Austria
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Despite its small size, Austria has a long-established international reputation for being of Europe's most beautiful countries, plus the birthplace of many classical music composers, which is why most visitors choose to visit in addition to seeing Habsburg and the Alpine mountains. The views of the mountain scenery is breathtakingly real, but Austria also has a few surprises up its sleeve in the form of contemporary art, cutting-edge architecture and innovative cuisine.
Austria is frequently cited as one of the best places to live in Europe, and it is not dicult to see why. Remarkably safe and clean, it offers plenty of affordable culture, natural beauty and elegant Baroque and neoclassical architecture, as well as an efficient public transport system. You can skate across icy lakes in winter or seek out wildflower meadows on summertime hikes. You can wonder at the intricate church interiors and the ostentatious opulence of the old Habsburg palaces, or you can ride a horse through pretty wooded tracts, get an eyeful of Rubens, Raphael and Rembrandt, and marvel at Hundertwasser House in Vienna. These aren’t sights to be hurriedly ticked on a list; allow yourself plenty of time to explore.
However, be ready for the expense, the quality of life here comes at a price! Coming to Austria should be well planned if you want to keep within a budget!
Austria is well served by all means of transport. Travelling out of Europe the obvious choice is by air, the country has 3 main airports all serving international destinations. Vienna, the capital, is the major gateway and can be reached direct from a number of American and Asian destinations. Salzburg, Innsbruck and Graz are Austria's second biggest airports and can be reached domestically or by European and low cost airlines. The national airline is Austrian Airlines (Part of the Lufthansa Group), with its hub in Vienna. Other major European airlines also serve Vienna at least once a day. Additionally it's easy to reach Austria with low cost airlines such as Easyjet.
Travelling by train is also very popular, as part of touring other countries and cities nearby, getting the train is more relaxing and has the advantage of passing some amazing scenery. Direct services are possible from Budapest, Prague, Brno, Győr, Berlin, Munich and Salzburg to reach Austria and it's main city, Vienna.
Busses, specifically Eurolines, is the most popular way to travel around cities in Europe. Vienna , Salzburg, Graz and Innsbruck are all well served from other capitals in Europe. It's worth checking if you are not travelling too far away.
Within the country, public transportation is very effective, comfortable, punctual and reasonable. There any numerous transportation options within the cities. You can use electronic cards to prepay your travel and even visit museums and attractions. This will also save money if you planning to keep active and visit the points of interest. Refer to the tourism information centres of each city to obtain prices and the inclusions for each tourist card.
✔️Tip: If on a budget, you will find that travelling to Vienna by air is rather expensive. The cheapest option is to travel to nearby Bratislava (Slovakia), and make your way to Vienna by coach which is much more economical. Low cost airline Ryanair serves Bratislava from many European capitals.
Austria has a continental climate, meaning it can get very hot in the summer, temperatures reaching 25C and hotter, whilst in the Winter it can be cold and snowy, with temperatures ranging about 0-10C. Summer months (July and August) are popular to travel, but it's the high season. The sun can be intense if walking outside for too long. Winter's are good option if you planning to ski in the region but not so nice for tourism as it can be very cold and often sub zero in December and January.
Therefore the best times to visit are Spring ( March to June) and Autumn (September to November). This is best for city tourism, walking and enjoying the city with not so many people as in the summer.
Viennese cuisine in influenced by it's European neighbours, most notably Hungary, Serbia and Romania. Broth-based soups, dumplings, cheese spreads, and stewed and breaded meats are all commonplace. The real star of the show is confectionery. Austria’s desserts and cakes are renowned, and the lavish patisserie window displays, piled high with towers of tortes adorned with intricate icing, are photograph-worthy. Gourmet culture is particularly evident in Vienna’s cafes and restaurants where eating and drinking is at high standards by stylish settings at quality establishments.However as the city grow's and more cultures live in Vienna it's to no surprise you can find cuisines from around the world and budget dining restaurants.
Specialities in Austria include: Wiener Schnitzel, a traditional dish of bread crumbed and fried veal escalope. Tafelspitz, boiled beef topside in broth, typically served with horseradish. Tiroler Speckknödel, a fried bacon and bread dumpling. Palatschinken, thin crêpe-like pancakes with savoury or sweet fillings. Liptauer, a paprika-infused creamy spread made from sheep’s milk cheese. Apfelstrudel, Austria’s most famous dessert consists of delicate layers of crisp pastry with an apple and raisin filling. Salzburger Nockerln, a baked vanilla soufflé designed to resemble Austria’s snow-capped peaks. Sacher Torte, a dense chocolate cake with a layer of apricot preserve, served with a compulsory dollop of whipped cream. Mehlspeisen, the national term for cakes and puddings. There are around 60 varieties of torte, which is often consumed with coffee.
As for drinks you can find: Stroh, potent spiced rum available in several variants, ranging from 40% to a whopping 80% alcohol. Glühwein, a warming mix of hot red wine blended with sugar, orange, lemon, cloves and cinnamon stick. Obstler, fruit schnapps, usually very strong and relatively cheap. Wiener Mélange, a small espresso served with steamed milk and topped with froth.
Multiple cuisines can be found in Vienna
Having only been to Austria once, Vienna, it's capital is a beautiful city filled with culture,art ,history,architecture and of course everywhere you go you feel the presence of music. Vienna hosted some great Musicians from the classical era, Mozart, Beethoven are the top favourites but you can find many more.
The beauty of its history also lie in its streets, cafes and parks. It's a city for elegance and style and its reflected even in it's people. However Austria has some incredible scenery and mountain landscape worth visiting also!
(visited once)
