The Austria Travel Guide!

1. Vienna

If you are a lover of art, music, amazing food and pastries as well as stunning architecture, then Vienna is the city for you! I profoundly believe this is one of the greatest European cities there is. Here, no matter what your age or interests might be, if you are tired of Vienna, you are tired of life. 

Recommended time to stay -  4 nights

Where to stay: Palais Coburg Hotel , Hotel Kaiserhof Wien , Austria Classic Hotel Wien
Where to eat: Restaurant Rote Bar , Café Central , Demel Bakery , Clementine im Glahouse , 
​Tian Restaurant , Original Sacher torte
What to do: Spanish Riding School , Schönbrunn Palace Concert , City Carriage Ride
​- I would definitely recommend that you take some time to stroll around Stadt Park, in the Inner Stadt district. You will find a number of locals riding bikes, exercising, having picnics whilst enjoying the peace and quiet of its surroundings. 
- Naschmarket, located near Karlplatz, is a great place for lunch as well as for finding fresh fruits, vegetables, spices and locally made crafts. 
​How to get around:
Vienna has a great public transportation system. I suggest you get a daily or a week pass to use public transport, depending for how long you will be staying. It will take you pretty much anywhere either by subway or tram. 

Stephansplatz

Karlplatz

Naschmarket 

Schloss Schönbrunn

Palais Coburg Hotel 

Spanish Riding School 

Schloss Belvedere 

View from the top of St. Stephan's Cathedral!

2. Salzburg

Recommended time to stay 2-3 nights

Where to stay: Arthotel Blue Gans , Hotel Sacher Salzburg , Hotel Schloss Leopolskron 
Where to eat: Café Mozart , St. Peter’s Stiftskeller (possibly the world's oldest restaurant), 
Carpe Diem Lounge-Café , Grünmarkt
What to do: Classical Music Concert , Sound of Music Tour
​How to get around: 
​Salzburg is a very pedestrian friendly city as most attractions are close by and within walking distance. You can always book a taxi with 81-11 Taxis, or buy a tram pass. 

Schloss Mirabell. Aside from its beautiful gardens, this place is known for the many scenes from the sound of music that were shot here. 

In pretty much every corner of the city, you will encounter something Mozart related. Salzburg is his birth place after all and Austrians take pride in it. 

If you come to Austria you will basically be bombarded with lots and lots of cakes, or tortes as they call them, to choose from. 

Just as seen in Paris and other major cities of the world, Makartsteg Bridge features love locks that couples around the world come here to place. 

Christmas is a really big deal here, so expect to find ornaments and decor as early as July. As a matter of fact, Salzburg is known for their one of a kind Christmas Markets! You can find more info here!

One of the things I love the most about this city are these reading spaces filled with Bean Bags for people to sit back, grab a book and relax. 

3. Linz, St. Gilgen, Mondsee

Recommended time to stay: 1 night (In between Vienna and Salzburg)
OR 3 nights in the winter for skiing 

Linz, located in Upper Austria, is the countries third largest city. The city is undoubtedly charming with a variety baroque style buidings, cathedrals and its major modern art collection. At a short drive away you can encounter some of the most gorgeous alpine sceneries and lakes such as Mondsee and St. Gilgen. Mondsee is perfect for sailing, water sports or simply relaxing in a peaceful ambiance. This area is a popular destination for skiing in the winter. St. Gilgen is the tiniest area that is mostly known for being Mozart's mother's home town.

Where to stay: See Hotel Lackner , Art & Style Splitz Hotel , Parkhotel Billtroth

Linz city centre

St. Gilgen

Lake Mondsee

Lake Mondsee

4. Hallstatt 

I fell in love with Hallstatt before I even knew it existed. After being absorbed by the big city huzzle of cities like London and  Vienna, an escape to this tiny village, nestled in between the most paradisiac mountains and lakes, was very much needed. This is the type of setting looks like something that could only picture in a fairytale; honestly, I kept thinking Snow White and the seven dwarfs were about to pop out any second. Let me tell you,  Hallstatt, in so many ways, is as Austrian as Austria can get! You should undoubtedly place it high on your bucket list!

Where to stay: Seehotel Grüner Baum, Hallstatt Hideaway, Heritage Hotel
To get here, we took the train from Salzburg. The train station is right in front of the lake and we made our way to the village by boat. We then walked to our hotel where we stayed for 2 nights. 

What to do: Make sure you visit Hallstatt's historic Old Town (dating back to the Roman Empire), 
Salz Welten Mines, and the Hallstatt Ossuary.
Hallstat is most beautiful from December to March! Even if it's cold, it will transform into the most astounding winter wonderland! You'll feel like you're in a real life snow globe!

So, Have i convinced you to visit Austria in the near future?

If you have any further questions about my trip to Austria, need any tips or more detailed information on itineraries or how to get around, do not hesitate to contact me! I'll be happy to help!