In my Austria Travel Guide I'm going to share my favourite travel destinations from Vienna. It will increase your radius of exploring Austria, too.
Find out which amazing places to visit from Vienna, best transport connections, trip duration and what to do in each location. The following 21 places have been taken from my personal photo albums, memories and hot tips from local friends and family.
You can use the Austrian Railway search widget at the end of this post to find train timestables and book tickets. Sometimes, it is more advisable to rent a car, especially if you are short on time and want to be flexible. Check out my car rental guide.
If you'd like to get things sorted and have 7 days at hand for Austria, consider a railway tour from Vienna to Salzburg, Innsbruck and Swarovski Crystal Worlds.
Lower Austria
1. Austria Travel Guide: Wachau Valley
This UNESCO World Heritage Site makes a perfect day out for wine lovers, boat ride fans, medieval and baroque art aficionados, hikers and bikers, and rural tranquil seekers. Visit Dürnstein, Spitz and Melk Abbey. If you like classical music find out what is on at Grafenegg Castle. For more tips on what to see and do there, go to Wachau Valley.
By train: Wien Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof train station to Krems or Melk; approx. 1 hour / 1.25 hours
By car: via A1 highway; approx. 1.15 hours / 1.5 hours
Top local hotel deals in Wachau Valley: get the best deals for Hotels in Wachau.
2. Austria Travel Guide: Schloss Hof
The castle between Vienna and Slovakian capital Bratislava was Prince Eugene of Savoy’s beautifully restored baroque country retreat. It boasts lavish rooms, manicured baroque gardens and an authentic manor farm. The palace makes a fantastic day trip from Vienna for culture travellers and families. It is open from early April to early November.
By train and bus: Vienna Central Station to Marchegg train station, from there take free shuttle bus to Schloss Hof; approx. 1.25 hours
By car: via A4 highway; approx. 1 hour
My tip: connect your visit with a trip to nearby Bratislava the following day;
Access Bratislava hotel deals
3. Austria Travel Guide: Vienna Woods
You would want to venture out into the Vienna Woods if you love wine, hiking, wellness spas, classical music and casinos; I grew up in the spa, casino, operetta and wine town Baden. In the 19th century, the Austrian Emperor built a summer residence there. Musicians like Ludwig van Beethoven and Johann Strauss spent their summers there. On Summer weekends you can listen to free classical concerts in the pavilion of Kurpark. Insider tip: Visit the winery festivals in Gumpoldskirchen and Pfaffstätten if you are around in August/September. Find out what to see and do in Vienna Woods.
By train: Vienna Central Station to Gumpoldskirchen, Pfaffstaetten or Baden bei Wien; approx. 30 min
By car: approx. 45 min
Find the best Vienna Woods hotel.
Burgenland
4. Austria Travel Guide: Neusiedlersee
Each summer I visit Neusiedlersee in Burgenland, called the ‘seaside of the Viennese’, with my local family. We would swim, rent a little boat, visit local wineries, go biking along the lake, and take our kids to the wildlife centre at Seewinkel. Shipping across the river from Illmitz to Podersdorf is highly recommended. The steppe lake’s water is quite muddy but doesn’t do any harm, it’s all natural. Best villages to visit: Rust, Illmitz and Mörbisch; If you visit in the summer, make sure you take insect repellent with you.
By train and bus: Vienna Central Station to Rust am See, Illmitz or Podersdorf am See (change to local busses as indicated on train timestables); approx. 1.5 hours / 1.25 hours / 1.25 hours.
By car: approx. 1.25 hours to 1.5 hours
5. Austria Travel Guide: Eisenstadt
Burgenland’s capital is a well kept travel secret. The small town has loads of character and boasts stunning baroque Esterházy Palace. It is mostly known as baroque composer Joseph Haydn’s main realm of composing and conducting.
