Where to Stay in Melk [Best Places to Stay for 2024]

Melk is a small town in Austria around 85 km west of the capital Vienna on the Danube River in the Lower Austria region. Though there are barely 5,000 permanent residents, Melk makes up for that number with around half a million annual visitors.

Melk’s location in the stunning Wachau river valley, famous for wineries, medieval castles, and monasteries is the reason behind its popularity. If you love wine, history, and beautiful landscapes then Melk would be the perfect destination for you to visit!

Figuring out where to stay in Melk will largely depend on your chosen form of transportation. You can easily travel to Melk by train from Vienna by changing lines once at St. Polten station to reach Melk Bahnhof station.

Many visitors to the Wachau valley prefer to rent a car to travel around to different wine regions and historic sites. In this case, you might be looking for budget hotels in Melk because you’re only staying one night. 

Many travellers that drive around the region do so because they have children, and you’ll need extra accommodations.

Or, you might be planning a luxury trip and want to stay in the best places to stay in Melk for a comfortable, extravagant experience. Luckily, Melk and nearby villages can accommodate all needs. 

This guide will cover all the best Melk hotels and accommodation options for all types of travellers. It also includes all the extra info you need to know when staying in or nearby Melk!

We will also cover off all types of Melk accommodation options from Hostels to luxury Melk hotels as well as how to decide where to stay in Melk 2024, the best Melk hotels, best places in Melk to visit, the best places to stay in Melk, hotels near Melk attractions, Melk neighborhood guide and many more.

Melk Town – Where To Stay in Melk for First-Timers

Is it your first time visiting Melk and you don’t know the wider area very well? Staying as close to Melk’s town centre as possible is ideal for where to stay in Melk for first-timers.

This is where you’ll find most of the top things to do in Melk such as Melk Abbey, Paradiesgarten, and lots of smaller parks.

The tourist information centre, Wachau Info-Center Melk, is also in the town and you’ll find lots of local wine shops, restaurants, and cafes too. The nearest winery to Melk is Weingut Ipsmiller.

Melk Abbey is the highlight of the town and the number one reason why most people visit Melk in the first place.

It’s like the Palace of Versailles sitting on a hilltop, not anything like the modest grey stone Benedictine abbey you’d expect to see.

This is a pastel peach Baroque building dating back to the 11th century with lavish, ornate interiors and a stunning view over the town and Danube.

Melk town is where you’ll find Melk’s Bahnhof train station and it’s also close to highways 1, 33, 3a, and A1 if you are driving around Austria.

There are a surprising number of car parks or parking lots for such a small town so you shouldn’t struggle to find a space.

Melk is a very compact and walkable town so, as long as you don’t have any accessibility needs, it’s better to stay close to the town so you can park and forget about your car during your stay.

Though there aren’t many, some of the best and most popular hotels in the area are in Melk town. Travellers of all budgets will be able to find affordable guesthouses and apartments and luxury lodges too.

Where to Stay in Melk Town

Budget Hotels in Melk Town
Pension Weisses Lamm
Pension Babenberger

Mid range Hotels in
 Melk Town
Hotel Stadt Melk
Pension Marillenhof
Madar Café Restaurant Zum Fürsten

Family Friendly Hotels in
 Melk Town
Golden Star – Premium Apartments
Rathauskeller Melk – Die Residenz
Hotel Wachauerhof-Melk

Loosdorf – Where To Stay near Melk on a Budget

Loosdorf is a small village (though it’s bigger than Melk) that is just 6 km (or a 10-minute drive) south of Melk away from the Danube River.

If the accommodation options in Melk town are too expensive or fully booked and you need to know where to stay in Melk on a budget, consider Loosdorf.

This town even has its own castle, Schloss Albrechtsberg. For a small village that receives fewer tourists, there are plenty of restaurants in Loosdorf including traditional Austrian restaurants, fast food eateries, and cafes.

There are no fewer than four supermarkets so if you prefer cooking for yourself while travelling to keep costs low then you can definitely do that in Loosdorf. 

