Custom Tours of Austria: Packages to Vienna, Salzburg & More
The Großglockner, Austria's highest mountain (3 798 m)
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Around Austria in 8 Days

This ideal tour for travelers on a tight time budget hits all the key attractions from Vienna to the Salzkammergut to Salzburg to Wachau in just eight days. Possible add-ons include Großglockner, Graz, Innsbruck, Munich, Garmisch and Neuschwanstein.

This trip will be customized according to your wishes.

Wien

Arrival in Wien

23 km | 28 minutes
A

Vienna

Nostalgic cosmopolitan city with an imperial past
Vienna's premier landmark: St. Stephen's Cathedral
Vienna's premier landmark: St. Stephen's Cathedral

The city on the Danube, which is situ­ated at the crossroads of the trans­port routes from the Baltic to the Adri­atic and from southern Germany to the Great Hungarian Plain, is much more than the capital of Austria.

For many centuries Vienna was the center of a powerful empire covering much of south­east Europe, the seat of the powerful Habsburg Monarchy which ruled from the Middle Ages to the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918.The city's illus­trious past is reflected in its stately palaces and other majestic landmarks along the ring surrounding the old town, such as the Staatsoper (state opera) and the ducal Hofburg. Today Vienna, former capital of the former multi­na­tional state, is a modern, cosmopol­itan city with a touch of nostalgia for the glorious days of old. It is still the mecca of clas­sical music with the world's largest music conser­vatory, the most famous concert halls with count­less music events each year.

Popular meeting point: the Red Lounge
Popular meeting point: the Red Lounge

Accommodation: A quiet residence outside the Ring

2 Nights | 1x Double Occupancy | Bed & Breakfast

The small hotel with 26 bedrooms is imbued with home­like atmo­sphere rarely found in a commer­cial estab­lish­ment.

This is not due to chance: It was the inten­tion of owner Otto Wiesenthal from the start to provide guests with an extra measure of hospitality. Before opening his hotel in 1991, Herr Wiesenthal was in the computer busi­ness, where his unpleasant expe­r­i­ences with imper­sonal hotels inspired him to create an inn where guests are welcomed as friends. Located on a quiet side street outside the Inner Ring, the hotel is a 15-minute walk to the heart of Vienna. A staircase leads up one level to the recep­tion area. The recep­tion staff will gladly assist with sightseeing plans, dinner reser­va­tions and tickets for events. On the same floor there is a cozy lounge with an open fireplace, which is a popular meeting point for regular guests and local artists and musi­cians.

Excursion

Guided Tour (OPTIONAL)

Guided tour Vienna(2 hours, german)

Dr. Marco Pongratz-Lippitt is a knowl­edge­able city guide who brings Vienna's history and present to life with light-footed and profound humour.

Large connec­tions become visible without getting lost in details. Together with him one walks for a few hours on side paths through the Danube metropolis and sees beside the important sights like the Hofburg, the Stephansdom and the city centre also some hidden, enchanting inner court­yards.

Attractions

Hofburg

Resi­dence of the Habsburgs
For six centuries, from the 13th century to 1918, the Vienna Hofburg was the resi­dence of the Habsburgs. The Hofburg grew with the rise of the noble family from a small country nobility to Europe's leading dynasty. In the beginning there was a small castle. In the end, it had 2,500 rooms. In addi­tion there is the Winter Riding School, where the Lipizzaner horses train, the National Library with a magnif­i­cent domed hall, the Museum of Art History and the seat of the Federal Pres­i­dent. A large part of the Hofburg is open to the public.

Rings­traße

Very high end: Splendid boul­evard
In 1857, Emperor Franz ordered the old fortifica­tions to be razed. In its place, a magnif­i­cent boul­evard was built around historic Vienna, which leads to the Danube at both ends. The almost 5 km long road is lined by public and private build­ings, which try to surpass each other in splendor, pomp and pathos. The build­ings imitate earlier style epochs, from Greek antiq­uity to Gothic cathedrals and the Renais­sance. The ring road was inau­gu­rated in 1865. Today it is regarded as a complete work of art, which is unique in the world.

