Vienna and Salzburg, Austria

Hello dear readers and future travellers, are you feeling a spring in your step and want to wander? Read on and you shall be transported to amazing Austria! I went there last Spring, for the first time ever. I would certainly go back. I visited both Salzburg and the capital Vienna, using the ÖBB rail network. Austria’s trains are clean, punctual, and affordable. Take note Britain! I purchased a second-class flexi ticket at around €20 on the high-speed line between Salzburg-Vienna.

Tip: book in advance to secure the cheapest prices and always go direct to the rail provider.

Vienna

Firstly, let’s talk about Vienna. Wunderschön Wien. I thought being a big capital city I would not like it. How wrong I was. I liked the buzz and energy of Vienna and loved its elegant architecture and rich history. Spring was in full swing, and the trees were growing their green leaves once again. The local transport was excellent, especially the trams and underground. The Hauptbahnhoff main-train station was newly built in the mid-2010s and is as large as an airport. I stayed nearby in the Adina Apart-Hotel, which was modern, clean and commodious. It also has an excellent indoor swimming pool which I thoroughly enjoyed. Its location is also handy for those who don’t want to trug their luggage across the capital, whilst being near to great attractions.

One such attraction I visited was the Upper Belvedere, a baroque palace and gardens housing famous artworks by Klimt, Van Gogh, Monet and Schiele. There was also a large room dedicated to female artists previously (and unfairly) overlooked. I liked the paintings by Marie Egner, Tina Blau and Anna Maria Punz particularly. The painted ceilings of the Upper Belvedere are also a sight to behold. If you want to escape the thronging crowds of the gallery, make for the botanical gardens nearby. These are free, and full of beautiful trees and plants. Keeping off the beaten track, but with a grumbling stomach and rising hangriness, I ventured to the nearby Elizabethviertel quarter for food. I went to the Café Goldegg (built 1910) which was a delight! I recommend their burgers, but they also offer Wiener Schnitzel and Sachertorte (Austrian staples) for a truly fantastic and filling lunch. The service was also excellent. One of the staff opened an adjacent room where local television dramas were filmed for a sneak peek. Overall, a fab experience that rounded off an excellent day.

Tip: In Austria, shops and some businesses close on a Sunday so always stock up beforehand if you’re self-catering.

The next couple of days were spent exploring around Vienna’s Innere Stadt, then the Zoo and Schönbrunn Palace grounds. Take the U1 line into the city centre to alight at Stephansplatz station, where walking out from the underground station steps, you will be greeted by the impressive Stephansdom Cathedral. Rarely do I capitalise words but, it is IMPRESSIVE. The blue sky and the spring sunlight highlighted the colourful tiles on the Cathedral’s roof. One side of the roof contains the Hapsburg eagle coat-of-arms; the Royal family who ruled the Austro-Hungarian Empire until 1918. Thanks to alliances and marriages, the Hapsburgs were everywhere in Europe, a bit like Aldi or Lidl. You can walk into the front entrance and take pictures but need to pay to explore the rest of the Cathedral.

A quieter alternative to the Stephansdom is the nearby baroque Peterskirche. This is smaller but equally as grand inside. Walking around the Innere Stadt is pleasant too with an abundance of shops (although I don’t know who could afford the extortionate luxury stores which cost an arm and a leg). Try smaller independent shops instead. I popped into Haas and Haas for tea, coffee and chocolate, then the travel-bookshop Freytag & Berndt – I was tempted to buy a globe, but it wouldn’t fit in my case. I rounded off the day by wandering around the Volksgarten. Here you can see the Hofburg, Austria's Parliament and neo-gothic Rathaus with ducks for company.

Tip: hop on a tram at the ‘Parlament’ stop, tram D is great to see all the sights like the Opera House and Belvedere if you are heading or staying near the Hauptbahnhoff like I did.

On the third and final day I journeyed out to the Schönbrunn gardens and adjacent Zoo (Tiergarten). Both are served by the U4 U-bahn line (change at Karlplatz for this). The animals and birds were delightful to see and, most importantly, well looked after. Vienna Zoo has a heavy emphasis on conservation and made a great day out. You can see koalas, wallabies, capybaras, penguins, lions, tigers and bears… oh my! There’s also a petting zoo with goats and rabbits, as well as a tropical birdhouse (the latter is great on a chilly day as it’s warm!).

Salzburg

I left Vienna and boarded the OBB Railjet train to Salzburg. Even for a high-speed line, it was very scenic as you could see the Alps in the background. The Danube you can see just briefly around the Melk area, where there is a renowned medieval town and monastery. The train made stops at St Polten, Linz - Austria’s 3rd city and industrial centre – then Wels before arriving in Salzburg. The most beautiful part of the journey is near to the end when the train skirts past Lake Wallersee, which was ringed by trees and verdant hills. 

Salzburg train station is, I found, 'edgier' and more cramped than Vienna Hbf. However, never let first impressions dampen the rest of your experience, for Salzburg town was beautiful and an elegant accompaniment on my Austrian tour.

I stayed at the Villa Elisa which is just a few blocks away from the station and the river Salzach. It was very clean, spacious and next to a convenient bus stop that takes you into the town and airport (bus numbers 1, 2, 23).

Tip: Salzburg can be really crowded in the summer months so book ahead if you’re planning to stay during this time.

Salzburg is a musical town for two big reasons. Firstly, Mozart was born here and secondly, The Sound of Music was filmed in and around the city where the Von Trapps lived. Walk to the Schloss Mirabell gardens to see where they filmed the famous Do-Re-Mi sequence. Here you can view the Pegasus fountain and the Zwergerlgarten, a curious collection of stone dwarves.

Salzburg town centre is a baroque masterpiece, with domed churches a plenty. The Dom zu Salzburg is particularly stunning. Looming over the city is the medieval Festung (Fortress) which is visible for miles. You can pay to visit it but best go by the funicular lift if you want to rest your legs. Salzburg has an excellent choice of shops and eateries. A must-buy is the town’s marzipan-based ‘Mozart chocolates’ which are delicious, especially with coffee. One shop I would highly recommend is Zerum which has clothes for both Men and Women ‘Made in the EU’ (in a world of fast-fashion, this is a rarity!). Zerum is located on Wolf-Dietrich-Straße. Alternatively, you could purchase lederhosen for practicing your yodelling back home. This would be better than cutting up your own curtains (I hope you get the movie reference).

After three days in Salzburg, it was soon time to fly back to Britain and say ‘auf wiedersehen’ to Austria. Salzburg Airport was very efficient and well organised, both on arrival and departure.

I hope my tales and travels have inspired you to explore both Salzburg and wonderful Vienna, or even plan your own two-centre rail-trip. In the meantime, happy travelling!