And don’t think you need a car to stay in Loosdorf. This town also has a train station called Loosdorf b. Melk Bahnhof and you can travel there from Melk’s main station via the R 52 regional service.

Yes, it’s slightly outside of the main town centre so you may have to walk 15 or 20 minutes to your accommodation or order a taxi. But it’s definitely doable and the inconvenience may be worth the savings you’ll make staying in Loosdorf! 

If you do have a car, Loosdorf is on the A1 and 1 highways and near tons of petrol or gas stations. And there are lots of parking spaces on the outskirts of the village too.

Most of the accommodation options in Loosdorf are budget motels and affordable guesthouses with rates starting from less than €60 per night. 

Where to Stay in Loosdorf

Budget Hotels in
 Loosdorf
Gasthaus Hofmann

Mid range Hotels in
 Loosdorf
Sleepin Premium Motel Loosdorf

Family Friendly Hotels in
 Loosdorf
Burg Plankenstein

Schrattenbruck – Best Neighbourhood To Stay in Melk With a Car

Most hotels in Melk are designed with the road tripper in mind considering that’s how most people travel through the Wachau valley wine region.

If you’re just passing through and want to see Melk’s highlights while staying close to the main highways for a quick getaway in the morning, Schrattenbruck is a great place to stay. 

It’s one of Melk’s more residential neighbourhoods just 2 km (and a 2-minute drive) from Melk’s town centre.

It’s not recommended that you try to walk the 25 minutes to Melk because it’s along the main highway, which is why it’s a great neighbourhood to stay in with a car! Order a taxi instead if you need one.

Schrattenbruck is right by an intersection between the A1 and the 3a which means you’d be staying super close to multiple petrol or gas stations.

There are no parking garages or lots in Schrattenbruck but it’s a residential neighbourhood and most accommodation options offer spaces.

In fact, most hotels in Schrattenbruck are concentrated in one area by the Grainbach River. Most are budget lodges with homely decor and breakfast included.

Where to Stay in Schrattenbruck

Budget Hotels in Schrattenbruck
Privatzimmer Langthaler

Mid range Hotels in
 Schrattenbruck
Landhof Lydia

Family Friendly Hotels in
 Schrattenbruck
Lugerfarm

Hofamt – Where To Stay in Melk With Family

Hofamt is a small neighbourhood in Emmersdorf an der Donau, which is a town in the district of Melk.

It’s almost directly opposite Melk across the River Danube and Hofamt is where you’ll find the Emmersdorf an der Donau main train station. Melk is only 4 km away from Hofamt (or a five-minute drive) along the 3a highway over the river.

If you’re wondering where to stay in Melk with family, or near Melk, then consider Hofamt. It’s an absolutely charming town with quiet streets lined by pastel-coloured cottages with parks like Stein-Labyrinth offering open spaces for young kids to run around in.

There are two supermarkets and a spacious car park right on the river so you’ll be able to stock up on everything your family needs. There are also a couple of restaurants by the river.

Though there aren’t many accommodation options in Hofamt, what they can offer is quite diverse.

There are inns, lodges, hotels, private apartments, and even a campervan campground. Since many travelling families prefer RV trips over flying abroad, this might be very convenient for you.

Where to Stay in Hofamt

Mid range Hotels in Hofamt
Hotel Donauhof
Hotel Zum Schwarzen Bären

Family Friendly Hotels in Hofamt
Schön Wohnen beim Stift Melk
Haus Sundl – Privatzimmer Vermietung

Hain – Best Melk Town for Luxury Travellers

Like Hofamt, Hain is another neighbourhood in the town of Emmersdorf an der Donau on the River Danube. It’s slightly west of Hofamt, so a little further away from Melk but not by much.

Driving to Melk only takes around six minutes for this 5 km journey. There’s no train station in Hain, but you can hop on a bus to Melk from the Emmersdorf/Donau Seegarten bus stop straight to Melk Bahnhof station. This journey takes around 25 minutes.

Hain is the ideal place to stay near Melk for those seeking solitude and a little bit of luxury. Because of its location right on the River Danube, most accommodation options have stunning views of the water and the abbey in Melk.