Best connection: To visit both Eisenstadt and Forchtenstein Castle get on the Esterházy Bus for a day trip by coach to Eisenstadt, Esterhazy Castle, the Haydn Hall and Forchtenstein Castle. The tour is available between May and September. Further information and booking: email tourismus@esterhazy.at
6. Austria Travel Guide: Forchtenstein Castle
You probably know this kind of castle from 'middle earth' fanstasy films. This is the real one, though. The 14th century medieval fortress close to Eisenstadt is picture perfect. Enthroned on a limestone rock amidst the Rosalia mountains, Forchtenstein hosts the sparkling treasury of the Esterhazy family, the most wondrous ancestors gallery and natural curiosities.
At one hour's drive from Vienna, Forchtenstein is suitable for a day trip or a stopover on your way to Hungary or Austria's southern regions. Find out more about Forchtenstein.
Access Burgenland hotel deals
Upper Austria
7. Austria Travel Guide: Salzkammergut Lakes
Think ‘Sound of Music’, subtract Hollywood and you’ll get the breathtaking surroundings of Alpine lakes and mountains. I have sent families, groups of friends and romantic couples there, and they were all amazed. My top three must-see lakes: Lake Hallstatt, lake Wolfgang, and lake Fuschl. If you visit Salzburg, you can join a mountain and lake resort day tour from there. Alternatively, take a private tour to Hallstatt. Insider tip: At St. Wolfgang, get uphill by Schafbergbahn steam cogwheel railway from St. Wolfgang for a fabulous view of lake Wolfgang; then take a boat ride from St. Wolfgang to St. Gilgen;
By train: Wien Westbahnhof to St. Wolfgang im Salzkammergut via Bad Ischl or Salzburg; 4 hours
By car: via A1 higway, approx. 3.75 hours
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8. Austria Travel Guide: Danube Region
The stretch along the Danube in Upper Austria is one of the most picturesque in the country. Bikers can go from Passau via Linz to Vienna across flat plains, sloped banks and hills on the Danube bike path. Hikers can use the Donausteig hiking path. You will love the many historic villages, medieval ruins and baroque monasteries and castles on the way. The best locations for culture travellers are Engelhartszell monastery, Aschach and Enns, Austria's oldest town. Most impressive patch is the Schlögener Schlinge. From Passau to Vienna, it is mostly downhill.
By train: Wien Westbahnhof to Linz an der Donau; 1.25 hours
By car: via A1 highway, approx. 2.5 hours
Find Hotels in the Danube region
Hotel Tips
The best locations to stay along the Upper Austrian Danube are the Dom Hotel in Linz, Hotel Schloss Mühldorf in Feldkirchen, and Hotel Donauschlinge in Haibach. For Salzkammergut, choose a wildly romantic lakeside hotel in St. Gilgen or Hallstatt.
Salzburg
9. Austria Travel Guide: Salzburg City
Austria’s second most popular city deserves the attention of culture travellers in general and Mozart fans in particular. Everything here lifts my spirits, whether I stroll through the historic Getreidegasse, visit Residenz Gallery, have coffee at Café Tomaselli or go up to Mönchsberg and the Fortress Hohensalzburg. Don’t miss Mirabell Palace. For added convenience, join a good historic walking tour. Mozart music is almost everywhere in town. Find out what classical events are on stage during your stay here. If you decide to stay in Salzburg, add some time to also explore the surrounding regions. Sound of Music fans: you will find a buzzing fan community onsite. If you like to keep it more private, consider doing an exclusive Sound of Music tour. The annual Salzburg Festival takes place from mid July to the end of August - expect the town to explode with music and visitors.
By train: Wien Westbahnhof to Salzburg Hauptbahnhof
By car: via A1 higway, approx. 3.5 hours;
Organised tours: If you'd just like someone to whizz you to Salzburg and back, check my favourite Vienna tours to Salzburg;
10. Austria Travel Guide: Hohe Tauern National Park
The Hohe Tauern National Park is where Austrians spend their mountain holidays. What I find most fascinating there is that mix of rough rocks and lush green mountains, pure water and super clean air. You can join a national park ranger for a hike, learn about schnaps distilling and Alpine flowers, visit the Krimml waterfalls, travel by steam locomotive through mountains and valleys. Best local ski resorts are Bad Hofgastein (you may find me there) and the glacier of Kaprun.