Sigmund Freud Museum

Where psycho­anal­ysis was invented.
The museum is located at Berggasse 19, where Sigmund Freud lived and worked for 47 years. In his study he wrote the majority of his writ­ings, which are an integral part of the intel­lectual history of the 20th century. When the family moved in in 1891, the house was a new building. After the transfer of power to the Nazis in 1939, the seri­ously cancer-ill founder of psycho­anal­ysis had to emigrate to London. Orig­inal pieces from Freud's posses­sion can be seen in the museum as well as the waiting room of the practice and some pieces from Freud's exten­sive collec­tion of antique works of art, mainly small statues. Most of the earlier furni­ture with the famous couch, however, is in today's Freud Museum in London, where Anna Freud lived until her death in 1982.
Opel Astra
Opel Astra

Rental car pick-up

Broker: Sunny Cars GmbH
Company: Buchbinder
Vehicle: Opel Astra or similar (CBMR)
Loca­tion: Vienna Airport (Desk at Airport)

From Wien to Hallstatt

305 km | 4:00 h
As you proceed east­wards from Lower Austria to Upper Austria you will move further and further into the shadow of the Alps. Halfway, you will pass Bruck an der Mur which is worth a stop du to the historic center on the north shore of River Mur and the 15th-century Gothic church.
Attractions

Ester­házy Castle

Where Haydn performed his symphonies
The baroque princely resi­dence of the Ester­házy family is one of the most beau­tiful castles in Austria. Already in the 13th century a gothic castle stood here. The histor­ical ball­room of the castle is known as the Haydn Hall and is often used as a concert hall. In the 18th century Joseph Haydn served for thirty years as Kapellmeister for the Princely Court and in this capacity had to compose hundreds of pieces of music for imme­diate performance at the Prince's ceremo­nial occa­sions. The castle park is consid­ered one of the most inter­esting monu­ments in Austria in terms of garden archi­tec­ture.

Semmering

Sophis­ticated health resort on the Semmering Pass
At the summit of the Semmering Pass at an alti­tude of 985 metres there is a sophis­ticated climatic health resort. In the 19th century Semmering became a popular holiday destina­tion for the “fine society” of Vienna. In the Südbahnhotel from 1882 or the Kurhaus from 1909 the nobility met, among them Emperor Karl I and his son Otto. But artists such as Oskar Kokoschka and Karl Kraus also shook hands here. From 1854 the Semmer­ingbahn was a magnet for visitors. The first mountain railway in Europe leads through 15 tunnels and crosses 16 adventurous viaducts.
B

Salzkammergut

Salt mines and picturesque lakes
Picturesque Austria: Attersee in Salzkammergut
Picturesque Austria: Attersee in Salzkammergut

The region south and east of Salzburg was declared a World Heritage Site in 1997, both due to its inde­scrib­able beauty and its cultural-histor­ical importance as a source of salt.

The valu­able mineral has been mined in the area for over 7,000 years. (Salzkammer & gut = salt­room & prop­erty). Many of today's most important eastern Alpine passes were used in the Middle Ages to trans­port salt from the city that still bears the word in its name (Salzburg = Salt Fortress). A tour of the Hallein Salt Mines, the oldest salt mines in the world, is one of the high­lights of a visit to the region. The Salzkammergut is dotted with incred­ibly beau­tiful mountain lakes, which are enjoyed by many a tourist.

Modern comfort, historical ambience: Hotel in Hallstatt

Accommodation: An exclusive lake-view hotel

2 Nights | 1x Double Occupancy | Bed & Breakfast

The hotel consists of three painstakingly restored build­ings in the World Heritage Site Hallstatt. The main building was built over 500 years ago, making it the oldest struc­ture in town.

The expert reno­va­tion has enabled the facility to offer a high standard of modern comfort without sacri­ficing its histor­ical char­acter. Tucked in between majestic mountains and the stunning lake, the hotel enjoys an unsurpassed romantic setting. The rooms offer a standard of comfort that has enabled the accommo­d­a­tion to join the exclu­sive group of hotels known as Luxury Hotels of the World(SLH). The Hallstatt dock is directly in front of the building. The famous Drachstein Caves are just around the lake at Ober­traun.

