Vienna, Salzburg & Tirol Guidebook
Favorite discoveries or tips:
1. Brandner-cruise of the Danube departing from Melk, they allowed us to store our luggage in a locked compartment for the duration of the cruise. This saved us, as we didn't have time to check into our hostel first. 2. Related to audioguides-the Vienna city walk didn't always work. It cut out sometimes, and the map wasn't always visible. When we finally got it to work, it was incredibly interesting and helpful :) 3. Zell am See was an absolutely incredible town that I stayed in. Although expensive, some inns offer a zell am see-kaprun card that allows entrance into the attractions. I spent a full day hiking the top of the mountain with a life changing view of zell am see below. People are very friendly. There's cheap bike rentals, fair priced and delicious food. Although you could end up spending lots of money in zell am see, there are many reasonable priced things to do, and it ended up being one of my favourite parts of the trip. 4. The Patscherkofelbahnen cable car in Igls was wonderful. The hike at the top of the mountain was the most spectacular view I experienced in Austria. For a very short bus ride, I preferred it to the Nordkettenbahn up to Hafelekar in the middle of town (although that was very convenient and beautiful as well). 5. Nepomuks was the best accomodation I found in Austria. It's a little bed and breakfast (more like a hostel though) in Innsbruck. Very friendly, helpful, great value. I told the woman in charge for the day that I was going on a hike the next morning and wouldn't require a breakfast as I was leaving early. Instead she made up a lovely lunch to take with me!! 6. Bob's Special Tours-we took the Hallstatt/SOM day tour and we were incredibly grateful for the tip. We priced it out and this came out to be amazing value. But more than that, our tour guide was wonderful! In Hallstatt, we had just enough time to eat lunch, go up the cable car, and follow the town tour in the book. It was a bit of a tease as it was a beautiful, hot day and it would have been nice to go for a swim. But being able to do both the SOM and see Hallstatt was an incredible treat, and it was made all the more meaningful by the tour guide's stories.
Lauren Wallis in Stouffville, ON Canada 04/16/2013
A humorous anecdote to include in your next edition - Obama thought that "Austrian" is a language. I'm not making this up, check it out on YouTube. I noticed that make disparaging remarks about conservative American politicians in your Eastern Europe guide book, so this would only be fair!
Allen Kutch in Bellville, Tx USA 03/30/2013
I would like to very strongly recommend Adrienn Bartek-Rhomberg www.experience-vienna.at as a certified Vienna guide. I had contacted Adrienn to provide my wife and I with a tour of Vienna. Due to unforeseen circumstance my wife was unable to join Adrienn and myself on the full day tour of Vienna. Adrienn was outstanding, with a great deal of in-depth knowledge and a well organized file of photos, building diagrams, etc. she helped me develop a good understanding of Vienna and its history with the Habsburg Empire etc..
After having been with Adrienn on the tour and having the opportunity to ask questions and gain clarification on specific points, I must encourage travelers to major European cities to consider contacting a certified tour guide such as Adrienn. The cost of a certified tour guide is reasonable, when balanced against the total cost you budgeted for a trip to a selected European city . A guide will help you understand and appreciate why you selected this city as a destination.
Michael Quirk in Belleville, IL USA 11/23/2012
Innsbruck..INVINUM wine bar across the street from Ottoburg restaurant...nice people and lots of good Austrian wines
Pete Hall in Haddonfield, NJ USA 11/12/2012
I stayed at some places that were not in Rick's book because many hotels were booked We found a nice apartment that is right on the Danube and about 3 miles from Melk (apartment is Haus Schiller Patrizia). It is run by a woman who worked for American companies and speaks good English. Her large two bedroom apartment was modern and very reasonable at 51 Euros per night. The bedrooms had large beds (especially for Europe) a full kitchen, a deck to sit outside, and a large flat screen TV with several English channels. The apartment is on the south side of the river and is on the bike trail there. She has bikes for you to use if interested. An excellent restaurant is within a few blocks walking distance and there is free parking nearby. We also stayed at a nice place in Hallstatt called Gasthof Pension Hirlatz. It is a small family run place that is a nice walk from the center of town right on the river and near the funicular. It is convenient if you have a car because it has free parking. The rooms were clean and modern, the family was friendly, and they served nice 4 course meals in the evening for 14 euros.
