Itinerary in Austria for 10 days. Sights of Austria. Useful links for organizing independent travel in Austria

When we decided to go on a trip to Austria, we could not choose between the states of Salzburg and Styria (with the famous city of Graz). Therefore, we decided to travel the length and breadth of Austria, but at the same time get to know the culture of both regions, see the neat Graz, the more pompous and musical Salzburg, breathe the Alpine air on the shores of mountain lakes and ride through the Styrian countryside, surrounded by numerous medieval castles. Do you think such a trip is impossible in just 8 days? But no. The main thing is to get up early, make a trip plan, collect the necessary material and get ready for an active and educational vacation. So, we ended up with such an interesting trip to Austria.

Austria travel plan

Vienna 2 days, moving to Linz 1 day, moving to Salzburg for 2 days and traveling around the lakes for 2 days with an overnight stay on the lake.

In the end, we rejected this option because we planned to take a suitcase, and such a number of trips can only be accomplished with a backpack.

Vienna 3 days, including a trip to the Wachao Valley, Graz 3 days.

This option didn’t suit us either, because I categorically wanted to go to Salzburg and the Salzkamergut lakes.

We twisted and turned, then one thing didn’t suit us, then another, plus traveling by public transport also made its own adjustments. I wanted to see Salzburg, Nina - Styria, so we weren’t afraid of the distances and made the following travel itinerary for Austria (map).

Visa online with home delivery

Animated route through Austria (to start the animation, click on the Play icon on the left of the map)

Austria travel itinerary

Day 1: arrival in Vienna, transfer to Graz

Despite the fact that we flew to Vienna, we did not plan to spend time in the capital. We flew to Vienna only because there were cheap air tickets from Moscow. The plane arrived on time, passport control went through quickly, luggage was received in 5 minutes, so there was enough time before the train to Graz to walk along Vienna’s famous Graben street, look at St. Stephen’s Cathedral and the Hofburg.

Finally, after running around Vienna and its metro with our suitcases, we boarded the comfortable Vienna-Graz train and prepared our cameras to photograph the beautiful mountain road. However, as soon as we entered the mountainous area, the nice low clouds turned into rain clouds. Here's what we managed to film.

The report on the first day in Austria can be read here

Day 2: Walk through the old town of Graz

Graz is the second largest city in Austria, belongs to the state called Styria. The city is very original and even touchingly provincial. The old town of Graz is protected by UNESCO.

Graz embankment

But despite this, many contemporary art objects are concentrated in Graz, which produces a rather strange impression. For example, literally a stone's throw from the ancient square stands a blue monster with pimples, which is actually the building of the Museum of Modern Art.

Undoubtedly, Graz is worthy of a visit, you can even have time to see the main attractions.

The report from the second day in Austria can be read here

Day 3: Tour with a private guide "The Road of Styrian Castles"

When we booked everything, we found out that traveling around Styria by public transport is almost impossible. Buses do not go everywhere, and where they do, the schedule is not convenient, because there are only a couple of trips a day. Then we found out that most of the castles in Styria are privately owned, many forests and roads also belong to gentlemen, apparently this is the explanation for this problem with transport.

More about Herberstein Castle (pictured)

Tourism in Graz is not poorly developed, but outside its aisles no one is really waiting for you without a car. Therefore, we agreed with private guide Taisiya on a tour of the castles of Styria. Her program did not include Regensburg Castle, which is the largest and most terrible castle in Styria, but we still managed to visit it.

Report on Riegesburg Castle

Day 4: Travel from Graz to Salzburg

The train from Graz to Salzburg takes about 4 hours. We bought tickets for a train with many stops, but for only 18 euros. A train ride along this route is a real tour of Austria.

We passed a huge number of Alpine villages, endless fields with grazing cows, and as we approached Salzburg, mountains with snow-capped peaks, mountain rivers and lakes were added to the picturesque picture. This year, winter in Austria is coming more actively and earlier than usual, so on October 15th there was already snow at the top. How to get from Vienna to Salzburg can be read here .

The hotel in Salzburg was again booked near the station, so we quickly dropped our things and went to look for the old city.

Day 5: Walk through the old town of Salzburg

On this day we were unlucky with the weather, but this was not so critical because we planned to visit the main museums of Salzburg. Salzburg has a wonderful tourist card, the Salzburg Card, which gives you free travel and access to all attractions. During this day we managed to see almost all the sights from the must-see category (Hohensalzburg Fortress, the residence of bishops, the house where Mozart was born, the Cathedral).

Salzburg gave the impression of a festive and rich city; you really want to walk here and admire the mountains; I was especially impressed by the panorama of the city from the heights of the observation platforms.

Report on the fifth day of the trip

The best attractions of old Salzburg .