Attractions

Hallstatt

Postcard idyll with 4 000 years of history
Chinese archi­tects found the picturesque town on Lake Hallstatt so enchanting that they built a replica of it in the People's Republic. The settle­ment here owes its origin to salt. Mighty Salt chambers were discov­ered here more than 4,000 years ago. Even today the “white gold” is still mined in the oldest salt mine in the world above Hallstatt. Traces of a rich past can be discov­ered everywhere: The Celtic grave sites, the salt mine, the prehistoric museum, the houses nested in confined space one above the other, the churches, the ceme­tery with the ossuary and the “oldest pipe­line in the world”.

From Hallstatt to Salzburg

74 km | 2:00 h

The quickest route leads across the Gschütt Pass that sepa­rates the provinces of Upper Austria and Salzburg. Hallein, site of the world's oldes salt mines, lies along the route.

A scenic alterna­tive route follows the shore of Hallstättersee north to the north end and cont­inues past Wolfgangsee and Fuschlsee to Salzburg. A cog railway leads from St. Wolfgang to the top of the Schafberg (1,780 m or 5,840 ft).

Attractions

St. Wolfgang

Pilgrims Church above Lake Wolfgang
At the end of an eventful polit­ical life in 976, when Saint Wolfgang built a monastery with his own hands and worked several miracles, he had no idea that his hermitage would become one of the most famous tourist resorts in Austria. St. Wolfgang owes this above all to the pilgrimage church, which is dedicated to him and enthroned in perfect grace over the Wolfgangsee. Inside, the late Gothic church impresses with a richly deco­rated altar, which Michael Pacher completed in 1481. He shows Our Lady kneeling in front of her child and framed by two monks, Saint Bene­dict and of course Saint Wolfgang.

Fuschlsee

Austria as if from a picture book
The Salzkammergut at the foot of the Alps near Salzburg is one of the most beau­tiful landscapes in Europe. Medium and high mountains, gorges, cliffs and over 40 lakes alternate with one another. There are also count­less Baroque churches and abbeys, castles and picturesque towns such as St. Gilgen or Bad Ischl, which is why UNESCO declared the whole area a World Heritage Site. Lake Fuschl is located in the heart of the Salzkammergut region, only 30 kilome­ters away from Salzburg. With a length of ten kilome­ters it belongs to the smaller lakes and is therefore less well known than the Mondsee or the Attersee, though no less appealing.
Hiking suggestions

Schafberg

Mountain with a view above the Salzkammergut
The 1,783 meter high rock is only for those who are free from vertigo. It towers above the foothills of the Alps and offers a fantastic view across the Salzkammergut. However, the ascent to the summit can even be done by sheep. It belongs to the most beau­tiful hikes near and far. For those who find just under 1,200 metres of alti­tude too much, you can take the rack-railway, which was opened in 1893. The valley station is in St. Wolfgang, where the hiking trail begins. At the top you can stop at a hotel. (one way: 7.3 kilome­ters, 4 hours, up: 1170 meters)

Across the Wildmoos to Lake Eibensee

Across the marshes to a mountain lake
The small Eibensee is one of the lesser known waters in the western Salzkammergut. The ascent leads along the Eibenseebach through the Wildmoos nature reserve. From nearby Marienköpfl you have wonderful views of Lake Fuschlsee and its surround­ings. The Eibensee is idyllically situ­ated between steep slopes that keep the wind away, so that the lake often lies as smooth as a mirror. On hot days you can swim in the lake. (round trip: 9.8 kilome­ters, 3 hours, up and down: 375 meters)

Around Lake Fuschl

Idyllic walk along the shore with the option to have a swim
The “Sehweg” is a simple walk. If the whole circular hiking trail seems too long, you can cross the Fuschlsee half way with the “Zille”. The path mostly leads along the shore. Informa­tion boards inform about meadow, tree and forest types. In summer, the bays and beaches invite you to swim in the emerald green lake (return journey: 11 kilome­ters, 3 hours, up and down 100 meters).
C

Salzburg

Mozart's romantic birthplace
Salzburg with Fortress
Salzburg with Fortress

The city located at the northern boundary of the Alps is one the most beau­tiful in central Europe. The backdrop of the Alps to the south contrasts strongly with the rolling plains to the north.