Jim Perschbacher in Mableton, GA USA 09/30/2012
To avoid the crowds in Hallstatt Austria we would wake early, grab some of the worlds best doughnuts hot out of the fryer, & enjoy the views & sights. Then we'd have lunch and return to our room for a nap while the tour mobs roamed the city. We'd wake about 4pm and have the town to ourselves.
Pat Martin in Seattle, Wa USA 08/18/2012
Go to the Hohensalburg fortress FIRST thing in the morning. It's pleasant & so much more enjoyable w/o the crowds. And the morning sun makes for great pictures. And walk up is very doable before the heat of the day.
Pat Martin in Seattle, Wa USA 08/18/2012
2011 book pages 330,331 regarding the Dachstein-Krippenstein in the Salzkammergut: I suggest noting the 5 Fingers viewing platform and the Welterbespirale viewing platform at Krippenstein cable car stop. The book currently only mentions the caves at the first cable car stop. These platfroms are amazing and cost nothing more than the cable car ticket. www.dachstein-salzkammergut.com/
Dieter in Anoka, MN USA 07/09/2012
Can I just say that Schnizelwirt in Vienna not only has wonderful food, but we had a great time, too. The local regulars took us under their wings and I danced with Magdalena when a troubadour came by to play. Also, the
Tracy Baker in San Leandro, Ca USA 07/05/2012
New discovery - if you fly Austrian Air, your boarding pass is good for discounts at a lot of museums and some resturants in Austria. Hang onto your boarding pass and check the in flight magazine for the list of discounts. The discounts are good for 10-days after your flight.
AB in Murfreesboro, TN USA 06/22/2012
Just visited MUMOK in Vienna this afternoon, which was great: the permanent collection in the basement of 50s-60s art is strong and quite accessible, both in its choices of works to display and its unusually extensive explanatory and interpretive notes. It has well-known figures like Hockney, Rauschenberg, and Warhol, and some European figures whom you don't see as often. The current guidebook is needlessly dismissive of MUMOK.
CD in Seattle, WA USA 06/17/2012
Love the walking tours!
Joanne in San Rafael, CA USA 06/09/2012
We felt the tour of the Hapsburg Apartments was so similar to the Shonbrunn Palace that we didn't need to see them both. Either would give a nice background of the family and a clear idea of their lifestyle. Of the two, I recommend the Shonbrunn Palace.
Sue McCauley in Portland, OR USA 06/04/2012
Because your guidebooks are among the very best for those who like to go "off the beaten path" I was amazed (actually stunned) there's no mention of the Third Man Museum (Dritte Mann Museum) in Vienna. It is easily one of the most interesting and unique museums I've ever encountered.
This is a museum that will appeal to a broad group of visitors, even those who have not seen the movie. I am a professor of political science at a university in New England, and the Third Man Museum's collection of artifacts from pre-war Vienna through its reconstruction after the war is simply superb.
Although I know you visit most of the places yourself or have your own researchers do some of the legwork, I'd be willing to draft a description gratis for the third edition of this guide.
Robin F. Marra in Fitzwilliam, NH USA 05/19/2012
The armory museum and ancient musical instruments museum at the Hofburg were amazing, and crowd-free. Also, 'Rudolph's Library' at the Hofburg is well worth a visit, though it is hard to find.
Pat Leathrum in Corvallis, OR USA 04/01/2012
We went to Vienna and Salzburg in early December 2011. This is a wonderful time of year to be in those cities, with lots of lights, "Christmas villages," and large numbers of locals out on the streets at night enjoying their gluhwein. The Mariahilferstrasse is closed to automobile traffic on weekend evenings, making strolling quite enjoyable. In Salzburg, the Christmas Villages take over the squares, the locals are out in large numbers, and there are local choirs singing on the steps of the Cathedral. Very festive!