Review of excursions from Salzburg .

Day 6: Cable car ride up Mount Untersberg, Hellbrunn Palace and excursion to Lake Wolfgangsee (Salzkamergut lake district)

Despite the fact that the sky was covered with dense clouds, we still decided to go to Mount Untersberg and take the cable car to the top. This is not just a standard cable car for skiers. The suspended cabin goes up at a very steep angle, so it creates a feeling of flight. From the top of the mountain in good weather you can see a panorama of the Alpine mountains of Austria and even Germany, but we saw real winter and clouds.

On the way back, we got off at the Hellbrunn Palace stop, walked around the park, but didn’t have time for an excursion inside the palace and to the amusing fountains, because it was time to return to the center of Salzburg to the departure point of the excursion on Wolfgangsee. The day before we bought a tour in English from a local agency. The program included a sightseeing trip around the lakes of the Salkamergut region, as well as a boat trip on the largest lake Wolfgangsee, a walk through the fabulous city of St. Wolfgang, a visit to St. Gilgen and the town of Mondsee ) on the lake of the same name.

Report on the sixth day of the trip

Day 7: Mozart Museum, Museum of Modern Art on Mount Mönchsberg, excursion to the Bavarian mountains to the King's Lake

On this day we planned an independent trip to Lake Wolfgangsee, taking a mountain train to the top, but it was raining outside the window. We got our bearings and decided to see the rest of the sights of Salzburg, go to a travel agency and buy some excursion for the afternoon (depending on the weather). As a result, we went to Mozart’s house, where he lived and worked, took the elevator to Mount Mönchsberg, where we found several observation platforms and walked through the quiet autumn forest. After lunch the clouds cleared, so we went on an excursion to the Royal Lake in the mountains of Bavaria.

Report on the seventh day of the trip

Royal Lake in Bavaria

Bavarian town of Berchtesgaden

This was a pleasant final note to the trip; the next day we were on our way home.

Day 8: Train Salzburg-Vienna and flight to Moscow

Before the train, we sat in a cafe at the station and finally drank a delicious Austrian cappuccino. My habit of arriving at trains and planes in advance played into our hands. Because 25 minutes before the train departed for Vienna, we saw a beautiful inscription on the board that our train had been cancelled. We found out at the information desk that we could use our tickets to travel on any other trip, and an express train was leaving for Vienna in 10 minutes. The train from Salzburg to Vienna does not take as beautiful a road as from Graz to Salzburg, but interesting landscapes with Alpine cows are sometimes encountered.

Useful links for organizing independent travel in Austria

Transport planner in Salzburg

Salzburg Card, "Salzburg Card"

Card for the entire Salzburg region

Transport planner in Graz

Official website of Austrian Railways

Booking hotels in Graz

Hotel booking in Salzburg

Hotel booking in Vienna

Finding cheap air tickets

Budget for a trip to Austria and approximate prices

The budget per person for 8 days of active travel in Austria with excursions, museums and not the worst hotels turned out to be not as terrible as expected.

Here are the main expenses when organizing an independent trip to Austria:

Tickets Moscow-Vienna-Moscow by Aeroflot 10,000 (Austrian Airlines 7,500 rubles)
Train tickets:

Vienna - Graz 18 euros, journey 2 hours 30 minutes
Graz - Salzburg 18 euros (with many stops) journey 3 hours 50 minutes
Salzburg-Vienna 38 euros (high-speed express) journey 2 hours 50 minutes

Hotel in Graz Ibis 3* - 4300 rubles (3 nights)
Hotel in Salzburg Trend Messe 3* (4 nights) - 6500 RUR
Express airport - city center - airport 22 euros
Subway ticket in Vienna 3 trips 6.3 euros
Pass in Graz for 3 days - 11 euros
Salzburg Card (free admission to attractions and museums, travel on public transport) - 41 euros for 72 hours
Excursions in Salzburg from the local travel agency Panorama - 80 euros for 2 excursions
Excursion with a private guide "The Road of Styrian Castles" and Regensburg Castle - 125 euros
City tax in Salzburg - 4 euros

Total approximately 36,540 rubles in 8 days and this with such a busy program.

We spent only 159 euros per person on food over 8 days. True, we didn’t gorge ourselves on meat, didn’t go to expensive restaurants and hardly drank.

Austrian cuisine: what to eat, where to eat it, how to save money

In Graz we were able to feel all the heaviness and fattiness of Austrian cuisine, so we very quickly stopped wanting to eat their schnitzels, chicken in breadcrumbs, sausages and other meats with horse portions of potatoes and stewed salted cabbage. And without noticing it ourselves, we found many places where we can eat deliciously and on a budget.

