Sonia Writer: Adventures in Austria

Originally featured in the Larnca News, which seems to have disappeared!

Just a three hour flight from Larnaca on Austrian Airlines takes you to the beautiful city of Vienna. The land of Mozart, exquisite cakes and the Viennese Waltz. After the blistering heat of Cyprus, the cooler climate and beautiful scenery make Austria a perfect place to escape too, in the hot summer months.

There are some good deals to be had in Vienna, especially for internet bookings. Our stay at The Imperial Riding School Vienna, a hotel in Rennweg came with a very good breakfast which was included in the price of the room as a special offer. It was an imposing, busy hotel, three stops on the tram from the city centre.

Vienna itself is a magical place, full of beautiful architecture and famous coffee houses. The main attractions are; the cathedral, which is called Stephansdom, the Hofburg Palace and the Kunsthistorisches Museum. The cathedral was dark, gothic and atmospheric, but due to the renovations taking place on the outside it was difficult to see it in its original state.

The Hofburg Palace, summer home to Emperor Franz Joseph and the Empress Elizabeth or “Sisi”, as she was known, was breathtaking in its luxury and opulence. It takes a full morning to view the Imperial Apartments and see the amazing wealth and treasures contained with in them.

The most notable art gallery is the Kunsthistorisches Museum, which contains an impressive selection of famous paintings. There are works from Raffael and Francesco Guardi, Bruegel, Caravaggio and Peter Paul Rubens. My favourite painting is The Tower of Babel by Pieter Bruegel the Elder. Probably the most well known paintings is the “Madonna of the Cherries”, by Titian.

The museum building is of a unique design. It is adorned with gold and marble and it contains a wonderful café which serves some of the most delicious Viennese cakes you can imagine!

After an inspiring weekend in Vienna we moved on to Salzburg by train. The travelling time varies depending upon which route you take, but the fastest arrives in just under three hours. Salzburg is a very different city from Vienna. It has a more cosmopolitan feel and it is extremely busy. The main attractions for visitors; are the imposing Hohensalzburg Fortress and Mozart’s house (before he left for Vienna), and of course, shopping in the scenic cobbled streets.

A short trip from Salzburg (forty minutes by bus) and you are surrounded by glorious lakes and mountains. We stayed in a lovely hotel in St. Gilgen, a village on the edge of Lake Wolfgangsee. From there it is possible to take a boat trip around the lake and visit St. Wolfgang, where you can catch a stream funicular to the top of the mountain and observe the stunning views.

Many people choose Austria as a hiking destination, but there are many less demanding walks, along pathways through the wild flowers, scattered across the hills.

Austria is especially beautiful in the summer and it is very accessible for travellers from Cyprus. It was such a nice restful holiday; we will definitely do it again!