Melk Abbey above the town of Melk, reflected in the Danube in Austria.
Featured Cruises to Melk, Austria
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Cruises to Melk, Austria
Melk is a small town on the Danube in Lower Austria, famous for Melk Abbey, a Benedictine monastery founded in 1089 and rebuilt in its present baroque form between 1702 and 1736, which rises on a rocky outcrop above the river. Its library and its frescoed church are the showpieces, and the abbey is part of the Wachau Cultural Landscape, the 22-mile (36 km) stretch of the Danube between Melk and Krems that was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. The town below, home to about 5,500 people, was first recorded in 831.
What is there to do in Melk on a river cruise? The abbey is the reason to stop, and most visitors pair a tour of its church, library and grand rooms with a stroll through the small old town at its foot, around the Rathausplatz and the painted houses of Sterngasse. Inside the abbey, the library holds rare medieval manuscripts, and the church is decorated with frescoes by Johann Michael Rottmayr and Paul Troger. Many itineraries also sail through the Wachau the same day, past steep vineyards, apricot orchards and riverside wine towns.
Cruises to Melk are Danube river cruises, led by AmaWaterways and Viking River, along with Emerald, Avalon, Uniworld and Scenic. A few ocean itineraries also include a stop here.
Put the abbey first, since it is what you came for, and save some time afterward for the old town and for a spot on deck when the ship sails into the Wachau.
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Destinations for Cruises to Melk, Austria
The following cruise destinations can be visited on a cruise that includes Melk, Austria. Select a destination to view the upcoming cruises that are available:
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Pricing listed above is per person, based on double occupancy in the least expensive accommodations available, is subject to change, and may not reflect the most recent pricing (as pricing gets updated throughout the day). Prices include Required Cruise Fees & Expenses, as well as Government Taxes & Fees. Prices may not reflect discounts and special promotions that you may qualify for. Go to the Category selection step of the online booking process to view the live pricing and latest offers.
Cruise Lines with Cruises to Melk, Austria
The following cruise lines offer cruises sailing to Melk, Austria. Select a cruise line to view the upcoming cruises that visit Melk, Austria:
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River Cruise Lines
Becoming more and more popular, a river cruise is an immerse and destination-focused vacation experience, on a small and luxurious vessel.
River cruises sail through the inland waterways of some of the world's most interesting vacation destinations (i.e. Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and North America), and provide their guests with a greater opportunity to spend time visiting more unique ports of call than a traditional cruise typically would.
Because the destination is the star of a river cruise, (typically guided) shore excursions are included at no additional charge by many River cruise lines. There are usually many interesting lectures given during the cruise, by experts on the history and culture of the region being visited.
Among the famous rivers that one may take a river cruise on are the Rhine, Mississippi, Seine, Danube, Mekong, Nile, Yangtze, Amazon and Douro.
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Premium Cruise Lines
These cruise lines enhance what mainstream cruise lines typically offer, by providing their guests with higher quality service and cuisine, along with more spacious public spaces and accommodations.
Depending on the cruise line, the ships in this class range in size from small to very large.
These cruise lines appeal to a more discerning traveler, and are typically more expensive than mainstream cruise lines, but more affordable than the luxury lines.
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Specialty Cruise Lines
These cruise lines offer a truly unique vacation experience, with a wide range of possible amenities and itineraries. Some are expedition cruise lines, others have sailing yachts or are coastal ships.
On these types of cruise lines, there's usually a focus on a specific destination or theme. Itineraries are usually very destination intensive, aided by the fact that they're able to reach many ports of call that larger ships can't.
Expedition cruise lines are a great fit for adventure-seeking travelers, featuring exciting destinations like the Galapagos Islands, Antarctica, and the Norwegian coast. During the cruise, there will usually be plenty of interesting lectures given by experts on the destination being visited. Often, shore excursions are included in the cost of the cruise. In fact, some of these cruise lines have all-inclusive pricing. There's a definite focus on the ship's surrounding scenery, as well as opportunities to view wildlife in their natural habitat. Small, but comfortable, ships are commonplace here, with anywhere from basic to very luxurious public spaces, cuisine, and accommodations (depending on the cruise line and ship).
Sailing Yachts, sail-assisted motor ships, offer a really unique vacation experience. Accommodations and cuisine on these intimate vessels can be anywhere from good to fantastic, depending on the cruise line. Destinations offered by these cruise lines may include the Caribbean, Europe, Panama Canal, Tahiti, and Costa Rica.
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Deluxe Cruise Lines
These cruise lines fit (quality and, usually, price-wise) somewhere in between Premium and Luxury cruise lines.