Everywhere in Austria there are numerous bakeries, where for a few euros you can eat a fresh roll with vegetables, a sweet bun or croissant, and drink aromatic coffee. Such a hearty snack will cost no more than 6 euros.

I also recommend paying attention to small cafes outside the walls of old cities. As a rule, their prices are not high and the portions are simply huge. I would say even gigantic. So, for example, in Graz we ate, but did not eat a portion for 7 euros, consisting of two Wiener schnitzels and a mountain of boiled potatoes. In Salzburg we accidentally found an excellent cafe where only soup is on the menu. For 2.5 euros you can eat a plate of soups (goulash, tomato, pumpkin, potato, minestrone, etc.), either inside the cafe at a table or take it with you.

Another good option for saving on food is the supermarket chain Spar. In more than one country, we bought food in a store, because we don’t always want to go to a restaurant, especially when we get tired of the local cuisine. Spar sells wonderful vegetable salads with mozzarella or tuna. You can choose a sauce to go with them, and there are disposable dishes. For breakfast we often took yogurt, buns, cheese, ham and had a great breakfast in the room, and just drank coffee outside.

Watching the Austrians

Before our trip to the regions of Austria, we knew almost nothing about the Austrians. I had been to Vienna twice before this trip, but communication with local residents there was minimal, and the capital’s Austrians were completely different. This is probably typical for all capitals and provinces.

Provincial Austrians, surprisingly, follow the national culture in everyday life. On the streets of villages and even cities, every day we met local residents in national clothes. Sometimes the image was accompanied by some kind of accessory such as a hat, but often Austrians leisurely stroll around the city in green and red suits and plaid shirts. Once in a modern cafe, like our Coffee House, we saw a whole family in national clothes. And these are not actors to entertain tourists, but completely ordinary people.

On the streets of cities you could constantly see shops selling clothes in national colors, adapted for modern people.

Austrians are very patriarchal. They spend Sundays with their family; in small towns almost everything is closed. They call it family day.

Many Austrians are quite arrogant, especially when they hear Slavic speech. More than once we have caught leery glances on public transport. But most of them are nice people, always ready to help.

Overall, the trip to Austria was eventful, interesting and educational. In general, it should be noted that Austria is very different: pompous Vienna, provincial Styria, majestic Salburg. In one trip, it is almost impossible to travel around the entire country and understand it, and is it even necessary?

After the trip, I was left with a pleasant aftertaste and a desire to return to the country again.

Prices, reviews and hotel reservations in Austria

Finding cheap air tickets to Austria

I never thought that I would ever go on a trip to Austria. I have a list of countries that I don’t want to study and get to know, and Austria is one of them. I’ve been there twice already, the first time I didn’t want to, but against my will I went skiing in the Alps, on the very first day I tore my ligaments and realized that you don’t need to go to those countries that you’re not drawn to and ski skiing, if you can't stand them since childhood. I didn’t want to do it the second time either, but life decreed otherwise. Before I had time to look back, I was already at the airport.

Naumi trousers

Austria is ideal for traveling by car because it has fantastic roads. And I’m not just talking about the coverage, but even more about the landscapes that open up to you every minute. There wasn’t a single section of the road where I didn’t want to stop, turn off the engine, climb on the hood and, with my legs crossed, enjoy the silence and beauty. By the way, the proximity of the road practically does not disturb the silence. Maybe we are in such a period, of course, but cars are not often found there. Just like people, in general.

The road from Vienna to Salzburg fell on a Sunday, so we had difficulty finding an open restaurant. But if the situation with restaurants still somehow fit into my head, when I saw the doors closed and the lights turned off in a huge chain supermarket, I completely fell into a stupor. It began to seem to me that on Sunday in Austria people do not travel, do not go to supermarkets and, it seems, do not leave the house. The last conclusion comes from the fact that in a small village we tried to find someone to ask where we could have lunch, but our attempts were unsuccessful. On the fourth attempt to enter roadside settlements, we finally found a restaurant. However, only one name remains from the restaurant. Both the interior and the cleanliness of the toilet room were disappointing. Food is a separate topic. Not only of this restaurant, but throughout Austria.

IcePlay dress and glasses

If usually when traveling around Europe, only I suffer in terms of food, since I do not eat fish, meat, or eggs, then this time the “meat-eating” part of the company also suffered. The food is somehow not very tasty. Or we were unlucky. Although we did find a couple of good places, and I’ll tell you about them. But everything is in order.

Hallstatt

Our first stop was the small tourist town of Hallstatt, on the shores of the huge Lake Hallstätter. Initially, impressed by the pictures from the Internet, we planned to stay there, but when we got there, we changed our minds.

