Vienna Environs

The Viennese are undeniably lucky. Few populaces enjoy such glorious—and easily accessible—options for day-tripping. For many the first destination is the Wienerwald, the deservedly fabled Vienna Woods—a rolling range of densely wooded hills extending from Vienna's doorstep to the outposts of the Alps in the southwest (and not a natural park or forest, as you might think from listening to Strauss or the tourist blurbs). This region is crisscrossed by country roads and hiking paths, dotted with forest lodges and inns, and solidifies every now and then into quaint little villages and market towns.

In addition to such natural pleasures, the regions outside of Vienna offer satisfactions for every interest. Keen on history and mystery? Turning south to Mayerling leads you to the site where in 1889 the successor to the Austrian throne presumably took his own life after shooting his secret love—a mystery still unresolved. Music lover? Johann Strauss transformed the tales of the Vienna Woods into exhilarating music, and a glass of intoxicating Retzer Wein moved Richard Strauss to compose the "Rosenkavalier Waltz." Prefer scenic beauty? To the south, you can sip and taste your way down the Weinstrasse (Wine Road), along which vast expanses of vineyards produce excellent, mainly white, wines. Here, you'll find Gumpoldskirchen, one of Austria's many famous wine-producing villages and the source of one of Europe's most pleasing white wines. Another choice is to follow the trail of the defensive castles that protected the land from invaders arriving from the north; or you can even trace the early days of Masonic lore in Austria—both Haydn and Mozart were members of what was then a secret and forbidden brotherhood. For dramatic contrast, head to the elegant spa town of Baden, where Beethoven passed 15 summers and composed large sections of the Ninth Symphony.

Less »