Austria is a country full of imperial history, art, culture and breathtaking landscapes. Once you are in the country, it is very easy to move around the country via trains to explore the best the country has to offer. In this guide, we will be exploring the capital city of Vienna, Mozart’s birthplace Salzburg and the fairy-tale village of Hallstatt.
Vienna
Vienna constantly ranks as one of the world’s most livable cities, and it is easy to see why. It’s a great city for anyone interested in museums, art, music and great coffee.
Things to see and do:
Visit the Ringstabe, a circular boulevard featuring some of the city’s most important sights, including the State Opera, the Parliament and the City Hall.
Visit Schönbrunn Palace, arguably one of the prettiest and most impressive palaces in Austria. This used to be the Habsburgs’ summer residence, and you can take a tour of the inside of the palace as well as the gardens. In the winter months, the palace hosts their Christmas Market, complete with food stalls, Christmas decorations, play areas for children and of course, Gluhwein.
St Stephen’s Cathedral is located in the heart of the city and is worth visiting, its multi-coloured tiled roof is an iconic symbol of Vienna.
In the MuseumsQuartier, you will find several major museums, including Leopold (Austrian Modernism), Mumok (Modern Art), Kunsthalle Wien (Contemporary Art) and the Architekturzentrum Wien (Architecture).
The Sigmund Freud museum is worth visiting for anyone interested in psychology and the life of the founder of psychoanalysis. The museum is open everyday apart from Tuesdays.
If you’re travelling with children, why not try being a chocolatier for a day at BO-YO? Here you can design your own chocolate bars to take home. We got to make 3 bars, choosing from a range of different chocolate types and then decorating them as we wished. Trying their thick hot chocolate is also a must!
Food Recommendations:
For coffee and Sachertorte (dense chocolate cake with apricot jam), head to either Cafe Central, Cafe Sacher or Cafe Aida.
For wiener schnitzel, Figlmüller is the most famous spot for this.
Via Toledo Enzopizzeria won an award in 2025 for the 20th best pizzas in the world, and 3rd best in Europe. That’s very impressive!
For a fast food bite, try XO smash burgers.
For breakfast coffee and pastries, Salz & Zucker Bakery is the spot.
Where to stay:
Vienna is a fairly large city but it’s easy to get around with their metro system. A beautiful hotel in the heart of the MuseumsQuartier is the 25hours Hotel. Leonardo has a few hotels dotted around the city, so you can select one depending on where most of your activities are.
Salzburg
A 3 hour train ride west of Vienna leads to Salzburg, the birthplace of Wolfgang Mozart, or for musical fans, the setting for The Sound of Music. The city is filled with quaint streets, markets and has the stunning backdrop of the mountains.
Things to see and do:
Visit Hogensalzburg Fortress, which is one of the largest medieval castles in Europe and holds over 900 years of history. If you choose to walk up, it will take you 30 minutes and the path starts right next to the FestungsBahn.
Walk through Mirabell Palace and Gardens, one of the filming locations for The Sound of Music. In December, you will also find a Christmas market set-up behind the gardens.
Getreidegass is a narrow shopping street, where you can find Mozart’s home.
If you’re a fan of The Sound of Music, then you can’t leave without embarking on the official Sound of Music bus tour. This will take you around some of the movie's filming locations (including the 16 going on 17 gazebo), have you singing along on the bus, and you will also learn some behind the scenes secrets from the guide.
Food Recommendations:
Meissl & Schadn is a great place for wiener schnitzel, and is featured on the Michelin Guide. Whilst you’re there, you should also try the Salzburger nockerl, a sweet fluffy soufflé shaped like the three mountains surrounding the city. Of course, apple strudel is also on the menu.
For more traditional Austrian dishes, head to Zwettler's Wirtshaus. Here you can try kasnocken (cheese dumplings with fried onions), Austrian sausages, goulash and more. For dessert you can finish off with another Austrian dessert, kaiserschmarrn (shredded pancakes).
Where to stay:
Salzburg is a smaller city than Vienna, so wherever you stay you won’t be too far from all the places of interest. However, the best location is near the train/tram station. The Cocoon Salzburg is located just a 4 minute walk from the station, and guests will receive a ticket for free transport around the city.
Hallstatt
Things to see and do:
The Skywalk is located 350 metres above the village, and allows you to view the village and lake from above. The price for adults is 29 euros and 14 euros for children.
Visit the Salt Mines, which claim to be the oldest salt mine in the world. The tour includes an underground slide and a subterranean lake. The price for adults is 49 euros and 23 euros for children.
Near the church at the end of the main street, you’ll find the Beinhaus (Bone House). Due to limited space in the cemetery, Hallstatt has a unique tradition of painting skulls with floral motifs and storing them in the 12th-century Michael’s Chapel.
Food Recommendations:
Schirmbar is a casual lakeside spot for traditional meals like schnitzel, strudel and other Austrian classics. Note that this place is cash only.
Cafe Maislinger is a cafe that serves freshly baked goods as well as a range of cakes.
Where to stay:
There isn’t really a need to stay in Hallstatt overnight, but if you’re after a couple of days of tranquility by the lake, then one of the most popular hotels is the Heritage Hotel, located at the end of the main street.
I hope this article has inspired you to travel to Austria this year!
- G
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