The city is truly fantastic and it fully met our expectations in terms of scenery. But Hallstatt could not give us the silence that we were so looking for in Austria. The city is simply teeming with tourists. 5 people per 1 square meter.

In my opinion, it’s not worth stopping there, but it makes sense to stop by for a walk. By the way, about “drop by”. This is a closed town, or at least its tourist center, so you will have to leave your car outside and walk. We had booked and paid for a room in one of the best hotels in the city (by Hallstatt standards, a weak C), but even this was not an argument for driving the car into the territory to unload our suitcases. This was the last straw, because it was really far to drag them, so after a walk in the picturesque surroundings, we hit the road to Lake Fuschl am See.

Fuschl am See

Once as a child, I read Ray Bradbury’s story “The Lake” and since then I have never swam in fresh water. Probably, the imprint was left by numerous insects living near lakes, snakes, which I saw in the water of beautiful Abrau. And all this together finally buried our almost never-begun relationship with recreation near the lakes. In general, don’t doubt it, I was also skeptical about Lake Fuschl am See. I already imagined these muddy waters with living creatures teeming in them. And imagine my surprise when this picture opened to my eyes:

The purest Tiffany-colored water, ducklings and colorful fish. “Is this really a lake?” Somehow it all looked more like the Maldives or the Caribbean... But it was a lake! On the shore of which lies the truly luxurious hotel Schloss Fuschl Resort & SPA. It’s difficult to pronounce, don’t even try, but it’s still worth visiting. You don’t need to fly for a week - you’ll die of boredom, but 3-4 days is fine. 3-4 days of absolute peace and quiet in a fantastically beautiful natural area.

Unlike other places in Austria, the hotel had pretty good food. Even for a selective consumer like me. What were we doing? We went in for sports, swam (yes, yes, I swam in a lake for the first time in my life), went to the spa, went canoeing, ate delicious food and drank wine. It was a real vacation when you just enjoy life and don't think about anything. At some point, it began to seem to me that life outside this lake simply stood still, I was so rested, both mentally and physically, as I had not rested for a very long time.

I read 2 books and spent as long as possible alone with my thoughts. You just take a canoe, sail out to the middle of the lake, lie down and listen to yourself.

On the last day of our stay in this heavenly place, we discovered a small fish restaurant. I had nothing to profit from there, but my companion, after dinner, said that this was the most delicious fish he had ever tasted in his life. I don’t know how he managed it, but he gobbled up three huge fish! The fish, as you understand, is caught right in this lake, and smoked right there on the spot (Sorry, my vegan brothers, for these details). Judging by the fact that there are never empty seats in this modest cafe, this is truly the most delicious fish in the world!

Furla backpack

Vein

Insanely beautiful city. If you go through the adjectives, I got the following set: large-scale, noisy, crowded, grandiose, impressive. Well, something like this. Incredible architecture, buildings that you want to walk around again and again.

Belvedere Palace, Schönbrunn Palace, Liechtenstein Palace - all in one small city with a population of about two million people.

Brusnika shirt, Furla backpack

Vienna City Hall, Parliament, Opera, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Prater and Volksgarden parks - all these are the calling cards of Vienna. I was particularly impressed by the Karlskirche Cathedral, located in the center of Vienna.

But if the entire Internet is teeming with the names of attractions that need to be visited, then there are hardly any places where you can have a tasty meal and a fun evening. So I hand over the appearances and passwords that we learned from local residents.

If you love hookah as much as I do, then there is a great place for you in Vienna called Failys. A wonderful lounge area where you can have a drink and smoke. Don't forget to reserve a table, we arrived without a reservation and waited 30 minutes!

One of the places where you can have a quick, tasty and inexpensive lunch is the Italian bistro in the city center - Vapiano.

And here are three more great places where you can have fun in the evening: “Vie i Pee”, “Babenberger Passage”, “Volksgarten”.

Pinko dress, IcePlay glasses

Good afternoon, today I will tell you what it consists of and how much a trip to Austria costs. About how much you can expect when planning your travel budget and how you can cut costs. I'll show you our budget report (you can see the route). Based on our report, you can calculate your budget and plan your trip.

Any trip consists of costs:

for an air ticket
to pay for housing
to purchase a visa to the country
for insurance
for food
for excursions and entertainment
car rent

The first thing to remember is that large countries have several airports. That airports are located in different cities. That the cost of air tickets in Austria by city can vary greatly.

Much depends on the season and time of purchase (the earlier you buy, the cheaper the ticket will be). I am showing a screenshot of prices for mid-April 2016.

Here are the major cities in Austria that have airports: Vienna, Salzburg, Graz, Innsbruck, Linz, Klagenfurt.

