Artstetten Castle is an easy excursion from Melk for travellers who want Habsburg history beyond the abbey. The castle is closely associated with Archduke Franz Ferdinand, whose assassination in Sarajevo helped trigger the First World War, and it contains a museum and family tomb.
The setting above the Danube countryside gives the visit a different mood from Melk’s baroque grandeur. It is best for history-minded travellers with a car or local transport plan, since the castle sits outside town rather than in Melk itself.