By train: Wien Westbahnhof or Vienna Central Station to Bad Gastein, Mittersill and Kaprun; approx. 4.25 hours / 5.25 hours / 5.25 hours
By car: via A2 highway approx. 4.75 to 5.25 hours;
Hotel Tips
Go for Hotel Stein, Altstadthotel Amadeus, or Altstadthotel Kasererbräu . Get more local hotel deals in Hotels in Salzburg.
Read more on the best places in Styria, Carinthia, Tyrol and Vorarlberg.
Styria
11. Austria Travel Guide: Graz
The capital of Styria is a World Cultural Heritage, but a far cry from tourist hot spots. Graz’ historic main square is lined by colourful town houses; its street market, the traditional chimes, the gothic dome and noble palaces are deeply Austrian. I love its renaissance courtyards, best of all the Landhaus courtyard. 18th century Herberstein Palace on the way to Graz is a must see. Graz’ boldest design statement is the Island in the Mur – have coffee in that otherworldly glass snail right on top of Mur river. Insider tip for chocolate lovers: visit the Zotter chocolate manufactory south east of Graz for a degustation and tour.
By train: Wien Meidling train station to Graz main station; approx. 2.5 hours
By car: via A2 highway: approx. 2.25 hours
Guided day tour from Vienna: Styrian Castles Route and Graz Tour
12. Austria Travel Guide: Alt Aussee and Toplitzsee
The highly picturesque village nests between the shores of lake Altaussee and the Loser mountain and scores high on traditional Austrian culture. If you were an upper middle-class Austrian, a writer, musician or painter, you would spend your summers in Alt Aussee, go skiing in the winter, and possibly own a second residence there. You would wear a dirndl and a lederhose as if they were a pair of jeans. And you wouldn’t bat an eyelash over folkore here, as you would know it is authentic. My best experience in the area was a boat ride on mystic Toplitzsee near Alt Aussee. (photo: Hotel Seevilla, Altaussee)
By train and bus: Wien Westbahnhof or Wien Meidling train stations to Alt Aussee Kurhaus; approx. 4.5 hours
By car: via A2 highway; approx. 3.5 hours
Find Hotels in Altaussee
13. Austria Travel Guide: Dachstein
“THIS is what I call mountains...”. My family has skied there and visited the Dachstein ice caves during the summer. Next on the list is a hiking tour in Gosau. I can’t wait to go up by cable car with that spectacular view of Gosau glacier lake, then do a family hike at Zwieselalm and have a good Austrian snack at all those Alpine log cabins I know from skiing. Insider tip: at Ramsau, visit the gigantic Ice Palace made of ice carvings from glacier ice, and the free-standing Skywalk panorama terrace for that extra thrill.
By train: Wien Westbahnhof train station to Ramsau am Dachstein: approx. 5 hours
By car: approx. 3 hours
Hotel Tips
For an utterly romantic vintage feeling Altaussee, book yourself in at Seevilla. In Graz, go for Schlossberg Hotel; the best place to stay at Dachstein are the Alpen Chalet in Gosau and Posthotel in Schladming. Get more Hotels in Styria.
Carinthia
14. Austria Travel Guide: Millstättersee and Gösselsdorfer See
Carinthia, Austria’s southern federal region, is the paradise for swimmers, hikers, skiers and lovers of great food. Lake Wörth (Wörthersee) is the largest, warmest and loudest of them. If you follow the insider’s path, dip your toes into quiet and romantic Millstättersee, rent a canoo or a rowing boat at sunset, and take your loved ones for a perfect hike or skiing tour. Insider tip: Have a floating dinner on the lake at Koller’s Hotel in Seeboden.