Here is a screenshot where you can see the price difference:

As you can see, the best priced ticket is an air ticket to Vienna, from 88 € round trip.

True, not all cities on this list can be reached from Russia by direct flight. It will be faster and easier to get to Vienna with a direct flight with Austrian Airlines. To other cities there are flights with transfers in Berlin, Hamburg, Dusseldorf, Helsinki and other European cities.

This is important information for us. If we wish, we can choose a flight with a long layover (+ 1 day), get off at the airport, see another city, and then continue our journey.

Important : Sometimes airlines have ticket sales or discounts. To buy a profitable and convenient ticket you need monitor proposals. As soon as you see something good, check the conditions and buy immediately. Such offers fly away instantly.

How much does a visa cost?

Austria is part of the Schengen union. For us (Russians) this means that purchasing a visa is mandatory. To obtain a visa to Austria, you must submit correctly completed documents.

note: Many companies offer visa processing services. This means that you provide them with all the necessary documents, take them to the visa center, and they undertake to deliver the documents to you. Such a service can cost 5 or 6 thousand rubles. At the same time, you must understand that you prepare, collect, deliver and correctly complete the documents yourself. They also tell you the requirements. And the requirements are clearly stated on the official websites of visa centers.

Those. in fact, you pay for the delivery of documents from the visa center. Whether it's worth doing is up to you to decide.

Applying for a visa to Austria on your own costs 35 €, plus a service fee of 26 €. The expiration date of the passport must be at least 6 months.

One of the rules for obtaining a visa implies that you must have a certain amount of funds (money) in your account. Many countries specify this amount in their visa requirements. Some countries do not specify a clear amount.

But the calculation is approximately this: 50 - 65 euros for each day of stay in the country. Your bank account statement shows your level of financial security.

When calculating your travel budget, you should take into account that this is the “average daily norm”. You can spend more, or you can cut costs and spend less money. No one can force you to spend 50 euros a day)

The Austrian Visa Service Center in Moscow is located at Dubininskaya 35. There are also visa centers in Kazan, Krasnodar, Nizhny Novgorod, Novosibirsk, Samara, Rostoy-on-Don, Krasnoyarsk and other large cities of Russia. The entire list can be viewed at website Austria Visa Application Center.

Important news: From September 14, 2015, Russians will be required to be present in person when applying for a visa to provide biometric data (fingerprints and digital photographs). This applies to tourists who request short-term visas for up to 90 days per six months. You only need to provide biometric data once. After this, your fingerprints will be stored in a database.

If you do not have the opportunity to go personally to the visa center to submit documents and have your fingerprints taken, the company will help you simplify obtaining a visa Visatohome. All you need to do is collect the necessary documents, photograph them and send them to the company. The company will handle all other visa issues.

How much does it cost to stay

In Austria, as in other European countries, there is a huge selection of housing. A bed in an eight-person room in a hostel, a single or double room in 2-5 star hotels, apartments and apartments with a kitchen, luxury rooms with a swimming pool. It's all there. Choose according to your budget. Our accommodation booking service will help you with this. roomguru. We use this service.

Vienna has a well-developed metro and other types of public transport, so you don’t have to worry about finding housing in the very center of the capital. You can find options in other areas. Vienna's main attractions can be reached in 15 minutes. The cost of the metro will be cheaper than living in the center. We stayed at the hotel Sommerhotel Wieden. It was convenient to get to it from there. Wien Hauptbahnhof train station is a 5-minute walk away.

By the way, you can also find very good deals in the center. Mostly they are from “private traders” - people running their own micro-businesses. As a rule, this is not a hotel, but a room in a local resident’s apartment or a separate room in a house.

There are such offers on the service AirBnb, which we have been using often lately and have not yet encountered any drawbacks. We find options cheaper than hotels. For example, in Vienna there are offers for 35-40 € for an apartment with a full kitchen. Agree this is better than a hotel room. The amount of accommodation is divided into two - this is also profitable. You don’t have to change your daily routine (to be on time for breakfast). And we buy food in the store, and for breakfast we eat the same fruits, scrambled eggs, coffee, cheese, only much cheaper than at the hotel. Having your own kitchen is a convenient solution for people with stomach diseases and digestive disorders - you can eat familiar food, carefully adding something new to your diet.

Friends, we are now on Telegram: our channel about Europe, our channel about Asia. Welcome)

How much does food cost

If you are in Austria, be sure to try the national cuisine. And this is a huge selection of pies - the most famous apple pie Strudel, delicious types of stewed meat and fish, potato casseroles, dumplings and much more. We especially recommend trying the famous Wiener Schnitzel. For drinks, we recommend trying Austrian wines - there are a lot of them in the country and they are varied in taste.

