Melk Abbey

This is Monday morning and we have beautiful weather as we enter the Wachau Valley.  The first appearance of the monumental Benedictine Abbey Church takes your breath away.  High above the Danube, it stands as a sentry much as the first Roman fortress did in 1st century AD.

What a contradiction this appears as it was designed as a retreat for Benedictine monks sworn to poverty and a simple life.  Instead, it epitomizes the ebullient confidence and extravagance of the Baroque  style.  After many earlier versions are reduced to rubble by fires, the current buildings were completed in 1746--actually rather recent considering some of the really ancient buildings we have seen throughout Germany.

The Abby Church is impressive with a full complement of Baroque elements including frescoes, marbeling, gilding, sculptures, stucco work and a stunning high altar crowned by a 210 foot high cupola.  ( doesn't look like poverty to us).

The Abbey is a working monestery with 30 monks.  About

half of them actually live in the Abbey. The others are local parish

Priests.  There is a secondary school which is a private Catholic 

school with 900 students.

We didn't see the Abbey at night, but what a beautiful sight.