Austria PLACES TO VISIT

Just south of Germany lies the small but beautiful country of Austria. While there are a lot of similarities to Germany, I found a lot of new spots that blew me away. If you have a week to spend just in Austria, this guide can be the perfect trip to see the most beautiful places in Austria. Whether you’re looking for cities in Austria, like Salzburg and Vienna, or its natural beauty, like the Alps, there’s something for everyone. I recommend starting in the Alps, then spending a few days in Salzburg with a day trip to the iconic village of Hallstatt, and a final stop at the stunning European capital of Vienna. Here’s all you need for planning a trip to Austria.

AUSTRIAN ALPS

SALZBURG

HALLSTATT

VIENNA

INNSBRUCK

Austrian Alps

I’ve visited the Alps in Italy, Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, and while they have a lot of similarities, each has its own charm and spots to see. When visiting Austria, I recommend going to Wilder Kaiser. One of my favorite travel bloggers, Helene in Between, also used to live in Germany and raved about this area of Austria. With a free weekend in the early summer, I knew this was a spot I wanted to visit. We stayed at the Tirol Lodge, which was an amazing spot during both summer and winter. It’s at the bottom of a cable car if you want to go up for the day into the mountains, however the hotel also has great amenities like a pool, breakfast buffet, and sauna.

There’s no shortage of outdoor activities in Wilder Kaiser year-round. It’s extremely popular for winter skiing, but in the summer, there are endless hiking trails, biergartens, and lakes to visit. We hiked from our hotel to Astberg lake, which took about four hours round trip and had stunning views. One thing we didn’t get to do was ride the cable car up by our place, as it only runs limited hours during the day and is a bit pricey when we just wanted to go to the restaurant at the top for drinks. If you want to go up, I recommend starting early and visiting all the other spots they have included in the ticket - most are targeted at kids, though. Instead, we opted to head to Hintersteinersee for the end of the day to spend some time swimming in the crystal clear waters.

For dining, our hotel had a great breakfast buffet and a bar with real cocktails (a rarity in this part of Europe) that we visited every night. We also walked downtown to eat at Gasthaus Lobewein for traditional german and Pizzeria Sterndl for italian food.

SALZBURG

“The hills are alive, with the sound of music…” I can’t think of Salzburg without singing this song in my head. The Sound of Music is an amazing movie, and visiting the location is even better. Whether or not you’re a fan of the Sound of Music, a visit to Salzburg is a must when visiting central Europe. I also had the most amazing, multi-course dinner of my life - the best part? It was only 40 euros (approx $50).

What to do in salzburg

There are so many amazing things to do both in and around Salzburg. It’s one of the few cities I’ve been to recently where I didn’t do a walking tour, but still managed a lot of walking and historical spots. For killer views, take the cable car to the castle overlooking the city and the surrounding Alps. It’s easy to find lots of Sound of Music spots in the city, like the Mirabell Gardens and Leopoldskron Palace, you can find a full list here. There are quite a few tour options as well if you want something more in-depth. Austria is well known for its cafes and sweets, and a stop at the charming Café Tomaselli is a must, as it is the oldest cafe in Austria. Another great spot for a caffeine fix and sweet is Cafe Konditorei Furst, home of the delicious mozartkugel. While strolling around the city on Sunday, we came across the summer weekend market along the river downtown, Salzachgalerien. With snacks, coffee, and lots of handcrafted items, it’s a great spot to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Food in salzburg

When it comes to food, there is no shortage of both traditional and upscale cuisine in Salzburg. As the area is so well known for schnitzel, being its birthplace, I had to try the top spot, Bärenwirt. You need a reservation but it was so worth it, although not the best I’ve ever had. We also went to Augustiner Brau Kloster Mülln, a huge beer hall with plenty of classic Austrian food options, where I also got my schnitzel fix. For drinks with a view, try hu:goes14, where you can get a classic Hugo cocktail (prosecco, mint, elderflower) which originates from the area. The best thing we did was have the Fridex dinner at Restaurant Mirabell. For a mere 40.5 euros pp, you were able to try from a selection of 16 courses - as many or as few as you’d like, from a choice of 5 starters, 2 soups, 5 main dishes and 4 desserts. A glass of sparkling wine to start and water were also included. To make it even more interesting, they only list a few ingredients for each course, and you select the number off the list, drop a post-it note for the waiter, and get your mystery dish shortly after. You can try them all and get seconds if you want as well, however it’s a two-hour sitting, and while we did manage all 16 between the two of us, it was a LOT of food!! Not only was the concept cool, but the food was amazing. Note that they only offer this on Friday from 6-9:30PM.

