45 Best Sights in Day Trips from Vienna, Austria

Just a 30-minute walk from the Old Town but a whole world away, Linz's old industrial Hafenviertel (Harbor Quarter) is home to one of Europe's largest open-air graffiti galleries. Almost every inch of the area's old warehouses, containers, and other industrial facades have been taken over by colorful and evocative works by international and local street artists like Aryz, Lors, Nychos, and Roa. There are about 300 artworks, and you can see them all on a series of guided tours, though these are only in German. Alternatively, just stroll up and down Industriezeile yourself—many of the most impressive artworks are visible from the street.

Many of the finds from excavations at Carnuntum are housed 4 km (2½ miles) northeast of Petronell in the village of Bad Deutsch-Altenburg. The pride of the collection is a carving of Mithras killing a bull.

In 1862, the bishop of Linz engaged one of the architects of Cologne cathedral to develop a design for a grand cathedral in the French neo-Gothic style to accommodate 20,000 worshipers, at that time one-third of the population of Linz. According to legend, the tower was not to be higher than that of St. Stephen's in Vienna. The result was the massive 400-foot tower, shorter than St. Stephen's by a scant 6½ feet. Nevertheless, the "New Cathedral"—also known as the Mariendom or Maria-Empfängnis-Dom—was, and remains, the largest cathedral in the country. It contains gorgeous stained-glass windows depicting scenes from Linz's long history, and you can also climb the tower for lovely views over the city. There are also regular organ recitals held here; check the schedule online.

The city museum's extensive collection of art, photography, and archaeology follows local history from pre-Roman times to the mid-1880s.

From 1671 until 1938, the streets Wertheimergasse and Unterbergstrasse formed the boundaries of the Jewish ghetto. During that time Eisenstadt had a considerable Jewish population; today the Österreichisches Jüdisches Museum recalls the experience of Austrian Jews throughout history. A fascinating private synagogue in the complex survived the 1938 terror and is incorporated into the museum, while there's an old Jewish cemetery just around the corner.

Children of all ages will enjoy this enchanting museum. There are four rooms with dolls and dollhouses dating from the late 1700s to the present day, as well as teddy bears, stuffed animals, marionette puppets, and other toys.

Also in Rohrau, this palace is where Haydn's mother worked as a cook for Count Harrach. It also has one of the best private art collections in Austria, with an emphasis on 17th- and 18th-century Spanish and Italian painting; weekend tours are available Easter through October. The upper level has been renovated and turned into private apartments; there is now also a good restaurant on the grounds serving Austrian fare. Be mindful of the peacocks that wander the grounds and sometimes beyond.

Situated in the heart of Hainburg, these castle ruins (easily approached on foot) are equally appealing for the castle's long and illustrious history and the lovely views from the top. During the 11th century, Hainburg was a fortified town on the far eastern front of the Holy Roman Empire, and in 1252, Przemsyl Ottaker, the king of Bohemia, married Duchess Margarethe of Austria here, a union designed to considerably expand his kingdom. The castle had been built shortly before that with part of the ransom received from the capture of King Richard the Lionheart in Dürnstein. The Schloss was attacked many times, most severely by the 1683 Turkish invasion, which also took the lives of 8,000 residents, nearly the entire community. Each summer the town hosts "Burgspiele Hainburg," where open-air plays (often Shakespeare) are performed in German on the castle grounds.

The massive four-story Linz Schloss (Linz Castle) was rebuilt as a palace by Friedrich III around 1477, literally on top of a castle that dated from 799. Today, its south wing is a modern, glass and steel building that contains one of the best provincial museums in the country. The Schlossmuseum's permanent exhibition traces the development of art, culture, science, and technology in Upper Austria from prehistory, through the Romans, to the Middle Ages, while temporary exhibitions do a deep-dive on particular aspects of local history. Look out for Beethoven's Hammerklavier among the historical musical instruments. Outside, check out the Friedrichstor (the Frederick Gate), with the A.E.I.O.U. monogram—some believe it stands for the Latin sentence meaning "All Earth pays tribute to Austria"—then stop for a drink or a bite in the Schloss Café, with its lovely shaded terrace affording lordly views of the Danube and the opposite bank.

Getting up to the castle requires a short uphill walk. Avoid the steep and unshaded steps off Römerstrasse and opt for the gentler walk up Hofgasse instead

A causeway leads through nearly a mile of reeds to the Seebad beach and boat landing, where you can take a sightseeing boat either as a round-trip or to another point on the lake. You can also rent a boat, swim, or enjoy a waterside drink or snack at an outdoor table. It's a 20-minute walk (or five-minute drive) from town to get here.

This city parish church dates from 1286 and was rebuilt in Baroque style in 1648. The tomb in the right wall of the chancel contains Frederick III's heart and entrails (the corpse is in Vienna's St. Stephen's Cathedral). The ceiling frescoes are by Altomonte, and the figure of Johann Nepomuk (a local saint) in the chancel is by Georg Raphael Donner, with grand decoration supplied by the master designer Hildebrandt.

The sole survivor of the original four 15th-century city gates—the rest of them were razed in the late 1800s, along with the city wall—Steiner Tor remains one of the most recognizable symbols of Krems. A plaque on one side reveals its three major stages of development—construction in 1480 (on the orders of Holy Roman Emperor Friedrich III), a Baroque refurb in 1754 (under the reign of Maria Theresa), and a significant renovation in the 1950s—while the other side has coats of arms and other decorative adornments. Look out also for the memorial to a catastrophic ice flood in January 1573.

Set among terraced vineyards, the town is landmarked by its gloriously Baroque "stiftskirche" (collegiate church), dating from the early 1700s. Sitting on a cliff overlooking the river, the church's combination of luminous blue facade and stylish Baroque tower is considered the most beautiful of its kind in Austria.

Like many family-run wineries in Rust (most in Austria are family businesses), this beautiful, yellow-fronted building in the heart of town produces white and red sweet wine from the vineyards around Rust. Many are for sale, including a selection of organic wines.

The imposing "Vienna Gate" still represents the entrance to the medieval town of Hainburg on the Danube, and buses, tractors, and a steady stream of cars still squeeze through its passage daily. The town is encircled by remarkably well-preserved 13th-century walls with 12 gates and towers, including the Wienertor, which is the largest extant medieval gate in Europe. In 1683, the Turks devastated the town, leaving only a handful of survivors, including composer Josef Haydn's grandfather (who, as a small boy, scrambled up a chimney and hid from the marauders). Climb up inside the Wienertor, now a museum, and see an impressive supply of weaponry left behind by the invaders—clearly in a hurry to get to Vienna—as well as a stockpile from other ancient wars. A view out the narrow window offers a charming look down at the winding main street and the church steeple. While you can always stop by and view the exterior of the tower, inside access is only available Sunday and holidays.