Advice for one week in Austria?

Question

Hi,

My partner and I are heading to Austria for one week before Xmas. We fly in and out of Salzburg. I know very little about Austria, other than the Xmas markets are supposed to be good. My question is, what are the best highlights? We do not want to rush around too much and are wondering if it is better to hire a car, or get a train pass. Thanks

Answer 1

I just returned from Austria a week ago, I stayed for 10 days.

Hellbrunn Castle is in Salzberg and they were just setting up the Advent/Christmas Market when I was there took a brief tour of the gardens - the castle is closed until springtime for touring.

Also, don't forget to see Mozart's house in the City of Salzberg, that's a great tourist attraction, they give tours all day.  

Mozart candy (kugel) is available EVERYWHERE in that country, even at gas stations, so don't forget to pick up some while you're there.  There's a fantastic shopping area in Salzberg with great candy and shopping and desserts.  It's a plaza area with an open street for walking.  There's an art museum in the center of the city also.  There's also horsedrawn carriage tours in the main part of the city.

I was staying in Linz, but travelled around to several cities including Vienna, Salzberg, Braunau, Mauthausen, Perg, Donau and the Wachau wine region.

There are many wine houses in the Wachau region that have great local wine offered by farmers in the area.  If you have a chance to visit that area I recommend it.

Vienna was beautiful, and Schoss Shoenbrunn will have their Christmas Market up and running as they did when I visited earlier this month.

The train is convenient to take if you want to travel from Salzberg to Vienna and the trip takes about an hour and 20 minutes or so.

Rent a car, that's probably the most convenient thing to do.

Answer 2

Hi, I lived in Vienna for 11 months.

For one week in Austria, I can advise you :

- one day on Salzburg : you'll see the house of Mozart, and the city, quite small (145 000 citizens) is, specially in the evening, very cozy. You have to visit the fortress of Hohensalzburg, and go to the "Café-Konditorei Fürst", where the Mozart-kugeln (it's a candy) was made for the first time.

- if you like the baroque, you can go to Melk (an hour away from Vienna). There is the summer residence of the old Kings of Austria (specially Maria-Theresien), and a wonderfull baroque church. You can also visit a wine cellar (wine production is quite important there), or taste it in a wine bar (check on the internet for more informations).

- 5 days in Vienna. The capital of Austria is not that large, but there is so much to see :

* the Schönbrunn palace : the Kings of Austria wanted him to be the Austrian Versailles (but, because of wars, it was not possible to build as it was planned). You can visit, during one hour, the most prestigious romms of the castle, then the "Gloriette", the zoo of Schönbrunn (quite huge, 4 hours at least). If you are lucky, it will may be snow for Xmas, and Schönbrunn with snow is very romantic. The "Belvedere Schloss" is really beautiful too, specially the garden with snow.

* you can, during one whole day, visit the center of Vienna, the first district (or "Bezirk" in German), where are the most beautiful church (Kirche in German) of Vienna : the Peterskirche, the Karlskriche (with an elevator, so you can admire the paintings on the cailing), the Stefansom (the cathedral) ; the Staatsoper too, with the New Year Ball.

* there is also the "Hofburg", the residence of the Emperor and the Kings of Austria : there, you can visit the Sissi Museum, the Kaiserappartements (the flat of the King).

* you have to visit the Museum of History of Art, one of the most famous on earth (there is the first of painting showing the winter, for Bruegel), and the Museumsquartier, where the museum of modern art and Leopold museum are.

* the "fiaker" ballad is a good option for a couple.

* the Austrian food has to be tasted : the Kern's Beisel, near from the Peterschurch, will show you what the typically Austrian food is (including a glass of Schnapps before to leave), then go to hte "Grand Central Café" of Vienna, where the dessert are excellent (you can stay there as ong as you want), or to the "Café Europa", on the Kärtner strasse, to taste a "Kaiserschmarr" or an "Apfelstrudel". Try to go to a "Heuriger" restaurant too, around "Heilingenstad".

* you can walk along the Ring, to see the Parlament (to visit, check on the internet, because it's planned, and you can't visit it freely), the Rathaus, with the Xmas market.

* walking in the first district is very nice too, a lots of buildings are very beautiful, the city is clean, it's a real pleasure to be there.

I don't know if rent a car will be the cheapest way, specially because you don't really need a car in Vienna (the subway and tramway are very good). The train could be a good option, and to go to Melk, it's only one hour away with the train (70 minutes by car).

Don't forget some warm clothes, it could be very cold in Vienna (between 0 and 10° F).

I hope I answer to your question. If you need more informations, you can send me an email to "[e-mail]".

Enjoy you journey in Austria.