Well Greg, I've had the fortune of spending two long trips in Austria on business and pleasure in the late 90s and let me go on record to say that you've made a wise decision to visit this wonderful place.

The obvious first stop would be Vienna proper, and a walking tour of the "inner ring" is well worth the time. I spent several days without a real itinerary just going from place to place on foot, and enjoyed the classic architecture and statues that are seemingly everywhere. In the nighttime, Stephansplatz is a big social hub with plenty of people and beverages to enjoy. A day or two aren't enough to take it all in but walking briskly and taking the street cars around can give you a great flavor for one of the cultural capitals of Europe.

Outside of Vienna, I can't recommend taking the train out to Salzburg highly enough. Keri and I picked up tickets at the train station and totally played the trip by ear, having not even made hotel reservations. The train ride was fantastic - this is not the American rail system. Windows were floor to ceiling, giving us a ringside seat as the terrain transitioned from plains to mountains. Awesome indeed, however it was the destination Salzburg itself which blew us away. Salzburg is your classic European centuries old community which some say is the most intect in all of Europe. You'll want to hike up to and tour the massive fortress overlooking the city, hang out along the river, and enjoy some wonderful dining. Our three days/two nights there were among the best times we've ever had together. And though it is a very campy thing to do, we really did enjoy the Sound of Music bus tour which took about 4 hours. The bus driver was absolutely hilarious and informative, not just about the movie but all of the natural beauty the surrounding area we enjoyed.

Our train trip loop through to the southern city of Klagenfort was visually stunning, but the destination was not. Klagenfort got hit hard in WWII and what was once a top place for the short term vacationer to see is worth skipping given your time in the country. You may want to keep taking the train to Innsbruk where I hear the gondola ride is worth the effort.

Hope this gives you some ideas! If you are interested let me know and I'll see if we have any pictures from our times there.

Safe travels,
RAH

Wow - thanks Robyn that's awesome! I would certainly like to see the pictures if you have them. This does give me some great ideas - thanks!

I will be sure to stop by and chat about your experience. :)

Hi Greg! I have been a fan of your site for quite a while and this is the first time I've really felt compelled to put in my two cents, as it is a topic near and dear to my heart and one where I have extensive background. Vienna or Wien (pronounced Veen) is filled with friendly people and majestic sites. A movie that might get you amped up about the town is "Before Sunrise" with Ethan Hawke http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112471/

My mom is Austrian originally and I have at one point lived and worked as a bartender there for 6mos and then went to Greece (Corfu) to finish out my year-long stay abroad. You could spend all your time in the city easily, but I agree with Robyn's recommendation of Salzburg for a getaway. It's close and you should power down the Sound of Music before you go (it's a classic). In town if you want a little nightlife you should check out the Bermuda Triangle (ask any local for the Bermudadreieck). College kids hung out in Stehachterl (pronounced shtay-achterl) meaning standing eighth (a shot) when I was there, but George and the Dragon was a little less dingy, although some bars are dingy by right.

Travel by train by all rights, but eurail passes are more often for kids under 25 who would like to tackle multiple cities all in a lump. I did that too, and that's fun for a real culture shock, but I'd suggest just getting round trip tickets from the local trainstation for your purposes. Go see Mozart's hometown and eat some Mozart Kugeln (round chocolate balls with hazelnut in them) they rock.

Drink the local wines. I'd just ask for any house wines. You are in a wine country and 90% of them beat anything off the shelf here as far as I'm concerned. If you want a shock to your system ask for a shot of schlivovitz - plum fire-water. My friends renamed it loseyourwits or slityourwrists. I'll wrap this up as I could go on for days... If you like modern architecture go to the hundertwasser house and for the older stuff don't miss Stephans-Kirche the huge landmark church. Oh and eat some Wiener Schnitzel, for cryin out loud! Although no-one can make that better than my mom.

Alex - wow more great info, thanks!

This will be a good opportunity to actually use al that German I learned again (or at least to try to). When I was in Germany earlier this year I used it a bit, but since my friend I was hanging out with (who is German) also speaks English, I didn't have to use my mad German skillz much.

greg