Austria is often overshadowed by its larger neighbours but holds a certain appeal as a quintessentially European travel destination. The glorious cities of Vienna and Salzburg contrast nicely with friendly little towns and farming communities. One can go skiing or hiking in the Tirol or simply meander pointlessly through the country’s many wine regions. I’ve just spend a few months there, so let me fill you in on a budget traveller’s Austria.
The hostels of Innsbruck aren’t up to much, in fact they’re mostly terrible, but with premier skiing on its doorstep and a lively atmosphere it’s lots of fun. During the warmer months the tourism board organises free guided tramps which include boots and bus transport from town to the mountains…Yeah, free transport, equipment and a guided day-trip in the Alps. This is a dream for budget travellers. Do bring some cash though to buy a drink or some hot food in the mountain houses.
A little north is Salzburg, most noted as a setting for the Sound of Music, but Mozart also plays an important part in the cultural attraction. There are some cool independent hostels here and one (great or terrible?) hostel, plays that film every evening 365 days a year. There’s enough to capture your heart just walking around the town but you might want to splash out on a visit to the fortress which dominates the skyline. Like most Kiwis, these hulking masses of stone hold both a romantic attraction as well as an amazing quality when one thinks of how they were built and how long they have stood.
Linz isn’t too impressive: despite being 2009’s European City of Culture a day trip can easily cover it. Highlights include the Ars Electronica Centre which is a must for any geek. Everything’s hands on: new media technology and interfaces spring up everywhere. Amongst more traditional displays are plenty of games and other entertainments. If the weather’s good you can catch a tram up the Postlingberg to look out as far as the Alps or head back 150 years of entertainment and visit the Grottenbahn where mechanical dwarfs loom from the rock.
If you like jazz, Graz (pronounced something like “Gratz”) is a good place to drop by. Add some fantastic new architecture along the river-front to the old narrow streets and there’s something lovely about it. Budget airlines make prominent use of Graz airport so if you land here don’t skip by…stop a couple of days, visit the “friendly alien” and consider heading south into the nearby wine and spa regions of Styria. Be warned: many tourists get off the train a stop early on their way to the airport. You want the “flughafen” stop!
The cities of Austria are crowned by Vienna, home of too much architecture and too many good museums. Guidebook travellers run the risk of severe museum-overuse syndrome. For this the MuseumsQuartier at the bottom of Mariahilferstrasse is the place. Many good hostels abound at the top end of the street near the Westbahnhof, which is the main international train station. My advice? Buy a 24-hour “Vienna ticket” for a couple of euros and get a free tour around the city on one of the city’s circle trams. Then, on a fine day, buy a picnic lunch and head to the Schloss Schönbrunn. I’ve never been inside the palace, but wandering the gardens and picnicking on the grass overlooking all of Vienna is fantastic. For a couple of euros you can try your hand at the maze and the labyrinth, which has water and audio challenges and a great playground!
Most budget travellers follow the main train lines from hostel to hostel and this mostly limits us to a country’s cities. Next week, I’ll talk about some of Austria’s smaller towns, the spa and wine regions as well as some general travel tips for getting around Austria. Read part two of “A tour of Austria”.
Craig Martin is a regular contributor to the amateur traveler, podcasts at indietravelpodcast.com and blogs at Our Crazy Travels where you can see more of his photos and blog posts about Austria. He currently lives out of a pack somewhere in Europe.