The closest Alpine peak – the 1,972 m Unter­sberg – is only a few kilome­ters from the city center. The inner city, or old town, is dominated by baroque towers and churches. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is Salzburg's most famous son. The houses where he was born and also lived in are popular tourist attrac­tions and there are many monu­ments remem­bering the “Wolferl” in the city. His family is buried in a small church grave­yard in the old town.

Peaceful oasis: A small luxury hotel in Salzburg

Accommodation: A quiet hotel near the city centre

2 Nights | 1x Double Occupancy | Bed & Breakfast

The 19th century villa, converted into a boutique hotel, is located in a resi­den­tial area south of the Kapuzinerberg.

Each of the 14 rooms is indi­vid­u­ally furnished and offers modern comfort. In the morning a rich Breakfast buffet with local and seasonal special­i­ties awaits and in good weather can also be served on a terrace in the garden with a natural pond. Those who want can take a stroll along the Salzach and reach the oldtown in approx­i­mately 15 minutes; with the bus (line 7), it takes about five minutes.

Attractions

Hohensalzburg

Mighty fortress on a rock
The fortress from the 11th century towers high above the city. It is the landmark of Salzburg and with an area of over 7,000 square metres one of the largest castles in Europe. The loca­tion on a rock above the Salzach was ideal for monitoring a wide surrounding area. Even today you have the best views of Salzburg from there. The inte­rior of the fortress is also worth seeing. Concerts take place regu­larly in the Golden Hall. If the ascent to the castle is too diffi­cult for you, you can take the fortress railway.

Salzburg Old Town

UNESCO World Heritage right and left of the Salzach River
The Salzach River, which divides the old town into two parts, flows right through Salzburg. To the left, i.e. west of it, lies the actual core of the city. There are the historic churches, the monas­teries and ceme­teries, the Salzburg Cathedral and the Getrei­degasse with Mozart's birthplace. The Festspielhaus and the Resi­den­zplatz also belong to the left Old Town. The old town on the right is younger, but is also a UNESCO World Heritage site due to the many valu­able town houses and the worth seeing Mira­bell Castle. Those who want to stroll through the old town should therefore visit both sides of the river.

Mira­bell Castle

Modest abode for the Archbishop's family
Although the Archbishop of Salzburg lived in celibacy qua office, this did not prevent him from taking the beau­tiful Salome Alt as his lover. And since he was a generous man, he had a palace built for them and their 15 chil­dren, which he named after her “Schloss Altenau”. When he had to exchange his pretty resi­dence for a prison cell in Hohensalzburg in 1612 because of this scandal, the glory came to an end. His successor as archbishop was his virtuous nephew, who expelled the illus­trious family and renamed the castle. It's called Mira­bell ever since. A master­piece of archi­tectural history is the magnif­i­cent staircase from the ground floor to the second floor. The wall niches contain marble sculp­tures inspired by Greek mythology.
Hiking suggestion

Unter­sberg

With the mountain railway up the local mountain
If you want to escape the hustle and bustle of the old town, you can hike to one of the surrounding mountains. Espe­cially recom­mend­able is the legendary Unter­sberg in the south of the city. The massif between Bercht­esgaden and Salzburg is full of myste­r­ious caves, including the Schel­lenberger Ice Cave and the Riesending Shaft Cave. Both can be visited. From St. Leonhart, the Unter­sbergbahn takes you up to the ridge in ten minutes and overcomes 1,300 metres in alti­tude. From the mountain station you can hike to the Große Mittagss­charte. (round trip: 2 hours, 4.5 kilome­ters, up and down: 260 meters)

From Salzburg to Dürnstein

244 km | 3:00 h
After passing by the beau­tiful pre-Alpine lakes Attersee and Mondsee, you will reach the Danube River near Linz. The most scenic route leads along the north bank of the Danube past the Bene­dic­tine Monastery at Melk, where the church scenes in “The Name of the Rose” were filmed.
Attractions

Linz

Baroque build­ings and Renais­sance court­yards in the heart of this city on the Danube
The capital of Upper Austria strad­dles the Danube. The heart of the 2,000-year-old city is the central square (Hauptplatz) lined with stately Baroque build­ings and Renais­sance court­yards. In recent years Linz has managed to change its image as a grimy indus­trial center thanks to new envi­ron­mental regu­la­tions governing steel produc­tion and the increased promo­tion of cultural activ­i­ties. Indeed, Linz was named the Cultural Capital of Europe in 2009.

