum has 250 accordions, including some very rare and eccentric pieces, with the oldest dating from 1860.

From April 1944 until liberation in April 1945 this site was a concentration camp, operated as a branch of the main camp in Mauthausen. Approximately 5,000 Jews lost their lives here. The former crematorium has been preserved as a memorial.

A well-preserved German Renaissance castle, on a site occupied since the Roman occupation; the foundation dates to the Romanesque period. Special architectural features include the courtyard with terracotta figures and the Renaissance garden. The building is now a museum with specially-themed, annually rotating exhibits.