A country club casual atmosphere can be expected on these lines, as can be elegant accommodations and gourmet cuisine. These cruise lines are a great option for adults looking for a upscale, yet laid back, vacation.
Unique itineraries are often available on these cruise lines, as their small-to-mid-sized ships can visit ports of call that large ones can't get to.
The pricing on Azamara Club Cruises includes select beverages and pre-paid gratuities, while the pricing of Viking Ocean Cruises includes shore excursions and select beverages.
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Luxury Cruise Lines
When the finest cruise vacation is your top priority, this is the place to start.
On a luxury cruise line, guests experience highly personalized service, a more intimate (and usually formal) onboard experience, gourmet cuisine, well-appointed accommodations, and fantastic amenities. Many of these brands have smaller ships, allowing them to reach ports of call that the larger ships can't, which results in unique itineraries.
All of these brands feature a version of all-inclusive pricing, and some of them have ships with all-suite accommodations. Although these cruise lines are usually more expensive than the rest, they also provide their guests with so much more, resulting in a fantastic value when considering all that's included.
One of the world's leaders in luxury river cruising, AmaWaterways (formerly named Amadeus Waterways), is an excellent option for more discerning and experienced travelers. With exquisitely decorated twin-balcony staterooms, delicious locally sourced cuisine, a complimentary Wellness Program, the Sun Deck with a pool, and bicycles to explore on your own, AmaWaterways' new ships are among the most state-of-the-art ships cruising the rivers of Europe, Africa, Asia and South America.
An award-winning river cruise line, Avalon Waterways offers luxury river cruises throughout the rivers of Europe, Southeast Asia, Egypt, and South America, including the Galapagos Islands. Their ships are among the youngest and most innovative in the river cruising industry. They feature spacious accommodations, fantastic cuisine, and captivating itineraries. As a part of the Globus family of brands, many of Avalon's cruises can be combined with a Globus land package, creating a truly unique vacation package. Thanks to Avalon Waterways' relationship with Globus, they can offer inspired enrichment on their cruises through guided sightseeing tours, daily port lectures, and VIP access to key destinations.
Until you personally experience the five-star service for which Celebrity Cruises is acclaimed, you won't know what it means to be treated not simply as a passenger, but as an honored guest. Fabulous service, great food, and entertaining shows are all available onboard each Celebrity cruise ship. AquaClass accommodations, balcony staterooms with special spa amenities and access, are available on most Celebrity ships. The line also offers a state-of-the-art Spa with first-at-sea fitness programs aboard all vessels. Consistently rated as one of the best cruise lines in the world, you simply can't go wrong with Celebrity Cruises.
Sail along some of the most beautiful rivers in Europe and explore some of the most fascinating destinations on a CroisiEurope river cruise. Experience some of Europe’s most historical sites and finest culinary masterpieces aboard an intimate CroisiEurope cruise ship while receiving top-notch service from the staff. Whether you want to relax on a soothing river tour or go on a fascinating land excursion, make a reservation with CroisiEurope, one of the most affordable and ecological-friendly family-owned river cruise lines in the world.
Founded in 2014, originally as Emerald Waterways, Emerald Cruises, is an award-winning deluxe cruise line well known for its great value and contemporary style, offering both river and yacht cruises. Included in an Emerald Cruises vacation is a wonderful selection of dining and beverage options, as well as a selection of shore excursions for when you are exploring on land. Wine, beer and soft drinks are included during lunch and dinner aboard their Star-Ships and their yacht, with complimentary tea and coffee all day long. Bottled water is provided in your room, and is replenished daily. Their onboard cuisine uses local, fresh ingredients, further immersing you into the destination being explored. WiFi is included standard and tipping is included, which are both otherwise significant expenses that you won't have to consider during your vacation.
For nearly 50 years, Lindblad Expeditions has been taking their guests on expedition style trips around the world. Through their alliance with National Geographic, they're able to provide a unique variety of special features on their cruises. For instance, all Lindblad expeditions are joined by National Geographic experts, and their guests may be able to use state-of-the-art equipment including bow cameras, ROVs, kayaks, undersea cameras, hydrophones, video-microscopes, crittercams. Some of the destinations offered by Lindblad Expeditions are the exotic Galapagos Islands, Egypt, Alaska, South America, Antarctica, the Mexican Riviera, and Europe.
Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours is a 5-star luxury cruise line, providing all-inclusive river and ocean journeys through Europe, Asia, Australia, and more. Scenic Luxury provides award-winning service and exceeds expectations of comfort and luxury with a small ship experience. Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours has a diverse selection of dining and beverage options, as well as a selection of shore excursions for when you want to explore land. Wine, beer and soft drinks are included aboard their Space-Ships. Bottled water is provided in your room, and is replenished daily. Their onboard cuisine uses local, fresh ingredients, further immersing you into the destination being explored. WiFi and tipping is included, which are both otherwise significant expenses that you won't have to consider during your vacation.
