Jessika2011

Hi,

My husband and I are planning a three-week vacation to Austria in April/May. I've heard many wonderful things about the cities and sights but because there's so much to see, I'm hoping to get some assistance.

We are history buffs and although we'd love to visit the usual tourist areas, we also would like to immerse ourselves in the culture and see things that are not normally part of basic tours. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Also, we'll probably buy a train pass to travel from city to city but if there's a must-see site off the beaten track then we would consider renting a car.

Thanks for your help.

molker

Much to see in Austria-
in Vienna - after the usual sightseeing Schonbrunn and Hofburg Palaces, Museums.
The Schatzkammer/ Treasury
www.khm.at/schatzkammer

crowns including that of the Holy Roman Empire. jewels, regalis , vestments and much more.
This is found in the older part of the Hofburg Palace but often overlooked.

Hofburg Library/ Bibliotek


The Kaisergruft

Burial place of most of the ruling Habsburgs in cluding Maria Theresia and Franz Josef
www.kaisergruft.at

interesting also to see the changing styles used over centuries.

The Military Museum

www.hgm.or.at
Fine Arsenal building with much history, arms , armor over centuries- Includes the death auto of Franz Ferdinand of Austria those killing prompted events leading to World war 1.
His blood stained uniform too.
A huge collection of cannons.
A portion of a U-boat - yes Austria had a navy prior to 1918.

Many things from Turkish sieges including a huge tent -
plus more.

Visit cafes like Cafe Central , Sperl and others -
see a little Vienna life and imagine past history of these places that remain much like many years ago.

A trip through the wachau area of the Danube.

Dürnstein- where English King Richard the Lionhearted was held for ransom.
The village also much less known for a battle in 1805 between Austrian and Russian forces against the French ( the Emperor onthe other side of the Danube at the time.
Thousands killed and a rare Austrian / Russian victory.
Many old houses along cobble stoned pedestrian streets.
Nearby many vineyards.

www.duernstein.at
www.wachau.at

many other castles ruins along the river to Melk.
Visit the Abbey

www.stiftmelk.at

unusal- see the trap door wooden casket- this enabled it to be used over and over in former times.
Fine historic exhibits.

Further along the Danube

Mauthausen - long camp history during World War 2 with informative exhibits and buildings.

I will not comment on Salzburg- so much already about this area.

East of Innsbruck and juat off the autobahn

Tratzberg Castle
www.schloss-tratzberg.at

many original things from furniture to arms in this finely maintained castle.
Well organized tour - fine views to the valley below.

with much to see off of the train routes - consider a auto rental-
easy driving and well maintained and signed roadways - gives you flexibility and saves time too.

Passes for trains often not as good as one may think. Most times point to point tickets prove less costly -
Many discounts available like a Vorteilscard ( for seniors and under 26 ) travel at 50 % reduction

and Einfach Raus tickets 28 euro for a days travel for 2 - regional trains and after 9AM

see austrian rail site

www.oebb.at



Much more if you wish just ask.

kfusto

Check out the trip reports on this site for ideas. Your question is quite broad and you can immerse yourself in the culture pretty much anywhere.

We very much enjoy Salzburg and the surrounding area. St. Gilgen, Bad Ischl, Koenigsee are just a few of the spots we have enjoyed over the course of many trips. If you base in the Salzkammergut you will likely want a car to explore. We base in Salzburg and rely on public transport. A nice option would be combine both - a few nights in Salzburg itself and a few in a the countryside. We find local transport very good and easy to use.

Vienna will probably be on your must see list and I would suggest 4 nights there. It is not our favorite city but many love it and there is a ton of info on this forum with suggestions one where to stay and what to see.

Austria is stunningly beautiful IMO and a very easy country to visit. It is one of our favorite places to spend time.

molker

For an overall planning tool with good information , I would refer to
www.austria.info/at

This enables you to find general information in one place .

Return here with any questions and assistance.

