Hauptstraße (Main Street), Melk

Ambling down Main Street feels like stepping through stacked chapters of Melk’s past: medieval plots sit behind later Baroque façades, with 19th-century shopfronts tying it all together. Window-browse for local crafts, pause at cafés, and drop into tasting rooms celebrating the region’s signature apricot specialities.

Keep an eye on the “Red Thread” way finding route-Melk’s 1.5-km themed trail is marked through the old town and up toward the abbey. Following it from the center brings you past highlights like the Old Post House and other historic stops that reveal how the town grew beneath the abbey’s terrace.

Fun fact: If you trace the Red Thread from Main Street toward the river, you’re literally following a modern nod to centuries of town planning-Melk’s version joins a small club of European cities that paint a “red line” through their historic cores to guide visitors.