Austrian coffee shops. In our opinion, they are a must-see. Drinking one of the 30 types of coffee with Viennese strudel is not to be missed.

Trying all these delights of national cuisine in a restaurant will not be cheap for a Russian tourist today. The euro is not getting cheaper, unfortunately.

The portion in a restaurant is usually large (not like in Moscow), they serve, as they say, “from the heart,” so you can take one main course for two. If we took 2 servings out of greed, we asked to take it with us. This is fine. Anything you can’t handle will be neatly put in a plastic bag.

As an example, I consider the cost of dinner for two in a restaurant:

Side dish: potato salad – 5-6 €. They bring a large dish. You can absolutely calmly ask for another clean plate and utensils to be brought to you so that you can divide one large portion into two plates.
Main course: Wiener schnitzel – 12-15 € (as I wrote above, you can take a portion for two).
Dessert: strudel – 5 €.
Coffee 5-7 €.
Austrian wine - 2-3 € per glass of 150 ml, champagne is more expensive - about 4.5 €.

The result is 36 € for two. But it seems to me that Alla and I would not be able to cope with all this in one dinner. Usually they took less. It came out to about 20-25 € for two.

We didn't go to restaurants every day. We usually had breakfast at the hotel, and for lunch we snacked on a burger or Vienna sausages on the street. It came out to about 5 €.

In Graz we rented a room in an apartment. We had a kitchen. We went to the store and bought groceries there. It turned out, of course, much cheaper than restaurant prices.

Stores in Austria are open from 9.00 to 18.00 (18.30). On Saturdays, stores close an hour earlier.

Important: On Sunday, grocery stores are usually closed. Therefore, take care of breakfast in the evening or go to the station.

At the stations, shops are open daily from 7 to 22:30.

How much do excursions cost?

Combination tickets are popular in Austria. With this ticket you can see several attractions at once. For example, on the territory of Schönbrunn Palace there are about 12 attractions. At the box office you can purchase a ticket for each of them, or a combined one. The second option is usually cheaper.

Examples of prices for attractions:

Vienna Zoo – 16.50 euros
Amusement park Prater – 7 euros
Combined ticket to the Belvedere (lower and upper, Winter Palace, orangery, 21 houses) – 31 euros
Mozart's House in Vienna - 10 euros
in Graz – 11.50 euros. Buy a day ticket to the Joanneum Museum for 13 euros. It gives you the right to visit all parts of the museum within 24 hours
Hohenwerfen Castle – 11 euros.

If you want to get to know Austria better and learn its history, we recommend taking unusual excursions from local residents.

Better yet, buy a Vienna Card. This is a travel card and a discount card at the same time. Invented specifically for tourists. With it you can buy entrance tickets to the museum, castle, and other attractions at a discount. Plus using public transport is free.

Detailed budget for our trip

We were in Austria for 8 days. This country was only part of our trip to Europe. During the 27 days of the trip we visited 4 countries: Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein. A detailed budget report is written in .

Budget for a trip to Austria for two (all prices are for two):

Vienna – (3 nights) = 138 €
Graz – (2 nights) = 68 €
Salzburg – (3 nights) = 165 €

Tickets were purchased through the Austrian railway website in advance (3-3.5 weeks in advance), so they were eligible for discounts and promotions. On the day of the trip they already cost 2 times more.

Vienna – Graz = 28 €
Graz – Salzburg= 38 €
Salzburg – Zurich= 158 €

In Vienna and Salzburg we bought a tourist map of the cities for 3 days. In Vienna Vienna Card 20 €, in Salzburg Zalzburg Card 31 €. With these cards when visiting museums, etc. The savings were considerable. In Vienna one and a half times, in Salzburg 2 times.

Total: for two people for 8 days including everything except trains booked and purchased in advance (accommodation, food, maps, etc.) it came out to 708.23 €. 708.23 € + trains 224 € = 932 €.

Those. per person - 466 €.

Conclusions:

Traveling to Austria is quite expensive
The “average rate of accommodation” per day corresponds to the visa requirements (50 – 65 euros per day).
We walked around the cities all day and saw quite a lot of sights, ate reasonably (we didn’t skimp on food, we didn’t dine in expensive restaurants).
If you are focused on walking around the city (without sightseeing), then the trip will be cheaper.
If you are not planning on moving to different cities, you will deduct the cost of train expenses from our final cost amount.

Sincerely,

Austria is a country of mountains and music. Both Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, Strauss were born here, and Beethoven lived for a long time. The Vienna Opera and autumn balls, classical music festivals are famous all over the world.

