Using our approach to find an exciting but affordable adventure, last year Sky and I boarded a flight for Vienna, Austria and filled the next seven days with museums, music, and miles of walking around two gems of Europe: Vienna and Salzburg. In this post we will recount highlights from the week, planning tips, and our reflections on an amazing trip.
We had a general idea of the timeframe we wanted to travel, but having flexibility around the exact dates helped us find a great deal on airfare. From there we decided on the high level itinerary: two nights in Vienna, one night in Salzburg, and then two more nights in Vienna before flying out. We used Hotwire to find hotels in Vienna, and for Salzburg we researched on Google Maps before choosing what turned out to be a lovely hotel with walkable access to the historic areas and friendly owners. Once the lodging was set, we sketched out a general plan of the key things we might want to see. The goal here was not to plan every day to the minute, but to have a selection of morning and afternoon options from which to choose, with plenty of room to change things around as we went. We landed in Vienna with a basic plan already in mind, along with useful information like museum schedules and important “know before you go” details. With comfy shoes and good daypacks, we arrived ready to roll!
There is so much to see in Vienna, and we loved every minute of it. Below were our favorite experiences and pictures from our time in this beautiful city.
Getting There / Transportation
- A huge thumbs-up to Austrian Airlines, who got us there on time and in comfort! Our flight stopped once for a layover and landed in Vienna bright and early at 8:15 in the morning.
- We packed light, each with a single carry-on suitcase and a backpack to carry essentials during the day: water, camera, a light jacket, and small essentials.
- To get from the Vienna International Airport into the city, we considered the express CAT train for €15, but the S7 U-Bahn subway line made the identical trip to the Mitte Wien train station and was included in the 7 day transportation passes we purchased at the kiosk right outside the entrance to the U-bahn at the airport.
- From Mitte Wien to our hotel was about a 10 minute walk along city sidewalks. It was much too early to check in, but we were able to leave our luggage at the hotel (always call to check first) and explore the city all day.
Discovering Vienna
There is so much to see in Vienna! Four days there was just enough to get a glimpse of what this beautiful city has to offer. Here were some of our favorite experiences from Vienna:
- Simply walk around! Having landed around 8am (with little sleep), we hit the ground walking right away, choosing to follow the path of the Ringstrasse, a 3.3 miles (5.3 km) street that forms a ring around Vienna’s historic city center. Along the way we passed many places that we would later return to see in depth, but for our first day we just wanted to get a lay of the land and take in the sights and sounds of the city. We stopped at a bakery for coffee and pastries, and enjoyed Vienna’s historic scenery: Stadtpark, Karlskirche, the WWII Soviet Soldier’s Monument, the Opera House, the Albertina, Votivkitche, and more. On our first night, after checking into the hotel and having dinner at a local restaurant, we continued the walking tour by visiting Prater park, lit up at night with rides in full swing.
- Schönbrunn Palace. The stunning palace and grounds of Schönbrunn are a must-see stop in any Vienna itinerary. Tickets use a timed entry, so we purchased ours the night before and took the subway there with plenty of time to arrive and navigate our way to the entrance. We allotted ourselves over three hours for the visit, but if I could give any advice, it would be to allow more time. Though we were able to have a long walk around the grounds, there was even more to see that we had to cut short in order to have lunch and return to the Inner Stadt to see more things.
- Hofburg Imperial Palace & Museums: The Hofburg quarter of Vienna is home to numerous museums and points of interest that one could easily spend a whole day exploring. Of all of these, based on the time we had for the afternoon of our second day, we chose to tour the Imperial Treasury museum, with its eye-popping collection of royal treasures and relics. This was an outstanding stop, and left us wanting to return to visit the other museums in the complex, which also encompasses the Sisi Museum, the Imperial Apartments, the Spanish Riding School, elaborate gardens, and other sights.
- Vienna State Opera (Wiener Staatsoper): Probably the best suggestion for experiencing the Opera House is to see a performance, if there happens to be one you would like. If so, buy directly from the Opera website or ticket office –and don’t engage with the dressed-up characters who are selling tickets outside, as friendly and official as they may make themselves appear. The second best option is to take the guided tour of the Opera House, for which you can buy tickets on-line ahead of time. With heavy crowds, it was a bit chaotic finding the place to start the tour (give yourself plenty of time), but once inside, our tour guide told us a wealth of information about the history of the Opera House and music in Vienna, and the ornately adorned interior was a feast for the eyes.
- St. Stephen’s Cathedral: For views of the city, we paid the small fee to climb the south tower of St. Stephen’s Cathedral. There are also combo tickets to see parts of the inside of the cathedral and for the elevator ride up the north tower, but we opted just for the south tower climb, and it did not disappoint!
- Christmas Markets (Christkindlmarkt): Our trip dates overlapped with the opening of the Christmas Markets across Vienna, and these became another highlight of our week. If planning a trip in the November timeframe, check on the internet to see when these are scheduled to open so you can include them in your planning. We browsed the stalls, bought gifts, and enjoyed gluhwein and the festive atmosphere at several that opened while we were there.
- And all we did not do… in addition to the highlights above, we did also have desert at a classic Viennese coffee house, ate at a few sit down restaurants in the city, and meandered through several of the city’s scenic gardens, among other things. This sampling of Vienna’s beauty and history left us wishing we had more time; to give a few examples, we would love to visit the Belvedere, the Albertina, the Danube and tributary rivers, the Sisi Museum, Imperial apartments, and more of the plazas and churches in Vienna. The city was calling us back no sooner had we left it.
The Sound of Salzburg
Even as we were booking our flights, we knew that we wanted to do an overnight trip to Salzburg, which is just two hour and a half hours by train from Vienna. This was not planned as a Sound of Music pilgrimage, but we still had great fun seeing the Mirabell Gardens that were featured in the movie. What really enthralled us, though, was the sheer beauty of the historic town situated with majestic, snow-covered mountains as a backdrop. No sooner had we checked in than we were climbing a trail (starting near Kirche Maria Himmelfahrt), gaining elevation for spectacular evening views of Salzburg from above. We descended and decided to pair dinner with a classic beer hall experience by eating at Augustiner Bräu Kloster Mülln, which first opened in 1621. The next day of our short trip, rather than go through museums or other indoor sights, we opted to rise early in the morning and hike up Kapuzinerberg, another prominent hill overlooking Salzburg on the other side of the Salzach river from our excursion the previous day. This hike was nothing short of spectacular, with views of Hohensalzburg fortress and the mountains further off in the distance. We were able to hike up and back down before our checkout time, with enough time left over to stop for pastries and have one last stroll through Mirabell gardens before walking to the train station.
Meals
Throughout our trip to Austria, we relied on home-made sandwiches, Würstelstande, and other light fare for many of our day-to-day meals. And when we wanted or needed restaurant fare, we simply used Google Maps to find well-rated and right-priced establishments, generally avoiding ones on the main avenues and tourist areas. It helped, of course, that we already knew we loved Schnitzel and Würst, but we tried other local dishes beyond those staples and were never disappointed. For the best experience, spend some time reading up on Austrian food and the terminology, and as always, be adventurous!
Our advice: just go!
We could not have been happier with every aspect of our trip to Austria, and can’t wait to return one day to explore more of everything the country has to offer. If you have ever considered Austria as a destination, whether you want to explore the mountains or delve into the rich history of its towns and cities, our advice is: just go!
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