Is Austria Worth Visiting for a City Break & Why Visit?

Austria is a landlocked Alpine country in Central Europe and is a nice place to visit. We have visited multiple times for city breaks. We have also enjoyed various train journeys across the country, including through the mountains.

We found Austria to be a fascinating country with many interesting aspects, including some pretty cities, especially its epic capital, Vienna. To complement the trips, I also enjoyed the local food and a variety of beers.

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City Breaks in Austria

I enjoyed visiting various cities in Austria with my wife and dog, Henry. This includes the following places, and the list is likely to grow in the near future.

Vienna: The Capital

Vienna is Austria’s capital and a top destination for a city break. It is very accessible and a crossroads on the European train network. The central areas and palaces throughout the city really draw me in. My favourites are the Hofburg and Schönbrunn Palace, both of which are special.

There are also some splendid parks to spend time in during the warmer months, with well-manicured gardens. Note: not all of them allow dogs, which is unfortunate for Henry. We also found many nice beer gardens to visit in the city, many of which serve delicious Viennese food.

If you like churches, you can visit many, including the epic St. Stephen’s Cathedral in the centre of town. Another reason we love to visit is Prater Amusement Park, where we enjoy the rides. We found plenty of options for places to stay, including pet-friendly hotels and apartments. We found Booking.com was a great place to find somewhere to stay in the city. Overall, it is a top destination for a city break, with many budget-friendly activities.

Graz: A City in Styria

Graz is a lovely city in the Styria region in southern Austria. We enjoyed our city break and found many things to do on a budget. The city centre was great to explore, with its beautiful architecture, and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

My favourite part of the city was Schlossberg Graz, the castle on the hill that overlooks the city. This was ideal for a walk and enjoying the views with a picnic. Sightseeing in the central areas was fascinating too, including a visit to the Mausoleum of Emperor Ferdinand II.

We visited many restaurants and bars and enjoyed the local food and beers. On a tight budget, we chose the cheapest place to stay, the Ibis Budget, which we found on Booking.com.

Linz

We only briefly visited Linz while changing trains. However, we popped into the city for a bite to eat and some beer. We found what we saw pleasant, including a large park and places to dine out. It’s a shame we couldn’t stay longer, as the city looks to have some interesting things to see.

Wiener Neustadt

We enjoyed visiting Wiener Neustadt, a city near the Austria/Hungary border, for a look around and some food. The city was a convenient place to catch the train that runs through the country toward Italy. The city centre was pretty and had some nice sights. The cathedral and the pretty buildings in the main town square caught my eye.

The city felt laid-back during our visit, with plenty of cafes and restaurants with outdoor seating. We had food and beer at Cafe Stadler, a short walk from the railway station.

Why Visit Austria?

Some of the standout features of the country that I enjoyed while visiting.

Well-Preserved Architecture

Everywhere we’ve visited in the country so far has had lots of historic buildings to see. Most of these are well preserved, and you can visit a fair few. The grand buildings in the capital and the side streets of Graz were a highlight for me.

Epic Palaces

I have visited or mooched around the outside of many palaces in the country, most of them in the capital. These are pretty epic and date back to the Habsburg Empire. As a bonus, many have gardens to visit and exteriors to see, and they rarely cost a penny.

Austrian Food & Beer

I love a daytime beer, and throughout the country I have enjoyed a fair few. My favourites so far have been the Märzen beers, which hit the spot for me. Other mainstream beers I’ve enjoyed include Stiegl, Gösser, and Ottakringer. There are many places to enjoy beers, including pubs, beer gardens and some upmarket cafes.

During our visits, we have also dined out many times and enjoyed the food. This includes the humble sausage, pork knuckles and schnitzels. It is also fantastic for desserts, which I avoid these days, but my wife thinks they are great, especially the strudels.

Train Journeys Through The Alps & Countryside

We really enjoy train travel, especially when travelling with Henry, our dog. Austria has fantastic train lines, including routes through the Alps with stunning mountain scenery. It is well connected with its neighbours by train, including direct routes to Hungary, Slovenia, Switzerland, Germany and Italy. Booking tickets is pretty straightforward using the ÖBB app, and the trains are high quality.

Is Austria Worth Visiting?

Austria is a lovely country that we enjoyed visiting multiple times over the years. Vienna keeps drawing us back because it offers so many things to do. We also enjoyed the other cities we visited and found them to be pretty and pleasant places to spend time. We often need to cross Austria when travelling to or from Romania by train. This included catching night trains straight into Vienna. Food and drink out in the country have also hit the spot, especially the Viennese cuisine, which hits the right notes for me.