Vienna is a magical European capital with a rich history. This is a fairly ancient, well-preserved beautiful city. You will find historical places around, get acquainted with magnificent castles, ancient sites and admire the nature of the Alpine foothills. Always reliable European rail lines provide easy access to many interesting places. Looking for day trips from Vienna? Here are some interesting places.
Day trips from Vienna: Prague
One of the most beautiful cities on the continent has a rich architectural, cultural and historical heritage spanning more than 10 centuries. The historical center of the capital of the Czech Republic is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List and has been preserved in amazing condition. The old town of Prague has a special atmosphere and includes dozens of exciting sights, representing an interweaving of pretty medieval streets and old buildings with red tiled roofs.
Bratislava
Another border worth crossing is the Austrian-Slovak one. The picturesque city of Bratislava is located just one hour from Vienna. Here you can visit the Old Town, where mansions and palaces were created in the Neo-Renaissance style.
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Day trips from Vienna: Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary and one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. It stretches on both sides of the wide Danube and attracts tourists with its magnificent architecture, comfortable climate and thermal springs. Only walking around Budapest and admiring its extraordinary beauty you understand why it is called the “Gem of the Danube”. The majestic Buda Castle, the pompous Parliament building, Margaret Island, the most beautiful bridges – all this is just a small part of what awaits the tourist here. The city, moreover, has a rich history, which is hidden in every street, every square and every building.
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Lainzer Tiergarten wildlife preserve
Located in one of the districts of the Vienna Woods, the Lainzer nature reserve is famous for its abundance of deer and wild boars. Incredibly old oaks and beeches grow here.
This is not only an important conservation area, but also a great place where you can walk along one of the paths that emperors and empresses used to walk along. To admire the surrounding beauty, climb the observation tower, which is 14 meters high.
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Day trips from Vienna: Melk Abbey
The magnificent Benedictine Melk Abbey attracts, first of all, with its expressive architecture, as well as artistic and historical treasures. It belongs to the most important Baroque buildings of Europe.
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Klosterneuburg Monastery
You can also go from Vienna to the Klosterneuburg Monastery, which was erected in the XII century. Here you will find such sights as the Verdun Altar, the Leopold Chapel, the Marble Hall and the courtyard. There are many frescoes, copper, staircases and domes in these ancient walls. The famous complex is located in the Vienna Woods.
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Day trips from Vienna: Danube Valley
Danube Valley is only an hour’s drive from Vienna. This place, located far from the hustle and bustle of the city, is considered so attractive that it is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List for its aesthetic beauty. The most picturesque part lies between the towns of Krems and Melk. Here you can enjoy a wonderful view of the alpine valley.
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Carnuntum
If you love history, take a day trip from Vienna to the Roman city of Carnuntum. The most recent significant discovery here was made in 2011. Intriguing artifacts are still found here.
Today, the city is home to the archaeological park, where you can see reconstructed Roman buildings that house museums, as well as reconstructions and original ruins.
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Day trips from Vienna: Laxenburg Castle
Laxenburg Castle, built in the best traditions of the Baroque, is located just 15 km from capital of Austria, on the outskirts of the Vienna Woods. This is not just one building, but several castles and palaces with a lake and a park – a favorite family vacation spot for all Austrian monarchs in the past and all families with children today.
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Salzburg
The city, which once flourished thanks to the sale of the purest salt from nearby mines, is today known to the whole world as the birthplace of the great Mozart, a genius who gave mankind immortal musical masterpieces. Salzburg attracts travelers from all over the world with stunning mountain scenery, fascinating history and unique architecture. Gothic, baroque, renaissance houses, modern architecture and buildings of post-war modernism have intertwined in a magnificent ensemble here.
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Day trips from Vienna: Vienna Woods
The Vienna Woods is a picturesque natural park that surrounds the Austrian capital in a dense semicircle. Thick and lush thickets, spread over an area of about 100 thousand hectares, are a favorite vacation spot for the Viennese and guests of the city. On the territory of the Vienna Woods, you can see not only magnificent natural landscapes with a thousand-year history, but also architectural sights that are associated with the fate of different people.
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Baden near Vienna
Baden near Vienna is a popular SPA town located 25 kilometers from Vienna. Back in the days of Ancient Rome and the Habsburg Empire, this town was famous for its healing mineral waters and beautiful natural landscapes. The central streets of modern Baden were built up in the 19th century.
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Day trips from Vienna: Grinzing
Grinzing is a small cozy area located right next to the Vienna Woods. It became a part of Vienna in 1892, but still retains the features of a medieval European settlement. Its appearance has hardly changed since the 17th century. There are many heurigers here – traditional taverns where local young wine is served.
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Laa an der Thaya
Laa an der Thaya is located in Lower Austria, in the north of the Weinviertel wine region. The city has a wonderful thermal complex, which attracts here those who want to spend a vacation with health benefits. The town is full of buildings from the 13th century, which still “remember” the first princely dynasty of the Babenbergs. These are a fortress wall, a town hall, a hospital, a church, medieval houses and pavements.
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Day trips from Vienna: Kreuzenstein Castle
Kreuzenstein Castle, built in the Middle Ages, looks very much like Hogwarts. All its towers and spiers look fabulous. It is located on a hill a few kilometers from Vienna, near the village of Leobendorf. This is one of the most impressive castles in Vienna.
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Photo: I, Michael Kranewitter (CC BY 2.5)
Hardegg Castle
Very close to the Czech border stands the unique Hardegg Castle. It is one of the oldest defensive structures in Central Europe, which has completely preserved its historical architecture. The first mention of the complex dates back to 1145.