Concen­tra­tion Camp Mauthausen

Largest Concen­tra­tion Camp in Austria
The largest concen­tra­tion camp in Austria is located south of Linz in the town of Mauthausen. It began oper­ating just ten days after the German occupa­tion of Austria. It was a category III camp where people died performing slave labor. Starting in 1942, there was a camp brothel in which women who were consid­ered “asocial” were forced into pros­titu­tion. In February 1945, 500 Soviet offi­cers attempted to flee from death-block 20. Nearly all of them were killed during the following three-week manhunt. Only eleven survived, because the local popu­la­tion hid them. Before being liber­ated by the US Army in 1945, over 120,000 people perished in the quarries and in the surrounding area. There is a monu­ment located at the site of the former concen­tra­tion camp.
D

Wachau

Vineyards, castles and historic villages in Central European river landscape
Castles, wines and forests: Wachau, a World Heritage Site
Castles, wines and forests: Wachau, a World Heritage Site

The region known as the Wachau occu­pies a 30 km strip of the Danube Valley between the cities of Krems and Melk. The area was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000 due to its natural beauty in harmony with its archi­tectural landmarks, which include numerous castles, monas­teries and ruins.

Along this stretch the Danube flows through a narrow valley sandwiched between the Bohemian Massif and the Dunkelsteiner Forest, lined with terraced vine­yards and dotted with histor­ical towns and medieval villages. High night-day temper­a­ture fluctu­a­tions contribute to the special aroma of the wines and this is where Austria's most famous wines, including Grüner Velt­liner, are produced.

Perched above the Danube: A 17th century palace

Accommodation: A palace overlooking the Danube

1 Night | 1x Double Occupancy | Bed & Breakfast

The palace in Dürnstein was built by a princess in 1632. She chose the loca­tion well: a high cliff over­looking the beau­tiful Danube as it winds through vine­yards on the way to Vienna. Today the palace is a luxury Relais-et-Chateaux hotel consid­ered one of the best prop­er­ties in Austria.

Meals are served on the popular garden terrace above the river. The indi­vid­u­ally deco­rated rooms are comple­mented by elegant lounges with period furni­ture. Among many other activ­i­ties, guests can take a dip in the indoor or outdoor swimming pools, enjoy a sauna or steam bath, walk up to the medieval castle ruins above the picturesque town of Dürnstein, stroll along the river or among the vine­yards, or take day trips to nearby Vienna.

Attractions

Krems

Oldest city in Lower Austria
Krems, the oldest city in Lower Austria, is surrounded by vine­yards and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Landscape of Wachau. The town is famous for its medieval gate called the “Steiner Tor.” A Capuchin monastery called “Kloster Und” is located in front of the gates. Today, the monastery houses wine cellars, confer­ence rooms and museums devoted to art and carica­ture. The old town of Stein, where hardly anything has changed for centuries, is only a short walk from here.

From Dürnstein to Wien

Rental car drop-off

From Dürnstein to Vienna

101 km | 1:30 h
The route follows the Danube River to to Vienna.

Rental car drop-off

Loca­tion: Vienna Airport (Desk at Airport)
8 days
from € 1,639.00
per person based on two people sharing a double room
Request a custom itinerary
Services
  • Accommodation in a double room
  • Meals (as listed above)

An- und Abreise: Flüge zum Selberbuchen finden Sie im Internet. Falls Sie mit der Bahn anreisen möchten, buchen wir gern das Ticket für Sie.
You can start this tour on any date.
Best Travel Time: April–September

The prices can vary depending on the season.
Your Consultants
Jessica Parkin

Ph.: +49 (0)2268 92298-23


Alina Haase
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