This was the final stop of our Austria drive before we hit Vienna for our flight home. I made sure…read moreour travels included a stop at the abbey since it was a large UNESCO site, high above the Danube River and had some impressive rooms inside. The signage throughout the city of Melk was plenty and clearly directed us to the parking lot above the abbey. Remember to take your parking ticket for free validation at the ticket office. It was around a 10 minute walk from the parking lot to the main ticketing desk. Don't go to the garden ticket booth unless you have a ticket or only want to pay for the garden visit. Admission included access to the church (amazing detail), museum, library (open but under renovation), gardens (with a must see interior of the Pavilion main hall), bastion (panoramic views above Melk and Danube) and the Marble Room (beautiful ceiling paintings). We joined the English guided tour for 4 Euros per person (Skippable IMO) and ended in the library as the guides were not allowed into the final stop, the church. From the guided tour one of the most important highlight was the famous Melk Cross, with a splinter of the true cross, had been stolen twice and fought over (Vienna and Melk) but now was no longer on display due to its condition. Since this was an active abbey photos were not allowed once inside by policy. Sometime the docents would stop you but other times not (ie. adult chaperones overseeing a school field trip). Guided tour took almost one hour but by the time we wrapped up our visit a storm moved in. We missed taking photos from the city of Melk to show just how large this complex was. If you're visiting Vienna then take a side trip out here. It will be worth it.

Melk Abbey Visited…read morethe abbey on an all-day tour starting in Vienna, then heading to Hallstatt and Salzburg. We were only there for 45 minutes, so I just had time to run in and admire the beautiful church. That was more than enough to know I have to return to Austria to properly explore the abbey and the entire Wachau Valley. What a place!!!

Very interesting museum; very worthwhile stop. Super views too. Ceiling frescos throughout the…read more2nd floor. Has a tower up to an unbelievable 360 degree glass-in viewing station for the valley and mountains Has a very interesting natural history of the area woods, animals, birds, mining; and an exhibit today of world religions

From the owner: Natur und Kultur des Bezirkes Liezen im Überblick - mit unvergesslicher Aussicht auf den Grimming…read moreund die umgebende Landschaft Öffnungszeiten 24. März bis 31. Oktober Mo-So, Feiertag 10 - 17 Uhr

It's an interesting building as there are hardly straight walls. I liked the exhibitions though not…read moreoverwhelming except for the alpine exhibition in the basement.

The new building of the Landesgalerie Niederösterreich is a creative addition to the European art…read morescene. Designed by the brothers Bernhard and Stefan Marte, it has instantly transformed the Lower Austria State Museum in Krems an der Donau into a destination museum. From outside it appears almost like a canonical head piece. The inside gallery spaces are open, there is a top floor terrace overlooking the Danube River, and the public spaces on the ground floor are invitingly done. Especially wow is the cafe with lots of windows and yet a cool lighting and design scheme. Oh yes there is also the art. The permanent collection is small but of course has paintings by the world-famous favorite son of Niederösterreich - the great Egon Schiele. And there will always be several special exhibitions going on at any one time. Krems is about an hour northwest of Vienna right on the Danube River. It has always been a pretty city to visit with great local wines. Now there's another reason to head to Krems!

While the town of Ebensee has a nice museum commemorating the Ebensee Concentration Camp…read more(Konzentrationslager Ebensee or KZ Ebensee), this is the actual site. After the war, the area was rezoned for a housing development and much of the camp is now family homes and gardens. However, some of the site remains along with a memorial wall. The museum in town is also on yelp and called "Zeitgeschichte Museum und KZ-Gedenkstätte Ebensee" and you should start there and then come visit the actual site. Its web site is http://www.memorial-ebensee.at/ There is no website for the site, but you can get lots of great info on wikipedia or at: http://en.tracesofwar.com/article/1287/Memorial-and-Cemetery-Concentration-Camp-Ebensee.htm There is not much parking or even great signage to get to the camp location, but it is worth a visit. There are also "Tunnels" you can visit that were dug by this camp's prisioners during the war to hide underground the V2 rocket production. The museum can tell you more.

Frau Redl ist ein Juwel als Kulturvermittlerin. Die Geschichte des Thronfolgers und seiner Frau…read morewurde so lebhaft und menschlich dargebracht. Selten wurde Geschichte so gut vermittelt.

In the wonderful Niberlungengau of Austria (a scenic less-touristy region along the Danube River…read morethan the Wachau), lies the castle belonging to the Hohenberg family and the final resting place of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie. Yes That Franz Ferdinand! This peaceful setting is a far cry from the dusty streets of Sarajevo where he was assassinated in 1914 - a murder that led to the Great War or World War I. This is a beautiful castle surrounded by a pleasant park. The museum is filled with memorabilia about Franz Ferdinand and his family - his descendants still live here. The tombs of the Archduke and Duchess are here to be visited underneath the lovely church. And when you are finished touring, the cafe is a perfect place for a bite to eat and some local wine to drink....especially on a warm sunny day when you can sit out on the terrace overlooking the Nibelungengau and Danube River. Schloss (Castle) Artstetten is def worth a visit - and you'll learn some history at the same time!