One of the world's leaders in premium land tours also offers fantastic river cruises in Europe, as well as small ship cruises. Their luxurious Tauck River Cruising fleet sails in some of the most famous rivers in the world, such as the Rhine, Rhone, Danube and Seine. Tauck Cruises' small ship fleet provides expedition and cultural journey cruises worldwide. Every one of their river cruises is all-inclusive, providing guests with a great value, pairing fantastically with their intimate, club-like onboard atmosphere and the uncommon access they get their guests via exclusive cultural experiences on their included excursions ashore.
Uniworld, one of America's leaders in river cruise/tour programs to Europe, Portugal, Russia, China, India, and Egypt offers more itineraries on more rivers aboard more ships than any other travel company. Few river cruise lines even come close to offering the quality and diversity of choices you have with Uniworld. With over 500 departures, more than 40 itineraries, and a great crew-to-guest ratio (1 to 3) there is simply no better way to travel.
Viking Ocean Cruises is the sister company of world-renowned Viking River Cruises. This line launched with one vessel, Viking Star, in 2015, and now consists of 11 vessels, with 2 more sister ships to follow in 2025-2026. Itineraries include 8- to 32-day adventures all over Europe and the Mediterranean all year round and exclusive voyages to China and Japan in the fall plus World Cruises that can last 121 to 138 days. All staterooms on Viking ocean ships have a veranda, so you can enjoy the sights and smells of the open ocean at all times. With a concentration on ports with rich heritages and plenty of local experts to learn from, Viking Ocean Cruises cater to those yearning to learn as they vacation. There's a great value here, with meals, guided shore excursions, free Wi-Fi, complimentary beverages, hotel accommodations during city portions of your itinerary (if you purchase a cruise tour), as well as lectures and various live performances all being included in the p
Viking River Cruises operates the world’s largest fleet of deluxe vessels built specifically for river travel. Viking sails in the rivers of Europe, Asia, Africa, and the US, including the Rhine, Main, Moselle, Danube, Elbe, Seine, Douro, Nile, Mekong, and Mississippi. Their pricing includes Wi-Fi, meals, lectures, activities, shore excursions, hotel accommodations on cruisetours, and more. Complimentary specialty coffee and teas are available 24 hours, and free bottled water is replenished daily. While on a Viking River cruise, you can expect world-class service, cultural enrichment, and accommodations with hotel-style beds and spacious showers.
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Things to do in Melk, Austria
Melk is all about its abbey on the bluff, with a pocket-sized old town below and the Wachau Valley waiting downstream.
♦ Melk Abbey
Monks have lived on this bluff since 1089, when the margrave Leopold II gave his castle here to Benedictines from Lambach Abbey. The vast baroque complex seen today was designed by Jakob Prandtauer. It is still a working monastery, with a school whose roots go back to the 12th century, which gives a visit the feel of a living place rather than a museum.
♦ The Abbey Library
The library is one of the treasures of the abbey, holding rare medieval manuscripts and a large collection of baroque books. Its fame reaches into literature: Umberto Eco named the young monk Adso of Melk in The Name of the Rose after the abbey. For many visitors, this room is the highlight of the day.
♦ The Abbey Church and Marble Hall
The baroque abbey church is decorated with frescoes by Johann Michael Rottmayr and Paul Troger. The Marble Hall, one of the abbey's grand rooms, was restored with other interiors after a fire in 1974 damaged the abbey, in work that ran from 1978 to 1995.
♦ Melk Old Town
Below the abbey, the Rathausplatz is framed by a town hall of 1575 and a fountain topped by a statue of St. Koloman. Nearby, Sterngasse, the town's oldest lane, has painted house walls, and the Haus am Stein dates from the 15th century. It is compact enough to explore on foot, an easy add-on after the abbey.
♦ The Wachau Valley
Downstream from Melk, the Danube winds through the Wachau, a landscape of steep vineyards, apricot orchards and historic small towns such as Durnstein and Spitz. Sailing this stretch on deck is one of the scenic highlights of a Danube river cruise, so find a seat outside when the ship leaves.
Average Monthly Weather for Melk, Austria
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The information above is provided for informational purposes only. Monthly statistics are based on the most recent instance of that month. Weather is subject to change and cannot be guaranteed. The data is provided by a third-party and we accept no liability regarding its accuracy.
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