Austria Cities (and other countries?)

We like the Wachau area (between Krems and Melk) it is a great area for biking.

Hallstatt and Cesky Krumlov. Both are small town gems and both are under 4 hours from Vienna. And both made it into Rick Steves book Hidden Europe.

On seeing "new places:"....how about going to Brno, worth it even as a day trip from Vienna. Logistically feasible from Wien Hbf.

Eisenstadt (Esterhazy Palace and Haydn) and Graz (see my comments in the recent "Legendary White Stallions" thread).

Salzburg, Gyor, Sopron, Bratislava, Budapest has changed a lot in 10 years (for the better), Cesky Krumlov, Slovakian Tatras, Brno,

Bratlislava is one hour from Vienna and quite a bit different from Vienna and as another poster said there is the Wachau Valley and Cesky Krumluv nearby.
Mike

If you want to visit the famous "Villa Tugendhat" in Brno, make sure to book a ticket with an appropriate time slot well in advance.

If you're a classical music fan, then let me second the recommendation for Eisenstadt. Very close to Vienna. Beyond the Haydn connection to the palace, two things in particular were unique about the tour. One, it's one of the only palace tours I've taken that shows you servants quarters, which are usually hidden behind the walls and inaccessible. Two, you can explore the labyrnthine wine cellars. Really, how much did these nobles party that they needed that much wine?

Thank you! This looks like a great list! I'll start researching on travel logistics and sites to see in each place. Hugs!

Hi all, I'm from WA but live in Eisenstadt. Easily reachable by car or train with direct connections from Vienna. I had to chuckle at the 'how much wine' comment :). Eisenstadt is the capital city of the province of Burgenland, which is a huge wine region. Many visitors come to Eisenstadt for a day trip to tour the Esterházy Palace. The Josef Haydn house is also very informative. And then don't forget to go to the Vinothek right across from it--so many wines in one place to discover under one roof. But if you stay overnight, spend time at a family-run 'Schenkhaus' (local wine place-very similar to a Viennese Heuriger) with very reasonably-priced, simple, tasty, filling local meals and drink. Unfortunately, it feels like Schenkhäuser are slowly dying out as sons and daughters tend not to take over their family businesses like they used to, but still, it's something unique and local to enjoy. Some have excellent wines and some have very so-so wines, but either way, they are inexpensive. In Eisenstadt, the best ones are located in the suburbs of St. Georgen on one end and Kleinhöflein on the other. Easy to take a taxi to/from the center.

And, when in Burgenland, do not forget to check out Lake Neusiedl AKA the Neusiedlersee. Very popular for walking, swimming, sailing, boating (electric motors only permitted, no gas), windsurfing and lately, the rare treat of ice skating since it's currently seriously frozen in spots.

To me, this region represents the most unique geography in Austria--this is Pannonia before it opens up into the Great Hungarian Plain. The train to the city of Neusiedl am See is easy from Vienna. If the weather agrees and you are into biking, rent bikes, which you can also take on trains, and just enjoy exploring. By car: the city of Rust is a lovely visit, recommended. You can even take a boat trip to/from Rust to other points on the lake, for example.

Happy planning!

Happy planning!

@ lisahundley....Thanks for the recommendation. I will have to look into the town Neusiedl am See. Burgenland was traditionally and historically Hungarian until 1919. One can tell by the evidence of that when one enters Burgenland.

Fred, indeed! :) Never a dull moment in terms of history, culture and language to dive into here.

Since the opening of the new Vienna main train station in December 2015 most west- and southbound express trains had been extended to terminate at the new Vienna airport train station.

There is every hour a dircet RailJet train from the airport to Salzburg (a less than 3 hours ride). I guess this would be more convenient than staying in a hotel for one night just to continue your travel the next day. You may go to Linz, Graz, Innsbruck directly from the airport as well.

True, trains that used to stop at Wien West now go directly to Wien Hbf as correctly stated above, bypassing Westbahnhof. If you are taking a train coming from Germany and want to stop at Westbahnhof without having to backtrack from Wien Hbf on the U-Bahn, especially with luggage in tow, it's still possible. Take that train going Wien Hbf but get off at St Pölten, change to Wien West on a regional train.