Rick Steves - Rick Steves Vienna, Salzburg & Tirol

Hall, in the Tirol region

VIENNA, SALZBURG & TIROL

Austria offers alpine scenery, world-class museums, cobbled quaintness, and Wiener schnitzel. Unlike Germany, its industrious neighbor to the northwest, Austria is content to bask in its good living and opulent past as the former head of one of Europes grandest empires. Austrians are relaxed, gregarious people who love the outdoors as much as a good cup of coffee in a caf.

This book focuses on Vienna and all of its cultural offerings, as well as the Danube Valley, Salzburg, Hallstatt (the gem of the Salzkammergut Lake District), and the mountainous Tirol region, including its southern portion over the border in Italy. We also duck into Germany (Berchtesgaden and Bavarian sights) and Slovakia (Bratislava).

Ill give you all the information and opinions necessary to wring the maximum value out of your limited time and money. If you plan two weeks or less in Austria and have a normal appetite for information, this book is all you need.

Experiencing Europes culture, people, and natural wonders economically and hassle-free has been my goal for three decades of traveling, tour guiding, and travel writing. With this new edition, I pass on to you the lessons Ive learned.

The destinations covered in this book are balanced to include a comfortable mix of cities and villages, mountaintop hikes and medieval castles, sleepy river cruises and sky-high gondola rides. While youll find the predictable biggies (such as Mozarts house and the Vienna State Opera), Ive also mixed in a healthy dose of Back Door intimacy (thrilling mountain luges, a beer with monks, and a lakeside town reachable by boat). Ive been selective, including only the most exciting sights. For example, there are dozens of quaint villages in Austrias Salzkammergut Lake District. I take you to only the most charming: Hallstatt.

Use this legend to help you navigate the maps in this book.

The best is, of course, only my opinion. But after spending much of my adult life exploring and researching Europe, Ive developed a sixth sense for what travelers enjoy. The places featured in this book will make anyone want to slap-dance and yodel.

Rick Steves Vienna, Salzburg & Tirol is a personal tour guide in your pocket. Each recommended destination is a mini vacation on its own, filled with exciting sights, strollable neighborhoods, affordable places to stay, and memorable places to eat.

The first half of this book focuses on Vienna and contains the following chapters:

Austria offers an introduction to this delightful country.

Orientation to Vienna has specifics on public transportation, helpful hints, local tour options, easy-to-read maps, and tourist information. The Planning Your Time section suggests a schedule for how best to use your limited time.

Sights in Vienna describes the top attractions and includes their cost and hours.

The Self-Guided Walks and Tours lead you through interesting neighborhoods and must-see sights. In Vienna, these include a city walk, St. Stephens Cathedral, the Hofburg Imperial Apartments and Treasury, and the Kunsthistorisches Museum. A breezy tram tour takes you around Viennas Ringstrasse.

Sleeping in Vienna describes my favorite hotels, from good-value deals to cushy splurges.

Eating in Vienna serves up a buffet of options, from inexpensive cafs to fancy restaurants.

Entertainment in Vienna is your guide to evening fun, including classical concerts, opera, and things to do after dark.

Vienna Connections lays the groundwork for your smooth arrival and departure, covering transportation by train, car, boat, and plane (with detailed information on Viennas airport).

Key to This Book

Updates

This book is updated regularlybut things change. For the latest, visit www.ricksteves.com/update.

Abbreviations and Times

I use the following symbols and abbreviations in this book:

Sights are rated:

Tourist information offices are abbreviated as TI, and bathrooms are WCs. Accommodations are categorized with a Sleep Code (described on ). To indicate discounts for my readers, I include RS% in the listings.

Like Europe, this book uses the -hour clock. Its the same through 12:00 noon, then keeps going: 13:00, 14:00, and so on. For anything over 12, subtract 12 and add p.m. (14:00 is 2:00 p.m.).

When giving opening times,