As a landlocked country, Austria shares its borders with an astounding eight different countries. Germany is Austria’s closest cultural neighbour, but Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy and Slovakia all border Austria too. This makes Austria a great option for experiencing 1-2 other European countries as part of a trip. As a quick trip, we’d suggest Bratislava in Slovakia. The drive is only about an hour. If you’re looking for a longer journey, Vienna is the central point between the triangle of Budapest, Prague and Munich. Each journey is roughly 3-5 hours drive from Vienna.
When reading about Austria, it's hard to ignore the country’s cultural influence, particularly in classical music. Mozart, Schubert, Beethoven and many more of classical music’s most prominent figures originate from Austria. This makes experiencing live classical music a must do experience in Austria. We would highly recommend The Wiener Musikverein. Home to the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, the Golden Hall is stunning both visually and audibly.
Before you settle down for the evening, why not experience some traditional Austrian food? The wiener schnitzel is Austria’s national dish, commonly followed by a Strudel for dessert. The wiener schnitzel’s history is quite muddled, with claims of both Italian and German heritage. Nonetheless, the wiener schnitzel is now undoubtedly Austrian. You may have tried chicken or pork schnitzel, but what makes the wiener schnitzel unique is that it's traditionally made with pan-fried veal. As for dessert, strudel is made from layered pastry filled with a sweet or savoury filling. The name comes from the German word for ‘whirlpool’. Strudel dates back to the Austro-Hungarian empire and is now the national dessert for Austria and the official state pastry of Texas, USA. Both of these dishes are worth sampling when travelling in Austria.
Speaking of sampling food, one of the best ways to do this in Austria is by taking a food tour! Luckily at Gifting Owl, we have a few different experience gifts to choose from. As part of the Vienna Food, Coffee & Market Tour, you’ll begin the day with life's greatest gift - coffee! What’s great about this tour is the focus on authentic and local experiences. The cafe chosen won’t be a tourist area, but rather a top quality coffee shop loved by locals. Coffeehouses have played a big role in Vienna’s history. Viennese culture has been shaped all around coffee, which has been brewed since 1683. From here, experience one of Europe’s best open-air markets at the Naschmarkt. Fresh fruit, vegetables and other delicacies line the mile long market, which showcases over 120 food stalls.
Later in the day, checking out one of Vienna’s beer halls is a must. Or if you’d prefer, go straight to the source for the sauce! Austria has a multitude of fantastic breweries to visit. In Stryia, Murauer Brewery proudly boasts as the first European brewery to be 100% powered by renewable energy. Surely that makes you an environmental ambassador by drinking their beer right? Or if you want to have some creative influence, why not check out Mohren Brewery in Vorarlberg? Here you can create your own beer! With the help of an experienced brewer, determine the style, grind the malt and start brewing. We’ll say cheers to that!
Fortunately for our waistlines, Austria is not only famous for its food & drink. No trip to Austria is complete without diving into their culture of art, history and music.
In Vienna, there is only one place to start - Belvedere. A UNESCO World Heritage site, The Belvedere complex consists of two Baroque palaces, in addition to stables, an orangery and stunning grounds and gardens. Each palace features an array of art works. Upper Belvedere’s collection is permanent, whilst Lower Belvedere is temporary. The Louvre has the Mona Lisa, but Belvedere has the Kiss. This masterpiece of Viennese Modernism illustrates a loving couple embraced and kissing, it is the highlight of Upper Belvedere’s collection. There are also international works from artists such as Claude Monet and Vincent van Gough. Aside from the beautiful art, the incredible grounds of the Belvedere complex are an attraction in themself. Make sure to leave time to walk through the gardens and take plenty of photos with the many fountains, pools and water features.
If history is more your thing, then don’t worry! Like many European cities, history can be explored and discovered through walking tours. We recommend the Vienna, City of Many Pasts tour, available on our Austria gift experiences page. This 3-hour walking tour delves into Vienna’s past and present, highlighting the history and architecture of Vienna. Imperial palaces, fashionable shopping districts, grand churches and cathedrals are all amongst the city of Vienna. There are even remnants from the inner-city walls from the 12th century! These walls were built to protect Vienna from the sieging Ottoman Empire in 1529 and 1683. Quite fascinating for all you history buffs out there!
If you prefer to stretch your legs outside city walls, then Austria’s huge array of mountain ranges will be perfect for you! Throughout Austria there are so many incredible mountaintop views to experience. In Tirol, there are three mountains over 3,000m high to hike and explore. Luckily, there are cable cars available to experience each mountain’s peak, but there’s plenty of opportunities to hike too. Snowy peaks are often the most beautiful, so why not try Salzburgerland, where a year-round world of snow and ice awaits? Just two hours from Salzburg, this amazing area is covered in snow, even in summer! Perfect for a break from Austria’s continental summer warmth.
We’ve just skimmed the surface of what to do in Austria. Gifting Owl’s range of experience gifts will help you discover the true Austria in all of its authenticity. Whether it's a delicious coffee or a craft beer, we’ll drink to that!