julie

Please advise...Only 10 days to spend. What are not "must not miss" sights in these 3 places. Also, how long is train ride between these. Lastly, any recommendations for a wonderful place to stay in Innsbruck and Salzburg..comments on the Vienna Inter-Continental Hotel if known. I will be there the last week of July, 2002...my sincerest thanks for your help. PS...we want "the views"

SJK

Innsbruck is about 2.5-3 hours from Salzburg, which is about 3-4 hours from Vienna (approximate train times). Check out the following (official websites for the three cities). It will help you plan what sites you want to see. In Salzburg, definately go up to the Fort - there's a fantastic view of the city and mountains. In Vienna, I'd reccommend some kind of walking tour of the city center - the tourist office has this self-guided tour where you walk around with a guide and a phone thing. Very informational and has all kinds of interesting pieces of information. Duck into the Hofburg and tour the residence, although I'd skip the China collection. In Innsbruck - take a hike up the mountains. Enjoy your trip <BR><BR>http://info.wien.at/<BR>http://www.tiscover.at/guide/5,en/objectId,RGN126145at/home.html<BR>http://www.salzburginfo.at/desk/frame_trailer_e.htm

julie

Thank you so much...do you know anything about the Intercontinental Hotel in Vienna?

Bob Brown

In Vienna, I think that Sch&ouml;nbrunn Palace is a not miss place. After that, perhaps the Kunsthistorisches Museum and some of the areas of the Hofburg where you see some of the imperial Austria of the Hapsburgs.<BR>After that, I think you can take your pick from a good guide book. If you like classical music, there is usually something going on in Vienna. Being an opera fan(some of them at least) I had a good time here last year.<BR>In Salzburg, I liked some of the churches, the fortress on the hill, the Marionette Theater, and Schloss Hellbrunn. That actually was the highlight. The biggest flop was the Sound of Money tour (aka Music). Never again!!<BR><BR>As for Innsbruck, the Residenz of the Hapsburgs is interesting. After that, I would go someplace else, like Neuschwanstein over in Germany.<BR>I think Munich is a better bet by far and does not take as long to get to from Salzburg.!! You seem wed to the cities. Too bad, Austria has beautiful mountains and lakes.<BR><BR>

Shannon

In Salzburg, I'd stay at the Sacher Salzburg or at the Bristol, both very well located. You will, of course, want to go to Mozart's birthplace (Geburtshaus), and your stay should coincide with the Salzburg music festival, which is a gas. There is nothing better, if you like classical music (and even if you don't, it's fun to do), than getting tickets up at the Hohensalzburg Fortress and hearing a quartet play "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik". You might also get to hear rock music play at the Domplatz. We also loved going to the Salzbergwerk (salt mines tour) just outside Salzberg in the town of Hallein, especially if you are there during a heat wave. And speaking of heat waves, if you hit one, do head across the river and take the bus to the park on the outskirts of town, which has a public pool -- or four of them to be exact, a beer garden, and a playground, in an idealic setting.<BR>In Vienna, go to the top of one of the steeples at the top of Stephansdom -- the tile work is fabulous, as is the view. If you like bizarre architecture, go to Kunst Haus and have a coffee outside. If you like amusement parks (or old movies), you will enjoy the Prater, which has what was the largest (and possibly slowest) ferris wheel in Europe, and which was featured in at least a couple of old, memorable movies. You'll certainly get "the views" there!<BR>I've only been to Innsbruck to ski, so I can't help you there.<BR>Have fun!

Barry

Salzburg - If you see things in this order (and they are all close together in "Old Town") I think they will make more sense. First the Cathedral and Cathedral Museum, then the Monastery of St. Peter and it's graveyard and catacombs, then the Residenz (of the Prince Archbishops), then Mozart's birthplace and first home.... you will get a good understanding of the flow of the history of the area. From there wander up and down Getreidegasse. You CAN do all that the first day if you push, and it will make things "fall into place" for you Make sure you have some half euro coins in your pocket, there are "info phones" in some of the sites that will give you a good short history of the site. From there just hit the Fodor's guide books and look at some of the other posts on these cities. One thing I will add is that the Nature Museum there is wonderful... but has nothing to do with Salzburg!

carolyn

See St. Jakob's Church in Innsbruck. It's really beautiful.

John G

Ditto to all the above, especially the Kunsthistoriches Museum in Vienna. This musuem has a fabu collection of Valasquez and Reubens. Something NOT mentioned is going to the Prater amusement park and riding the ferris wheel. From the top of this monstrous ferris wheel, you will see all of Vienna. You might also want to have a lunch at the outdoor terrace of Cafe Landtman on the Ring. The food is OK, but go for the view and the fact that Freud used to play chess at one of the tables.<BR><BR>Notice the disparate architecture of Vienna. You will see neo-baroque, neo-classical, neo-gothic, and arte-noveau buildings everywhere, sometimes right next to each other.