There aren’t any supermarkets or petrol stations in this tiny neighbourhood. That’s why it’s perfect for people who prefer to eat in their hotel’s dining room and don’t need other amenities.

Schloss Luberegg is a castle in Hain, but it’s also a Melk resort you can stay in. There are other beautiful lodges where you can enjoy a comfortable stay in the next-door neighbourhoods of Seegarten and St. Georgen.

Where to Stay in Hain

Family Friendly Hotels in
 Hain
Landhotel Wachau

Affordable Luxury Hotels in Hain
Schloss Luberegg

Pöchlarn – Where To Stay near Melk to Live Like a Local

Do you want to visit Melk but don’t like touristy places? Do you prefer to stay in a town where almost everyone is local? Give Pöchlarn a go!

It’s a tiny village, even smaller than Melk, on the River Danube around 14 km west of Melk, which is a short 10-minute drive down the E60 highway. 

You can also travel by train to Pöchlarn station on the regional R 52 service from Melk which takes just 11 minutes.

The station is right in the centre of the village, so you might not need to call a taxi if you don’t have lots of luggage or accessibility needs. There’s also a park-and-ride car park at the station.

Pöchlarn was the hometown of the early 20th-century artist and playwright Oskar Kokoschka. You can visit a museum dedicated to his works as well as Schloss Pöchlarn which is a small castle in the village.

There are only a handful of restaurants here but there is a supermarket, a petrol or gas station, and direct access to the E60 highway so what more could you need?

Well, there are a number of mid-range apartments and guesthouses in Pöchlarn right on the River Danube. If you prefer hotels, you’ll find the best selection by the train station.

Where to Stay in Pöchlarn

Budget Hotels in
 Pöchlarn
Gasthof zum Nibelungenbauer
Hotel Moser

Mid range Hotels in
 Pöchlarn
Fruhstuckspension Barbara
Landgasthof Erber

Family Friendly Hotels in
 Pöchlarn
Privatzimmer Familie Wagner
Nibelungenmotel Pochlarn
Donau-Rad-Hotel Wachauerhof

Marbach an der Donau – Best Off-The-Beaten-Path Town Near Melk

Have you travelled to Melk before and want to stay somewhere different for a change? Maybe you want to stay somewhere bigger?

Marbach an der Donau is a town on the north bank of the River Danube, on the opposite side to Melk. It’s around 18 km west of Melk which takes around 17 minutes to drive.

There isn’t a train station here, but there is a ferry service across to the town of Krummnußbaum which does have a service to Melk via the CJX 5 regional service. This train journey takes around 18 minutes.

There aren’t any gas or petrol stations and there is only one supermarket, but Marbach an der Donau has some lovely secluded hotels on the banks of the river.

Most of them are lodges perfect for drivers passing through the area on a big trip around the Wachau Valley region.

Where to Stay in Marbach an der Donau

Budget Hotels in
 Marbach an der Donau
Gasthof Haselberger

Mid range Hotels in
 Marbach an der Donau
Donau Rad Hotel Restaurant Wachauerhof

Family Friendly Hotels in
 Marbach an der Donau
Landgasthof Zur Schonen Wienerin

Added Extra: Areas To Avoid in Melk

Melk, and the Wachau Valley in general, is an incredibly safe place for tourists of all backgrounds. Common crimes for travellers like pickpocketing and mugging are almost non-existent here.

Of course, use your common sense and don’t be too complacent or trusting of strangers wherever you go. But there aren’t any no-go neighbourhoods or dangerous villages near Melk you should avoid.

But there are some areas you should avoid staying in for other reasons. You might notice that most of the suggested villages and neighbourhoods on this list are either on the outskirts of Melk or to the west down the River Danube.

This is because these villages have train stations and lots of nearby amenities. Villages to the east of Melk like Schwallenbach, Grimsing and Aggsbach might have train stations, but extremely few amenities or things to do nearby.

If you’d like to save it for later, please save it to Pinterest.