Vienna and ...
 

If you were wanting to pair some time in Vienna with somewhere less urban, but still with enough to do and see to be of interest for a week in each place - where would you pick? We would prefer somewhere not too far distant in terms of travel time between the two, and I'm slightly stumped at the moment. Suggestions welcome.

We drove from Vienna along the Danube wine country to Melk, Mondsee, St. Wolfgang and stayed in Halstatt for 3 nights. Visited the Salt Mine above the town, and walked back to town on the Unesco World Heritage trail. It was a beautiful stay.

Hallstatt is great but too long for most for a week but twin it with the nearby Lake District - aka Sound of Music Country for a relaxing non-urban environment but still with neat towns like St Wolfgang to stay in - lots to do - trains are great to Hallstatt and Lake District (by bus from rail station) - for lots on trains check www.trainline.eu - book own tickets at cheapest prices - www.seat61.com- general info trains and where to go also BETS-European Rail Experts and www.ricksteves.com. Salzburg is a large city with a small-town feel and close to Lake District so maybe few days Hallstatt - and some Lake District and some in wonderful Baroque Salzburg.

Good idea, but we've stayed in St Wolfgang and Salzburg before and may have exhausted sightseeing possibilities there.

Innsbruck and Mittenwald area may be too far but a smaller town like Mittenwald could be great - lots of day trips to places like Garmisch - Fussen and Mad Ludwig's castles. Or Klagenfurt/Graz area.

fourfourtravel - Fodorite and local resident will have the best ideas.

Wachau Valley if not gone a great day trip from Vienna - train to Melk - tour abbey - take boat ride to Durnstein and bus/train back to Vienna. If with car this area could make a nice non-urban area - can drive slowly to Linz and base there.

was wondering about Wachau but most people seem to do it as a day trip. We aren't likely o have a car - I don't drive and will be with elderly parents who do, but prefer not overseas.

Well with a car you could drive the Danube up to Linz but without just do as a day trip - buy combo tickets for abbey, boat and trains in Vienna at station. Public transit along Danube spotty.

What time of year are you planning to travel?
Does "see and do" include hiking or wandering along with the usual cultural offerings, etc.?

We spent 9 days in Tirol over the summer wandering atop various mountains and eating delicious Tirolean cuisine; and occasionally partaking of something cultural. Though we had our vehicle, the two areas where we divided our time were accessible by train and by train/local bus combination. I can share the details if this appeals.

From Vienna one could add Graz, though depending on the time of year perhaps not for a week as castles tend to close over the colder months. One could also fill a week with day trips from Vienna that are accessible on public transportation (e.g. Wachau Valley; Bratislava; Burg Liechtenstein/Mayerling (where the Crown Prince committed suicide); Klosterneuburg; Eisenstadt/Burg Forchtenstein; Baden bei Wien/Gumpoldskirchen (wandering and thermal spa); Lainzer Tiergarten (particularly fun when the baby boars are running about); Kreuzenstein Castle (raptor show); Seegrotte Hinterbuhl (drained by the Nazis and used as the space to build fighter jets); Schloss Laxenburg, and so on.

I hope this is helpful.

You could train to Breclav and take a taxi to see Lednice, Mikulov and Valtice. Lednice was the big surprise--those grounds were phenomenal. It is a UNESCO site for good reason. Als, you could train to Brno, I have not been but it is supposed to be great.

I have not been to Bratislava, as Fourfortravel mentions. Some people say to be sure not to miss Olomuec.

We did enjoy Fourfortravel's day trip idea of Klosterneuberg very much. Highly recommend. Go on at least one of the special tours.

Lednice and Valtice are definitely worth seeing in good weather; though perhaps the logistics of public transportation would make this a long and scripted day trip. Brno, too is another easy, if long, day trip from Vienna.

In addition to the special tours at Klosterneuburg, an add-on for that day could be Museum Gugging. And within Vienna I just remembered it is possible to tour the Schlumberger Sektkellerei, the former Imperial sparkling wine cellars (with tasting afterward.)

Thanks for all the suggestions, will think them over.

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