Where to stay in Salzburg

We stayed at the H+ Hotel Salzburg, conveniently located next to the train station. This was a great area to stay in close to town and also ideal if you are taking the train around, as you are just steps away.

what to do in HALLSTATT

If you follow any travel accounts on Instagram, you’ve probably seen shots of this stunning small village in Austria before. Situated on one of the many icy blue alpine lakes in the area, this small town has become an icon for its charming streets, salt mine, and lakeside location. Personally, I would recommend stopping at any other small town on a lake nearby, but if you really must see this spot, I recommend going very early, as parking gets to be a nightmare and the streets are constantly packed. We went during the summer of COVID and still found it relatively busy, even on a rainy July day. If you drive (which is the best and quickest way), you will probably have to walk downtown or take a taxi for a few euros. If you get there early enough there is some parking downtown, but from there the cars stop and you have to walk everywhere anyway. It’s best for a half-day trip, cafe stop, and scenic walk. If you fancy a traditional lunch, Cafe Derbl is a good spot, and if you want a little more to do, there is a salt mine cave tour. We had been on a similar tour in Germany and opted to just buy some of the salt to take home in a local shop. If you want a stunning lake view for a day trip while in Salzburg, Konigsee in Germany is also a great stop close by, and the boat cruise is a must-see.

Vienna

Vienna is one of the longest city stays I have ever done, and also my first ever solo trip. I went for four days and feel that I barely scratched the surface of the city. With the charm of London and the castles of central Europe, it had everything I love in a European city.

Where to eat in vienna

Wien is the German name for Vienna, and the wiener schnitzel is probably the most popular dish that originates from there. It’s also one of the few places in the world that is a city with its own cuisine, as opposed to a country’s. I had the best and most upscale schnitzel ever (and I’ve eaten a lot since moving to Germany) at Huth gastronomy. The cucumber salad that accompanied it was so fresh and light it really balanced the massive piece of fried meat. I would also recommend looking at the other Huth restaurants in Vienna - I actually thought I was headed to their Italian restaurant but didn’t realize I was at the wrong place until I looked at the menu. Luckily, it turned out to be a happy surprise. For an upscale lunch with a unique backdrop, the Palmenhaus is a unique greenhouse that offers lunch and sweets. I had the fish and it was amazing. The Naschmarkt is a also must when in Vienna; it’s a market hall filled with produce, spices, and lots of restaurants. I ate at Tewa and had a great hummus plate, but I would also recommend Neni for Mediterranean food in the market as well. I didn’t seem to have a bad meal in Vienna, and ended my trip with lunch at Ribelli, with Italian classics and a garden view. For drinks with a view, visit the Lameé rooftop. Lastly, no trip to Vienna is complete without a cafe visit, as this is heavily engrained in the city’s history and culture. Look for the spots off the beaten path, and if you want a nice slice of cake alongside your cappuccino, I recommend trying Aida, which has locations across the city - I tried two of their cakes on my trip.

Places to visit in Vienna

I walked over 30 miles in my four days in Vienna - there is SO much to see and do. To get your bearings, I recommend starting with a free walking tour, I went with Prime Tours Vienna. It covered all the major spots and city history, and my guide also had some great recommendations to give for after the tour. One of those recommendations was a visit to the Albertina Museum, which I did on my last day there. It’s an art museum and one of over 100 museums in Vienna - there’s really a museum for everyone, so a visit to one is a must. I did a second walking tour that was also a photoshoot with Lora’s Clicks Photography. You can book on her site or on Airbnb experiences, where I stumbled across it. She takes you around the main sites and captures photos along the way, so you end up leaving your trip with amazing vacation photos of yourself instead of just selfies (see above).

There are two major palaces worth a visit in Vienna - Belvedere and Schonbrunn. The latter was my favorite and I would recommend good walking shoes and a full half-day for a visit there. I stuck to the gardens and outdoor area, which is free to visit, and ended up spending a long time and left with sore feet.

Other highlights to see and do are going to the top of the Stephansdom church tower, walking the Danube canal, which has the city’s largest collection of street art, taking a horse-drawn carriage ride, seeing the horses at the Spanish Riding School, visiting the Volkspark Rosegarden, and strolling around the hip neighborhood of Neubaugasse.

Where to stay in vienna

I stayed at Hotel Zeitgeist, which was right by the main train station. The accommodation was extremely affordable and I had my own terrace, which was a real perk, especially to enjoy a drink at night as a solo traveler. After walking around and visiting, however, I would have picked somewhere more central, near the Neubaugasse neighborhood. I really like the 25hours hotel chain and they have a location near the neighborhood I liked, so I would recommend this as another option.

INNSBRUCK

While I only spent a few hours in Innsbruck, I truly feel that’s all you need to really see the city itself. However, it is right in the heart of the Alps and a great place to get a mix of both city and country. You can do some great hikes in the area, or take the cable car up to the local mountain, making it a good hub for the Austria Alps. Stroll around the river for an iconic view of colored houses and alpine mountains, or head downtown to see the iconic golden roof. My favorite thing about visiting Innsbruck was actually just outside of the city, which was a visit to the Swarovski Museum. I had no idea what to expect going in and was amazed to find a creative and immersive experience in art, crystals, and culture. Not only did you learn about the Swarovski crystals and marvel at many creations, but there were rooms with immersive experiences, ranging from a winter wonderland to a globe that makes you feel as if you have walked into a crystal itself. Check out my reel on Instagram for a great feel for the tour.