My wife and I are spending several days in Vienna and are looking for daytrip ideas. How about Bratislava or Sopron? We aren't planning to get to Slovakia or Hungary on our trip so we thought it might be interesting to see another country. Other ideas are welcome. <BR>We will are looking for great walking cities with nice shops, cafes, authentic cuisine, churches, etc . . . major "must-see" sights aren't that important -- just wanting to soak up the environment. <BR>

One of my favorites from a trip last year was Baden, very close to Vienna. We also enjoyed Eisenstadt, home of Esterhazy palace and Hayden museum. Rust is interesting for all the storks that nest on chimneys, and the Neusedlersee, which is a shallow, flat lake unlike any you've ever seen. It is also near Petronell, which has interesting Roman ruins. <BR> We did go to Sopron, but cancelled a trip to Bratislava when we were told of the multi-hour wait at the border. The visit to Sopron was indeed interesting, but not particularly pleasant, also with quite a bit of red tape at the border. My thought is it is not worth visiting unless you just want to say you've been to a different country. It is having a real struggle recovering from communism, and everyone seemed miserable. They specialize in cheap dental work, and that is the main reason for going there that I could see. Except it was interesting to visit a formerly communist country that is trying to recover.

Bratislava has been throughly *trashed* in some earlier postings. Border formalities on the train are much easier. Brno is 2 hours by train. It is an industrial town, not as prettily renovated as Prague, but there are a number of things to see, including a market square, a cathedral, several worthwhile art/decorative arts museums and the Spielberk Castle, whose dungeons we used by the Nazis to torture and kill 80,000 people during WWII. There are small cafes, some Asian, between the market and the main town square. It's not as scenic as other places, but has it's own interest. <BR>

<BR>Dear Mr Blais, <BR> <BR>As between Bratislava and Sopron, I'd choose Sopron. Any Vienna railway station can show you the timetable: it's ninety minutes away. Sopron fills your bill as a great walking citiy with nice cafes, authentic cuisine, churches, and even a medieval synagogue. I like Bratislava too, but I think it needs two days, and the food is better in Sopron. Brno I like too, but it's two hours away. <BR> <BR>There's no call to wait at any border if you take the train. <BR> <BR>Then, you might like a day on the Danube in the Wachau, with a boat trip and plenty of local wine. <BR> <BR>Please write if I can help further. <BR> <BR>Ben Haines, London <BR>

You can take a day trip to Budapest. The tour is in a mini van and picks you up at your hotel around 7am and you return about 7pm. Your concierge can help you make the arrangements. You also can take a day trip to Salzberg. Howver, there is so much to see in and around Vienna that you may not have time.

I second Anna's recomendation of Baden -- very clean, very nice, relatively small and managable, an interesting drive to get there. Not particularly "picturous" -- as I recall -- but extremely pleasant.

Just out of curiousity ... <BR> <BR>Are there baths in Baden and, if so, how do they compare with Baden-Baden? <BR>

There are baths in Baden -- at least one associated with a resort hotel & casino. However, I have not been to the baths in either place.

I know there are baths, but haven't been to them. Baden was a favorite of the royal family of the Austro-Hungary empire for a time. They do have frequent classical music concerts in the lovely park by the casino, which are quite enjoyable. <BR>Another possibility is a trip through the Vienna Woods and the abbey of Heiligenkreuz. There are lovely trips through the vineyard just outside of town. And on the Danube cruise, Melk Abbey, and Durnstein are good daytrip stops.

Dear Mr. Blais, <BR> <BR>I am also from Ontario and my wife and I were in Vienna, Salzburg and Prague two summers ago. <BR> <BR>My recommendation would be for you to plan a few day trips, leave open days on your schedule and go with the flow. We took a beautiful boat tour on the Danube to Melk on a very hot day. The scenery was very nice, as well as the tour in Melk. Being on the water on such a hot day was a bonus.

If you're going to Bratislava by car on the B9 you will find nice stopps: <BR>the ruins of a roman town called Carnuntum (with two amphitheatre), a nice little town called Hainburg (where the composer Joseph Haydn went to school - the house were he was born, is just a few kilometres away in Rohrau), with castle ruins and a nice marketplace, and if you want you can visit the castles of the Marchfeld (Schlosshof, Eckartsau) if you cross the river Danube at Hainburg. <BR>In this part of Austria, east of Vienna you find nice inns and "heurige" (in the villages or in the vintages, where you can drink wine und taste the products of the farmers, not so touristic as the "Heurige" in Grinzing in Vienna). Enjoy your stay! <BR>petra <BR>

Thanks to all for replying! Great board! My wife and I will take your considerations into account when in Vienna. <BR> <BR>Paul