Location: Vienna
Day 1 - 30 Jun 2019
wombats city hostel
Content: Your trip to Austria starts here in the city of Vienna and with a good hostel. I usually use Hostelworld to book my accommodation as I can see reviews, maps, and budget. All of my travels are done on a budget so I rarely ever book hotels. Give a hostel a go if you’ve never tried it!
Location:
Day 1 - 30 Jun 2019
St. Stephen's Cathedral
Content: Start the day off by getting a bit familiar with the city. St. Stephen’s Cathedral is right at the heart of it all and is magnificent inside and out. It gets very crowded so if you want a more peaceful experience try and get there before 10am.
Karlskirche
Content: Another beautiful piece of architecture to take note of while you’re wandering the city, is the Karlskirche - a Baroque church located on the south side of Karlsplatz.
Demel
Content: I heard that I had to go to the Demel pastry shop in Vienna, as it’s been around since the 1700s. You can get small sandwiches and any kind of cake treat your heart desires. So I splashed out and took myself here on a little date. It’s a very fast and efficient service and I didn’t have to wait long, even without a reservation. It may be different now with COVID, so just look it up before you go.
The Hofburg
Content: Now if royal palaces and opulent museums and interiors are your thing, you must visit the Hofburg Palace! It’s a large museum with different sections so it will take you the rest of the afternoon. Or if this doesn’t take your fancy, I’d suggest just having a look at the beautiful building from the outside and spending the rest of the day wandering around the beautiful city of Vienna.
Location: Vienna
Day 2 - 1 Jul 2019
Belvedere Palace
Content: Start your morning with a visit to the Belvedere. Inside there are beautiful art galleries. Outside the grounds are stunning. Optional: If you have more time in Vienna I’d highly suggest adding on the Schönbrunn Palace to your itinerary. But seeing as we saw the Hofburg Palace yesterday, I left it off.
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Day 2 - 1 Jul 2019
Hundertwasser House
Content: Now let’s go to another part of Vienna to see some unusual architecture. This is actually a bunch of apartments so you can’t go in but just across the road, you can visit - Kunst Haus Wien. Museum Hundertwasser, to find learn more.
Figlmüller – Restaurant Bäckerstraße
Content: Have a bit of free time and just wander around the city at your leisure before dinner. You can’t beat the original schnitzel from Figlmuller for an early dinner! Vegetarians might not appreciate this restaurant too much, as it’s heavy focus is schnitzels. I had to wait quite a while for a table as I didn’t make a reservation, so plan ahead.
Palais Auersperg
Content: If you want to get a bit of Austrian culture in this trip, why not see a live performance of ballet, orchestra or opera. There are many people selling various tickets to these events in all the touristy places, so just see which suits you best. Get some sleep, tomorrow we head to Salzburg.
Location: Vienna
Day 3 - 2 Jul 2019
Hauptbahnhof Wien
Content: Get the train to Salzburg. The train is a lovely way to travel, although I believe the Flix Bus goes to all major cities around Europe and can be super cheap.
Location: Salzburg
Day 3 - 2 Jul 2019
Salzburg
Content: I stayed with a friend but you’ll be able to find many great hostels in Salzburg. Once you’ve checked in go for a walk around the city. You’ll find lots of delicious pretzels, bratwurst sausages and all kinds of food to pick on. You could use this day to go inside Mozart’s house which has been turned into a museum about his life. And just generally mosey around.
Location: Salzburg
Day 4 - 3 Jul 2019
Schloss Hellbrunn
Content: Shloss Hellbrunn is a bit out of the city so take the bus there. There’s a beautiful small palace turned museum. The main attraction is the trick fountains which you will get to see with a guided tour. They have been entertaining aristocracy since the 1700s! Prepare to get wet!
Fortress Hohensalzburg
Content: Come back into town and treat your eyes to some astounding views across Salzburg from atop the Fortress Hohensalzburg. You can’t miss this big castle above the city. It also has some interesting rooms inside to explore.
Mirabellgarten
Content: This is a beautiful garden and one of the locations used in the Sound of Music! Optional: Seriously love Sound of Music? Why not do a tour which takes you to the filming locations. I did it and loved it!
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Day 4 - 3 Jul 2019
Salzach
Content: Spend the rest of your afternoon relaxing and walking along the river, maybe with a pretzel in hand. The river gives beautiful views of the city skyline. Get some rest because tomorrow we’re headed to the mountains!
Location: Salzburg
Day 5 - 4 Jul 2019
Salzburg Main Station
Content: Get ready to head to the mountains of Innsbruck. If you have more time up your sleeve, I would spend more time here.
Location: Innsbruck
Day 5 - 4 Jul 2019
Youth Hostel Innsbruck
Content: Check into your hostel. Get something to eat and run out the door again because the mountains are calling, and we must go…ASAP!
Nordkette Cable Car
Content: Now, the cable car is pretty pricey and you definitely have the option of hiking up the mountain. I was on a time crunch (and honestly couldn’t be bothered) so for me the cable car was worth it for the views.
Golden Roof
Content: For the rest of the day, just wander around the beautiful town of Innsbruck. You can go up the Clock Tower for views above the city, look at the beautiful Golden Roof building, see views of the mountains from across the river and get some tasty food.
Location: Wattens
Day 6 - 5 Jul 2019
Swarovski Kristallwelten
Content: For a fun half day out, why not check out the Swarovski Crystal World. It’s about an hour outside of Innsbruck by bus or train. It has all sorts of cool immersive experiences, all based around crystals. For the rest of the day, just hang out in the lovely Innsbruck and get ready to say goodbye!