Steve Macfarlane in Carmichael, CA USA 01/16/2012
The Culture Made Easy Night (Oct 1, 2011 this year) was a great opportunity to see the Liechtenstein Museum. This museum is a gem. Much better than the Kunst Museum. Their library, furniture, and art collection are outstanding. The family history is a microcosm of European history.
mark brumbaugh in morristown, nj USA 10/11/2011
Courtesy of the guide book recommendation for 2002 we stayed at HAUS GASSNER, Moosstasse 126B, A-5020 Salzburg, Austria during our visit of April 2003. At that time Maria Gassner, proprietor recommended an excellant resturant, REITERHOF MOOS, Moosstrasse 135, 5020 Salzburg, Tel 0662/82 50 24. We dined there then, on a return visit in 2007 and during our most recent visit from which we just returned. All three times the food, traditional german cuisine, was reasonably priced and excellant quality. Tony and Tina Walkner, the hosts, are most welcoming and gracious. The resturant is on the second floor of a riding academy. Windows of the west wall look out on an arena of patrons riding their horses. If you do not include this resturant in your recomendations for the next publication you will be doing a great disservice to your readers. Also, my wife, Carol, on line discovered a cooking class in Arles conducted by Eric Vedel. We arrived 9 am Saturday 9/25. There were 5 of us total. After we all arrived, we went from Eric's home, where the calss is held, to the market. There Eric purchased a plethora of vegtables, pears, mussels, cuddlefish and mullet. We carried the purchases back to his kitchen and under his supervision prepared a sumputous lunch. The cost of the calss was 100 E each for 3 of us which Carol pronounced a bargin and the highlight of her trip. Contact Eric at 1041 Chemin des Vendanges, 84000 Avignon. 33 (0) 6 88 50 03 62
LOWELL HANCUH in EAGAN, MN USA 10/07/2011
Section on Bratislava very useful and well done for a quick visit -- especially the whimsical statues. definitely worth taking the high speed boat one way.
Philip Braverman in New York, NY USA 09/05/2011
1. Bus 2A provides a cool if bumpy little tour between Kirchengasse at Mariahilfer Strasse (two blocks east of Neubaugasse) and Schwedensplatz.
2. The "too-big" full-size public transportation map (€2.50) is great for longer stays and for seeing ALL of the many buses and streetcars, for staying above ground, and for just riding around looking at city life.
Bill Gordon & Nancy Weiss in Miami, FL USA 07/17/2011
My husband and I loved staying at Apartement Fallenhauser in Hallstatt. For the price, Ingrid Fallenhauser's place is more homey and better equipped than amost any place we've ever stayed anywhere and we've traveled a great deal. For inclement weather, she's got giant umbrellas handy so you can continue your explorations, her kitchen is very well stocked, not only with plates, glasses, pot and pans, etc., but spices, fresh fruit and veg, cozy bathrobes, slippers, and her bathroom is equipped with every convenience, including shaving cream! The apartment is FULL OF LIGHT, offers fabulous views of the lake and there's a cool, hidden garden in back for days that may be too hot. Ingrid was born in the village, rents out a room in her ancestral home and knows all the ins and outs and best places to eat, explore, etc. She's also spent significant time living in the States and speaks excellent English. We highly recommend her place.
Kathleen Waton in Jackson, GA USA 07/14/2011
Standing room only tickets for the Vienna Opera will not be sold to people wearing shorts! The nicely dressed man in shorts ahead of us in line was told to leave and come back dressed not is shorts before a ticket could be sold. Need to add this ASAP for summer opera-goers.
Lisa Miller in Edgewood, KY USA 07/05/2011
Standing room only tickets for the Vienna Opera will not be sold to people wearing shorts! The nicely dressed man in shorts ahead of us in line was told to leave and come back dressed not is shorts before a ticket could be sold. Need to add this ASAP for summer opera-goers.
Lisa Miller in Edgewood, KY USA 07/05/2011
If you are interested in serious music in Vienna, another good alternative to the Opera or the Vienna Philharmonic at the Musikverein is the Vienna Symphoniker. The hall they play out of escapes my memory but is very beautiful and stately and the symphony is of very high calibre even if not the Philharmonic!
Karen Lee in Calgary, AB Canada 06/10/2011
We really liked the restaurant "Zirkel Wirt" in Salzburg--here's their website: http://www.zirkel-wirt.at/willkommen.html Our guide, Jurgen, from Bob's Special Tours recommended it--it's kind of a student hang-out/pub place, but families are welcome. The food was wonderful; generous portions, nicely cooked and presented, the staff were friendly and the price was reasonable, too. This would be a great addition to the guidebook. Maybe you could have one of your people check it out. We were staying at Pension Chiemsee, so it was super-convenient for us, too.
Laurie Zaepfel in St. Paul, MN USA 04/15/2011