Tiny and warm lake Gösselsdorf is located in a nature reserve. The water is infused with the locally growing calmus plant which is known for its skin regenerating conditions. Continue past the public lake resort through the woods to find the most peaceful bit of lake.
By train and bus: Wien Westbahnhof to Millstatt Strandbad; approx. 5.5 hours
By car: via A2 highway; approx. 4.5 hours
15. Austria Travel Guide: Alpine Wellness Oases
Coming from Vienna, you could do with putting your feet up. There are a few wellness spas in Carinthia that offer different treatments.
Where I would stay if I was a Vienna traveller hungry for a peaceful switch of scenery: definitely in a bed of hay on the Alpine floating bed, then get an Alpine rock salt and moor mud treatment at the Almwellness Hotel Tuffbad in St. Lorenzen; Alternatively I would plunge into a solar-powered natural pool in the mountains, warm up in a stone-pine sauna, and get an Alpine essential oils massage at Hotel Feuerberg at Ossiacher See. Click for a selection of hiking, biking and nature tours.
By train and bus: Wien Westbahnhof to St. Lorenzen im Lesachtal; approx. 7.25 hours
By car: via A2 highway; approx. 5.5 hours
16. Austria Travel Guide: Klagenfurt and Wörthersee
Carinthia’s regional capital is easy on sightseeing, leaving space for great food and hanging out in local cafés. Start from the beautifully redesigned main square Neuer Platz, then stroll through the inner city. My Klagenfurt-based aunt’s favourite is the local farmers market at Benediktinerplatz, a multicultural mix between Italian fishmongers, Slovenian and Carinthian farmers. Insider tip: have lunch or dinner at Theatercafé. Klagenfurt is located next to Lake Wörth. Its key towns Velden and Pörtschach are posh and buzzing during July and August: The dozen mostly Austrian and German celebrities who have summer residences there attract a sizeable party crowd. The best hotels in Carinthia can be found here.
By train: Wien Meidling to Klagenfurt central station; approx. 3.75 hours
By car: via A2 highway;
Hotel Tips
Exceptional places to stay are the Villa Verdin in Millstatt and Koller's Hotel in Seeboden at Millstättersee; in Klagenfurt, go for Hotel Palais Porcia. Search for the dozens of great hotels in Carinthia.
Tyrol
17. Austria Travel Guide: Karwendel Mountains
The Tyrolean Karwendel mountain range belongs to Austria’s largest nature park. The most charming thing to do there is a ride with the Achensee rack and pinion steam railway, one of the oldest in the world. It takes you through the mountains from Jenbach to the southern banks of lake Achen. Spend some time in the 15th and 16th century renaissance and baroque village of Schwaz.
If you are after rural idyll and light hiking, head for traditional Eng village. It is completely car free, full of old Alpine lodges, rare mountain acorn trees, and hiking trails leading off into the mountains. In the mornings, watch local cheese makers at work.
By train: Wien Westbahnhof to Jenbach; 4.75 hours
By car: via A1 highway, approx. 4.75 hours
Search for hotels in Tyrol.
18. Austria Travel Guide: Innsbruck
Tyrol’s capital has one of the most beautiful city sceneries in the world. Surrounded by white mountain peaks, Innsbruck contrasts Vienna like no other Austrian city. My favourite sites there are the Hofburg (yes, they have one there, too), the Kaiserjägermuseum and the Alpine zoo. Tyrol’s long fight for independence and its libertarian mountain people is rolled out brilliantly at the museum. You will get to know a very different perspective of Imperial Vienna in that other corner of Austria. Enjoy the typical arcades of 16th century townhouses along Herzog-Friedrich-Street, which ends at the Goldenes Dachl (Golden Roof), Innsbruck’s top landmark. Insider tip: visit 1,100 year old Ambras Castle in the outskirts.
