2016 has been a super busy year in terms of exploring the globe. We did an average of one trip a month, whether in India or overseas. Here are highlights of the past twelve months...
If you are visiting Vienna, the Schonbrunn Palace is a must do. Infact, if you are in the city for one day only, this is possibly the attraction that you should visit, especially during summers when the palace gardens are green and flowers are blooming all around.
Most travellers bundle up Vienna, Prague and Budapest together in one trip. Some others, like us, land in Vienna, explore the city and then move on to further explore Austria. Whether you are exploring the capital cities of Europe or are spending more time in Austria, you will possibly end up spending two days in Vienna, which are enough to only get a glimpse of this city. There is so much to explore here - museums, palaces, music and opera, parks, shopping arena and of course, food. If you want to truly experience it all, you will need much more time than just a couple of days.
Salzburg is a small town, with many attractions. But let not its small size fool you! There is enough and more to do in Salzburg to ensure that two days simply fly by; the city will make you want to stay on for another two days. There is music in the air and every little street in the Old Town seems to be singing a romantic song.
The first time I ever hear Mozart’s composition was in Tom and Jerry, when I was a little child. Till date, his symphonies remind me of the my carefree childhood days and make me smile. However, over the years, I have learnt to enjoy his symphonies as stellar works of art and for the genius that he was. Mozart was a child prodigy and grew up to share musical compositions with the world, that still ring loud and clear regardless of the years that have gone by.
The Gastein valley is one of the most popular skiing areas in Austria. With over 50 cable cars and ~200 km of ski slopes, the valley attracts thousands of skiing enthusiast every winter. There are ‘after ski’ cafes to have a drink after your day on the slopes. And then, there are spas to soothe the aching muscles. In the Gastein valley, winter seems to be the peak season.
The minute we saw pictures of Hallstatt, this little town made its way to our bucketlist. Needless to say, our trip to Austria just had to include Hallstatt! The town is so pretty that the Chinese have recreated the place in China... and a lot of Chinese come to Hallstatt to see the 'real deal'!
Having shared our itinerary and budget for the Austrian road trip, it is time to share details of the accommodation that were home to us during these ten days. As I have mentioned in my previous posts, we stayed in hotels, B&Bs and hostels trying to find cosy and comfortable places to suit our budget. So, here is the list of the places we stayed in, along with our comments.
Any trip to a Western European is on the expensive side. Everything costs quite a bit...money, hotels, activities ...really, everything! Regardless of the costs, we still return to Europe often. The continent has put a spell over us, and we want to explore much more of it! For those who are planning a a vacation in Austria and need to get a sense of the budget for the same, here is what our expense sheet looks like….
Our Schengen visa is in place. Our bags are packed …and we are finally on our flight to Vienna. We had been tracking the weather and temperature for the past couple of weeks and were so happy to see the Mercury touching 30 degrees Celsius. We would be in Europe in summers, in the month of July. I shopped a bit and picked up some lovely floral summer dresses. I set aside a few pairs... Read More
We are back with a plan to revive our souls and heal our spirits in the Austrian countryside. We are off to Austria next month for a ten day long road trip. Here is what our itinerary looks like: