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Vienna to Salzburg: Mozart, Picturesque Towns, and the Wachau Valley
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Fly into: Vienna
Fly out of: Munich
Total Duration: 11 Days
This itinerary gives the best of what Austria has to offer—and some bonus Bavaria. After Vienna, head west through the gingerbread towns of Dürnstein and Bad Ischl, then to Salzburg, Mozart's birthplace and stomping grounds, and finally to Munich's beer gardens and Bavarian beauty. From classic operas to lemon sponge cake and cathedrals, you'll get a real taste of Hapsburgian grandeur.
- History
- Food and Wine
- Art and Culture
This Trip's Top Experiences:
Days 1-3
abxyz/shutterstock
1 Vienna
Palaces and Pastries
- From the Ringstrasse to the Opera, Vienna has much to offer art and music lovers
- Explore the cobblestone streets of Innere Stadt and St. Stephen's Cathedral
- At one of the city's opulent coffeehouses, try a pasty or fuel up with an espresso
Days 4-5
Austrian National Tourist Office/ Pigneter
2 Dürnstein
Wine in the Wachau Valley
- Take a stroll past the 16th-century houses along the Hauptstrasse
- Wine from the Wachau Valley is one of Austria's best; try it from the source here
- The Baroque Siftskirche overlooks the vineyards surrounding Dürnstein, and along with a visit to the Richard the Lionhearted castle, makes for an excellent half-day
Days 6-7
Johann Jaritz/wikipedia.org
3 Bad Ischl
Imperial Treats and Operetta
- The Café Zauner makes a guglhupf, or lemon sponge cake, that was Emperor Franz Josef's favorite treat
- At the Kaiservilla, built to honor Empress Elizabeth in 1880, you can see where the declaration that started World War I was signed
- Go to an operetta like The Merry Widow at the Kongress und Theaterhaus
Days 8-9
Nikita Rogul/shutterstock
4 Salzburg
Mozart's Birthplace and an Opera Lover's Paradise
- See the 17th-century Dom cathedral and explore Mozart's hometown in the Altstadt
- Catch an opera at the Old City's Mirabell Palace, the "Taj Mahal of Salzburg"
- After a stroll down the Getreidegasse, grab a drink at the Goldener Hirsch Hotel
Days 10-11 or more
Elena Kouptsova -Vasic /shutterstock
5 Munich
Bavaria's Traditional Capital
- The Deutsches Museum boasts planes, trains, and automobiles
- Soak in the Englischer Garten and cool off with suds at a beer garden afterward
- The Alte Pinakothek features works by Rubens, Rembrandt, and Dürer
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