The country of Austria!

Austria is quite the country! It was both Olivers and I’s first time in this country so we were pretty excited. Austria is located right in the Eastern Alps so we also had the opportunity to go to Innsbruck, Austria to get to see the Austrian Alps as well! I wrote out some things I really enjoyed doing in Austria and hopefully you will too!

Austrian Alps

Currency: Euro €

Official Language: German

Our first stop was Vienna. It is the capital of Austria. It is known to be very artistic and intellectual- did you know that Beethoven, Mozart, and Sigmund Freud has all lived here at one point? 

Albertina Museum

Where we stayed: Wombats Hostel - once rated the cleanest hostel in Europe! Rates are pretty good and there is also a cafe inside the lobby (the cappuccino is amazing!). We stayed in a 6 bed dorm and it was quite spacious with big lockers as well. They also have a washing machine in the basement to use for only 3€! 

Things to do/see in Vienna: 

Spanish Riding School - one of the most famous riding schools in the world. You are able to go and see the horses being trained as well. The riders still continue to wear traditional clothing that has been unchanged for 200 years! 

Hofburg Palace - where the president of Austria works

Albertina - famous museum in Austria

Natural History Museum

** there are a bunch of museums in Austria… I only listed the ones I have walked by or have seen. 

Saint Stephens Cathedral 

Donaukanal

Donauisel - long artificial island in the center of Vienna. It is about 22 km in length but only 200 m wide! There are bars and restaurants all along this strip of land. 

Wurstelprater - is an amusement park and section of the Wiener Prater (a park) in Leopoldstadt, Vienna, Austria. The best-known attraction is the Wiener Riesenrad, a Ferris wheel. The park also has various rides, bumper cars, carousels, roller coasters, shooting galleries, ghost trains, etc.

There is no entrance fee to get into the park; instead, each attraction charges its own fee, usually from 3-5€. 

Giant Ferris wheel at Prater

Saint Stephen’s Cathedral

Places to eat in Vienna: there is a good area around the hostel we stayed that had a huge Asian community… which means real authentic Asian cuisine. We loved the family “hole in the wall” Vietnamese restaurant called Bahn Mi Cafe. 

We also enjoyed an all-you-can-eat sushi bar that was on a conveyor belt. This restaurant, Hanil Sushi, usually is full so reservations are recommended! No time limit and they have plenty of options to choose from! 

If your wanting ramen, go to Kojiro. The atmosphere is very quiet, but there ramen noodles come straight from Japan and the broth is amazing. 

If you want a good hamburger I would recommend Meat & Beer on Rails. This restaurant has a waitresses however the main server is a train right in front of you! They get your order and your drinks and food comes out to you on a little train! It’s quite entertaining! 

Demel cafe- a famous well know cafe known for their pastries that are still made from century old recipes. We would describe this place as a cafe intermezzo back at home. It’s almost exactly the same. Waitresses wearing black, marble tables, a variety of gourmet cakes to choose from, etc. It is on the touristic side of the city… hence the touristic prices. 

Hanil Sushi

Demel Cafe

Next stop was Salzburg, Austria. This city lies on the border of Germany and also has the views of theAustrian Alps. Some fun facts about Salzburg: The famous composer, Wolfgang A. Mozart was born here. 

The historic center of Salzburg became a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. 

Salzburg has a large population of students due to the city having three universities. 

The Sound of Music has been filmed in several locations here. 

Where we stayed: Wolfgang by a&o Salzburg 

It was right next to the bus and train station, but about a 20 minute walk to the city center. Everything was good except that there were no lockers in the rooms. It costs us about 12€ for a dorm bed. 

Places to see in Salzburg:

fortress of Hohensalzburg, one of the largest medieval fortresses in Europe. 

Salzburg Cathedral

Mirabell Palace

Getreidegasse, which is one of the oldest streets in Salzburg

Old Town

Once a fort, now a restaurant

Places to eat in Salzburg: 

Stiftsbäckerei St. Peter - The oldest bakery in Salzburg! Also known for their bread from a log fired oven. You can get some bread here as well! 

My Moms Bakery - has a huge variety of breads to choose from and also serves coffee and lattes! 

**I am sure there are a bunch more places but we did it go out for an actual meal during our stay here as we had a guest kitchen in the hostel we stayed at. 

The oldest bakery in Salzburg.

Our last stop in Austria was Innsbruck. A mountain town!!! Our happy place! We instantly fell in love as we got out of the train. This town lies in the region of Tyrol, a massive area for winter sports. On the other hand, in the summer, Innsbruck is known for cycling/biking, climbing, and hiking. Innsbruck has hosted a few Winter Olympics and Paralympics. 

Where we stayed:  link to Airbnb

It was perfect for a stay of three days. It was a fairly newly renovated building and very secure as each door had a password to get into. 

Places to eat: I don’t have much recommendations for the city center but here are the best spots to get food with a view! To get to these places (some closer than others) you have to hike a little. Each mountain hut/ restaurant has a different menu and prices are also different but nothing is too expensive. 

• Arlzer Alm: more of a low key atmosphere. Just sitting at 1067m above sea level, it is reached by many visitors, both the avid hikers and mountain bikers and also by the tourists who wants a nice view as they eat. There were lots of mountain bikers here when we went. 
• Umbrüggler Alm: with a more cozy atmosphere compared to Arlzer Alm, this hut is located at 1123m. Reservations for dinner are strongly recommend, especially if you are sitting inside. The inside of this hut is extremely modern with everything built by wood. 
• Höttinger Alm: This hut is most famous by Innsbruck residents. It can be seen from the city center, and is located at around 1500m. There is also an inn at Höttinger with dormitory style rooms. 

Umbrüggler Alm

Höttinger Alm

**If the weather is gloomy and your itching to get some exercise in then I also recommend going to a rock climbing gym. KI - Kletterzentrum Innsbruck, is a gigantic gym for bouldering, lead & speed climbing, with indoor & open-air routes for all levels. A day pass will costs you about 14€, but trust me it is worth every route you climb.

We really enjoyed Austria and will definitely come back to spend more time in the mountains and do a Via Ferrata. 

Next stop is Switzerland to see some friends of my one and only, Father in Law! Hope to see you on the next post!