Donau Walzer: Melk 2

Actual date: April 2, 2014

Continuing our tour of Melk Abbey, apparently the Abbey has the longest hallway in the world. Here is a photo of a porcelain oven used to heat the rooms in the abbey. These are fed from the back. The marble hall is immense and imposing. There was no artificial light, yet it was bright with the daylight only, which entered the long side windows as well as the clearstory windows. Marble was in gray, red and yellow, decorated with gold leaf. Our tour guide is in the second photo. The third photo shows the amazing fresco on the ceiling of the marble room. Our tour group mills around the large room. The room was heated through this beautiful grill in the floor. Clearstory windows that join the room with the rest of the building opened up like butterfly wings. Two views from the balcony of the abbey are shown. Two views of the abbey from outside on the balcony. Two more views from the balcony of the abbey, one of which looks toward the Danube.

Now we are in the Melk Abbey church. Enough gold leaf for everyone???? The St. Michael altar (painting by Johann Michael Rottmayr, 1723). Note how the ballisters of the railing are the same as the Vatican and other churches build in the 1600's. A closeup of the sarcophagus in the St. Michael altar. The chancel is ornate and covered in gold leaf. The organ at the rear of the church. A closeup of the main altar. The Coloman altar in the transept. A closeup of the ballisters in the railing. The St. John the Baptist altar (painting by J.M. Rottmayr, 1727). A closeup of the sarcophagus of the St. John altar. A closeup of the detail gold leaf work below the clearstory windows in the church.

We also toured the famous library, but photos were not allowed. More photos of Melk abbey can be seen here and they include the library.

Back outside, we decided to walk back down to the ship through the cute little town of Melk. Of course the abbey can be seen from everywhere in the town. We might have stopped at a café like this one, but the streets and sidewalks were completely torn up with construction, so much so, that it was even difficult to walk. As you can see, the abbey towers above the town. Construction even filtered down towards the canal. This little "Ferryman" tavern was right near where our ship was docked. The Viking Legend at mooring in Melk.

Next we sail for Dürnstein!