Cowboy1968

I think that you should buy a nice big travel guide and get a certain feeling for the different regions.
There is a lot to see between Lake Constance and the Burgenland.

IME, most tourists from the US stay north of the Alps (Vienna, Danube/Melk, Salzburg, Innsbruck) while the South has a wealth of sights, too - and usually the better/warmer climate, especially in the shoulder seasons.

annhig

Hi Jessica,

due to the very bad weather we encountered when we were in Austria a couple of years ago [june/July,] we never made it to the south as recommended by Cowboy. this is an area I would love to see, but you would definitely need a car to get the best out of it. From Vienna, you could head south to Baden [a lovely spa town] onto Graz, and then north to Salzburg. probably that time of year if there are just two of you, you would not need to book ahead, unless you wanted to. Even in Salzburg in July we found a room in a 3 star hotel for about €80 per night including breakfast.

Jessika2011

Hi everyone,

Thanks to everyone for your great advice. Molker, I loved your post because it was quite detailed. I will definitely explore the links that you included.

I do realize that my question was quite broad and so I purchased a Fodor's Austria guidebook today... but I think that it's always better getting advice from people who either live in Austria or have travelled there.

Thanks again!

joannyc

I was in Austria on 2 trips and found it to be a very beautiful country with so many sites to see.

The first trip only included Vienna, Melk and the Durnstein area (I was also visiting CZ and Hungary).

The second trip, I went to:
Graz
Stift Rein (daytrip from Graz)
Piber Stud Farm (on my way to Hallstatt from Graz)
Hallstatt
Bad Ischl (on my way to St. Wolfgang)
St. Wolfgang
St. Gilgen (daytrip by boat from St. Wolfgang)
Salzburg
Hall in Tyrol (on my way to Innsbruck)
Innsbruck

Gorgeous country with cute towns!

Mimmel

Concerning booking rooms I have found that many are either booked (Easter is 4/24) or closed from Mid April to early May.

CUFFLNX

Reachable by train is an 800 year old monastery, now a University study abroad site as well as an on "campus" hotel in Gaming, about half way between Vienna and Salzberg. Also, near Gaming is Mariazell, a major alpine, sky touching town.

http://www.kartause-gaming.at/Allgemein.15.0.html?&L=1

CUFFLNX

Easily done from Salzberg is Eagle's Nest, Hitler's mountain top hideaway, as well as a Salt mine tour.

CUFFLNX

When in Vienna, do not miss the suburban wine town of Grinzing with the best wine experience at the private family Heurigens.

ronkala

ttt

tomboy

Eisenstadt, for the Haydn museum and Esterhazy palace.

Cowboy1968

And, of course, the most famous village in Austria...

http://preview.tinyurl.com/63byd

bettyk

Achensee in Tirol is a lovely area of Austria not frequented by Americans who usually stop in Innsbruck but don't explore the area further. We spent 4 nights in Maurach, one of several towns on Achensee.

http://travel.webshots.com/photo/288...11574650RxTYIH

http://www.achensee.info/en/home?_season=at1

We are also very fond of St. Gilgen on Wolfgangsee and have visited many times. While more Americans can be found in St. Gilgen and St. Wolfgang, it defintely won't be as crowded in April or May.

In 2009, we spent 3 days in Zell am See. It was beautiful beyond words. I think this photo my husband took says more than I ever could:

http://travel.webshots.com/photo/210...11574650HGFoZe

It is a short drive from Zell to Kitzbuehl which we did as a day trip. It was definitely worth a visit:

http://travel.webshots.com/photo/238...11574650qCbyFG

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-sept-2007.cfm

Jessika2011

All of these suggestions are amazing.

bettyk, you are right, that photo of Zell am See is breathtaking.

I'm going to go through all these suggestions and then plot them on a map to determine an itinerary.

Most of you are correct that renting a car would be a smarter choice (over taking the train).

Thanks again, you guys are awesome!