There are 422 museums and many art galleries in Austria. The most sophisticated art critics will find interesting and exquisite creations here. More than 50 large forts and palace complexes have been preserved in Austria. Fans of medieval romance will not only be able to admire the castles, but also rent luxurious apartments in some of them. The rich architecture of Vienna, Graz, Salzburg, Innsbruck impresses with its variety of styles, neatness and harmony of lines, solemnity and chic. Modern Austria is trying, without rejecting the past, to take a step into the future. Graz's modern exhibition hall in the shape of a spaceship is impressive, as is the "Giant's Treasures" museum near Isbruck, where sparkling Swarovski crystals are on display.

Most of the country is occupied by the Alps. The indescribable beauty of the mountains in summer and winter can be observed from countless observation platforms, castle and church towers. The Austrians have long learned to live in harmony with nature, without disturbing the landscape, to build modern buildings and create their own way of life. Even under the highways, tunnels are built for migrating frogs.

Austria is a universally recognized ski capital with a huge number of mountain and balneological resorts. Tourists have about 70 ski slopes of varying difficulty and many offers for cyclists, climbers, kayakers, and hikers. You can rent any sports equipment, a convenient system of general tickets (ski pass) for ski resorts. Everything is thought out here down to the smallest detail: where to go and what to do with children, or what to do after skiing. Pubs, cafes, and restaurants are famous for their local wines and delicious dishes. Be sure to try something from the national cuisine: trout baked in dough, schnitzel, Sachertorte.

And you can buy Swarovski crystals, Tyrolean bells or Salzburg chocolate as souvenirs for your home. Local wines, of course, do not need advertising.

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What to see in Austria?

The most interesting and beautiful places, photographs and brief descriptions.

The center of Salzburg is included in the UNESCO list. Baroque and Gothic, Renaissance and Classicism are organically combined here. The famous Spanish masters Vincenzo Scamozzi and Santini Solari worked on the creation of architectural compositions. It was in the center of Salzburg on Getreidegasse street at number 9 that Mozart was born. The Hohensalzburg fortress has become a unique symbol of the city; it is interesting to see the Cathedral, square 17 in Residenzplatz.

Belverdere was built in the 17th and 18th centuries as the summer residence of Prince Eugene of Savoy. It consists of two parts: the Upper and Lower Palace, between which there is a beautiful park. Cascading fountains, sculptural compositions, intricately trimmed bushes, and herbal designs carry a special royal chic. The halls made of red and white marble, the Golden Cabinet, and the Grotesque Hall are impressive.

The temple of the musical capital - the Vienna State Opera - was opened in 1869. Mozart's Don Giovanni. The interior decoration is impressive with lush interiors. Each box has its own wardrobe and mirror. During intermission you can drink champagne. All seats are equipped with an electronic screen on which you can select the translation language of the opera. It is better to buy a ticket in advance by ordering it online.

The Wachau region is located 80 km from Vienna. In 2000 it was included in the UNESCO list. Ancient towns with monasteries, churches, castles, and palaces have been preserved here. The valley in the Danube Delta is surrounded by forest, and there are vineyards on the mountain slopes. Local monks are famous for their long, almost Roman-era winemaking traditions.

The monastery occupies an area of more than 17 thousand square meters, and the southern wall stretches for 362 m. There is a museum on the territory, a restaurant, parking, a huge park, the plants in which are over 300 years old. The most significant places in the monastery are the Marble Hall, the church and the library. The church's gilded altar represents the scene of the farewell of Peter and Paul, a magnificent hall. The church has 5 bells, one of them weighs more than 7000 kg.

Even in summer, the glacier functions as a full-fledged winter resort. There are excellent ski slopes for beginners and professionals. Equipment can be rented. There is a restaurant, casino, swimming pools, tennis, and ski school on the plateau. From here you have a beautiful view of the Alps. Mount Kitzsteinhorn rises 3000m above sea level.

Vienna's inner city is luxurious, rich and beautiful. Castles, palaces, sculptures, churches, parks and gardens are included in the UNESCO list. It is better to start your walk from the square in front of the Cathedral of St. Stefan, you can rent a bicycle or take the tram that goes around the historical center. Don’t be surprised if you see an old carriage next to the cars - all the best from past centuries has remained in Vienna.

One of the best mountain resorts in Austria and Europe. Hiking routes along the Alpine trails, rope and climbing parks for climbers, ski holidays, bicycle races over the pass, paragliding, ice skating rinks, there are tennis courts, swimming pools, a golf club - Arlberg is rich in offers. In addition, the presence of mountain lakes and rivers allows the development of kayaking and rafting. The elite vacation was appreciated by world celebrities. Here you can easily meet a movie star or even a prince on skis or a bicycle.

