When I picked Austria, it was simply to check a box off of the countries left I needed to visit in Europe. I have always heard such amazing things about Austria and about all of its beauty. It was never on my top list of places to see, but it was definitely on my father’s. We were told we couldn’t go until we went with him; he is a big sound music fan! Anyways now, with his health, he won’t be able to go, so I decided to go and, of course, send tons of photos!
I took the train from Munich to Salzburg exceptionally quickly, and I highly recommend doing it this way if you are coming from Munich. It was a 90min train ride, with no transfers. I am not sure what I was expecting out of Salzburg. My exceptions were high; I do know that. I was picturing enchanted gardens with Julia Andrews singing on every corner with picture-perfect views everywhere you look. I have never seen the Sound of Music, but I have seen enough clips and photos to understand the plot and what it is supposed to look like.
Salzburg was precisely how one would expect it. I think my exceptions were unreachably high, so I was slightly disappointed, but barely I truly enjoyed the city. The city you can do in one day it is not very big, think the size of Portland, OR. I recommend renting a car so that you can see more of Austria than just Salzburg and Vienna. The true beauty of the country is outside of the city centers.
My friend Amy met me in Salzburg and stayed for ten days, and we traveled all over Austria. While in Salzburg, we went to the towns of Hallstatt and Villach. Hallstatt was about an hour drive from Salzburg and so worth it, and it is a must-do!
Hallstatt’s claim to fame is the most instagramable city globally and the inspiration for the movie Frozen. It is a small town that has not changed much since the 1800s. You can take a paddleboat onto the lake, enjoy a nice lunch along the water, and then soak up the beauty of this little gem of a village. I went in fall of 2021, kids were back in school and covid is still a thing, so there was not a lot of tourist. We read that this town averages 10-30k tourists each day! The population of this town is less than 1k.
Villach was on the border of Italy, Austria, and Slovenia. It was a three-hour drive each way, and we went on a Sunday, our mistake (if you don’t know, Europe is mainly closed on Sundays). I was not wowed by Villach and probably wouldn’t need to return. If you want to say you visited all three countries by hopping over to each one, then it is worth it for sure. We did not because we were not allowed to take our rental car across borders. If you end up renting a car, let them know you will be entering different countries, especially Germany, if you are staying in Salzburg!
Once we hit Vienna, we had about three days to see the city, which was plenty! On our first day in Vienna, we took a walking tour of the city, which I highly recommend you do in all cities you travel to. This way, you learn the history and know what you are looking at throughout your days. On our last full day in Vienna, we decided to take the train to Slovakia to their capital city. It was a short 50min train ride! The city is a typical Eastern European city that I have been to in the past. We spent about four hours looking around, visiting the castle, having one of the best lunches, and then taking the trip back to Vienna.
Our top moments in Salzburg:
This was an Airbnb experience, and it was excellent!
You must try the Salzburger Nockerl. You can only find it in Salzburg, and it was so good! One is enough for 3-4 people.
It was very medieval, like you were stepping back in time, it also gives you a panoramic view of the entire city!
Out top moments in Vienna:
Another Airbnb experience gave us a good insight and history into Vienna. I am a history buff and already know a ton, but I learned things not that tour I did not know.
We did not go inside the palace, but we went and walked the ground at sunset, and it was stunning; I highly recommend it! We also went to a Mozart concert on the grounds that evening.
One of the “newer” memorials in the world was finished in the early 2000s. It was very moving, and it is located in the Jewish quarter of Vienna.
The Belvedere is one of the most famous art museums in the world. If you are a Klimt art fan, I highly recommend going. They have a great collection and one of his most famous paintings, The Kiss. However, if you are not a huge art museum fan or don’t even know who Klimt is, I would skip it as there are not many rooms to explore for the price. However, Klimt is my favorite artist, so it was worth seeing for me.
Overall, Austria was a stunning country with history we overlook, but that is very important to know. It is worth visiting Austria even if you have a mixed group of people. There are plenty of hiking opportunities in the alps, great city life, and small towns with some of the prettiest lakes I have ever seen. I would most definitely revisit Austria.
The Life of Sarah 