By train: Wien Westbahnhof to Innsbruck central station; 4.25 hours
By car: via A1 highway, approx. 5.25 hours
19. Austria Travel Guide: Swarovski’s Crystal Worlds
Many of our friends and family have either a Swarovski crystal glass figurine in their vitrine, or wear some kind of Swarovski jewellery (myself included). If you belong to the international fan community, don’t miss Swarovski’s monumental theme park at its headquarters in rural Wattens. The attractions are high quality and crystalise your experience of ice, snow, pure water and magical nature. Needless to say that your crystal shopping experience at Swarovski’s headquarters will rock.
By train: Wien Westbahnhof to Fritzens/Wattens; 4.75 hours
By car: via A1 highway, approx. 5 hours
Hotel Tips
The Hotel Goldener Adler is Innsbruck's first address. In Schwaz, get into sweet traditional Hotel Plankenhof. Click here for Hotels in Innsbruck.
Vorarlberg
20. Austria Travel Guide: Lake Constance and Bregenz
At long stretched Lake Constance (‘Bodensee’) you are entering multinational territory. Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Liechtenstein share the lake. It is one quarter larger than Vienna.
Between mid April and mid October, boats take you across the lake from Vorarlberg’s capital Bregenz to Mainau island and German Konstanz. If you love plants, make sure you spend some time at flower paradise Mainau island.
Bregenz is the oldest city at the shores of Lake Constance. I could spend hours in the medieval upper town with its timber-framed town hall. Between April and October, climb up 13th century Martin’s Tower (‘Martinsturm’) with its huge wooden dome, the city’s landmark.
Theatre fans: expect to be over the moon when attending an open-air theatre/opera staged right on the lake during the annual Bregenz Festival in July/August. Insider tips: watch the sunset at Fischersteg’s Sunset Bar; take the Pfänderbahn cable car to traditional inn Gasthaus Pfänderspitze for spectacular views of Lake Constance.
By train: Wien Westbahnhof to Bregenz; approx. 7 hours
By car: via A1 highway, approx. 6.75 hours
21. Austria Travel Guide: Bregenzerwald
Heart-stoppingly wild and beautiful is the forestry region of Bregenzerwald. It is like falling through a time hole back to Celtic and Rhaeto Roman times. For many centuries, the mountaineous area had been largely closed off to the rest of the world. It is utterly rough yet beautiful. Mountain peaks share the space with lush meadows, forests, gorges, waterfalls and flat hollows. During a village hopping tour you will get the best insight into local culture and crafts. Their hard cheese is among the best in Austria. The local fine lace is renown across Europe. The villages of Bezau, Mellau and tiny Damüls are great starting points, as they are all close to a cable car. Tip: Ask for the Bregenzerwald Guest Card at your hotel. (photo: Deuring Schlössle-Hotel)
By train and bus: Wien Westbahnhof to Bezau bus station; approx. 8 hours
By car: via A1 highway, approx. 7.25 hours
Hotel Tips
Deuring-Schlössle castle hotel in Bregenz catapults you straight back to the renaissance; Search for Hotels in Vorarlberg.
Search For Austrian Train Connections
How And Where to Rent A Car
Austria Travel Guide. How difficult is it to rent a car and drive in Austria? What options should you watch out for to make a good deal?
We sometimes rent a car when we visit my family in Austria so I have put together some tips in my car rental Vienna guide.
go to Day Trips from Vienna - Salzburg, Bratislava, Wachau, Budapest, Burgenland, Vienna Woods
explore Vienna Salzburg Day Trip - Small Group Tour Review
find out about a Mini Danube Cruise - Vienna to Bratislava by Boat
check my Vienna Budapest Day Trip - Tour Review
go to Wachau Valley Tour - Wine And Danube Tour Review
need help with planning your Austria trip? go to Vienna Travel Planning and find out how I can help you
go to Visit Vienna - 20 Free Vienna Vacation Tools and Travel Tips