The prototype of Schönbrunn was the Parisian Versailles. Around the luxurious palace there is a constantly blooming park, with green galleries, a ceremonial arch, an even green wall of trees, and rows of sculptures. Visit the green labyrinth - there are many pleasant surprises there. The pavilion on Glorietta Hill offers an amazing view of the palace. The palace itself has more than 1000 rooms, but only 40 are open to the public. At one time, Napoleon lived in the palace.

The castle on Mount Hohensalzburg was built by Archbishop Gebhardt. Since 1077, the building has been constantly expanded and strengthened. In the 19th century there was a barracks here, later a German prison. Inside is a large collection of weapons and ancient torture devices. The castle is connected to the city of Salzburg by a functioning funicular. From here there is a beautiful view of the dark city roofs, valley and mountains.

Innsbruck is a city with a rich history. It was founded before 1200. Maximilian I was crowned here, the first pan-European thaler was minted here, the city is famous for the magnificent decoration of its churches and monasteries. Modern Innsbruck is a sports resort and tourist center. It has hosted the Winter Olympics twice and its stadiums are open to international competitions and tournaments.

From a height of 380m, one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Europe falls down with a deafening roar. You can admire how Kriemler rushes to the foot from April to October - in winter the waterfall freezes, and the Hohe Tauern Nature Park is closed to the public. Here you can take a taxi and go up to the second cascade, and from there walk down to the first threshold. You need to have a raincoat with you.

The main temple of Vienna, one of the symbols of Austria, was built in 1147. Due to reconstructions and additional rooms at a later time, Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque styles were organically intertwined in the architecture of the cathedral. An organ and carved choirs were installed inside. The modern organ of the cathedral has 10 thousand pipes. There are 23 bells in the bell tower. Among the treasures of the temple you can see the icon of the Virgin Mary of Pecs, a carved pulpit from the 15th century, the relics of St. Valentine, a piece of fabric from the tablecloth of the Last Supper. The cathedral contains the tombs of princes, church rectors, and representatives of the Habsburg dynasty.

Tauern is one of the largest mountain reserves in Europe - its area is about 181,500 hectares. Here is the highest peak in Austria - Grossglockner (about 4000m), the narrowest gorge of the Alps - Lichtensteinklamm, and in addition about two hundred peaks up to 3000m, glaciers, waterfalls (one of them is almost 400m Krimler waterfall), caves, rivers and lakes. A mountain road runs like a serpentine through the park. It is short in length and turns 36 times. There are many different hiking routes through the nature reserve.

The majestic fortress on a 160m cliff in Carinthia has 14 gates and five drawbridges. Each pair of gates has its own history, name and purpose. Part of the castle is open to the public. A museum has been created on its territory, which has a good collection of knightly armor, a wooden statue of the mythical giant defender of the fortress, and medieval interiors have been preserved. In the courtyard there is a 20m cistern carved into the rock to collect water.

The turquoise Lake Faker See became this way because of the inflowing river Voronitsa, which carries limestone from the mountains. The beauty of the water and surroundings inspires photographers and tourists. This place is great for a family holiday. Here you can fish, swim, hike, and boat. In summer the water warms up to 27 degrees. There is a tourist center with shops and bars next to the lake, and accommodation is available in the local villages of Egg and Drobollach.

The Großglockner panoramic road runs through the High Tower Nature Reserve. You can rent a car or motorcycle and climb the serpentine road. The tourist route is paid, it is open from 5 a.m. and from May to October. The road rises to a height of 2500m. Steep descents, ascents, and turns allow you to feel the full adrenaline of a mountain road. There are many panoramic spots and observation platforms along the way.

Near the city of Werfen, at an altitude of about 1600m, there is the largest ice cave in the world - Eisriesenwelt (trans.: world of the ice giants). You need to climb partly by cable car, partly on foot, be sure to take warm clothes - it’s cold in the cave, and the excursion lasts about an hour. The path inside is equipped with railings. The first ski lifts began to be built in 1920. Since then, interest in this place has been constantly growing. Huge ice columns, towers, frozen rivers, waterfalls, bizarre boulders, stalactites and stalagmites gradually change their shape due to penetrating air currents and water seeping through the limestone.

A visit to the castle can be combined with a visit to the Eisriesenwelt ice cave. From here it is not far to Salzburg, and Werfen is clearly visible. The castle was built on the 155th mountain back in the 11th century. It changed hands many times and was restored in the 16th century after complete destruction. Now in Hohenwerfen it is interesting to see the falconry museum, climb the bell tower, and explore the medieval halls.

Bad Gastein is sometimes called the Monte Carlo of the mountains due to its operating casino. The resort was chosen by the rich and famous. There are many luxury hotels here, proud of their thousand-year history or famous visitors, who try to please tourists with the most exquisite treatments and massages. Bad Gastein is famous for its radon galleries and thermal springs.