Melk Abbey Courtyard
We approached the Abby from the parking lot at the top of the hill. We walked through the gardens which are on three levels connected by a stairway which leads to this main entrance.
After walking through the entrance we enter the courtyard. Here is a 360° view of the courtyard.
The drawing below shows a sketch of the Abby. We entered from the right hand side and walked into the largest square courtyard in the centre of the picture. The other two courtyards are for the students in the school and for the monks. The school has over 920 students in a secondary and preparatory program. The gardens are on the right-hand side and the pathway leading into the foreground connects the Abby with the town below.
The Wachau Valley was included in the UNESCO world Heritage list of cultural landscape sites in the year 2000.
I am glad that you included the sketch of the Abbey. It gives a sense of space that the photos cannot convey.