Read more about the article Innsbruck – Austria
Innsbruck - Austria

Innsbruck – Austria

Share it with the world

Roman Oenipons

It’s been a long while to return to one of the less visited countries I’ve been to in Europe, although I can proudly say I’ve been to some of the greatest cities of course with Vienna and Salzburg, and smaller Bregenz, the westernmost city of Austria right by the Lake Constance. Not many places nevertheless, and still missing to reach Linz, Klagenfurt and Graz hopefully in the near future at other trips. For now, let’s concentrate in the capital of Tyrol, Innsbruck.

While it’s the 5th largest city in the country, majority of tourism are winter visitors coming to what’s known one of the best sky resorts in Europe, the largest in the Alps. Within a short distance to the city centre you have great sky stations and circuits of any kind. So while the winter months is peak season for Innsbruck, during the the summer months it was way more laid back and quiet. Both seasons offer a totally different view of the city and its surroundings. One the snowy postcard-perfect view of the Alps, the other the green and rocks of the mighty mountains.

A vibrant city full of history and culture, capital of Tyrol since 1429 which gained its further push and importance after emperor Maximilian I moved the imperial court to Innsbruck in the 1490s. Churches, palaces and grand buildings, gardens and statues were built and there standing today even considering some destruction after the WWII raids. (more…)

Share it with the world

Continue ReadingInnsbruck – Austria
Read more about the article Vienna – Austria
Vienna - Austria

Vienna – Austria

Share it with the world

The City of Music

Vienna, how to even start creating a guide for one of the most stunning cities in the world. Not only its impressive elegance from the incredible architecture all over the place, but its rich history and culture on every corner. And if with the eyes was not enough, this is a delight to the ears as well. No other city in the world has such a vast history and legacy from the greatest classical music composers of all times. That’s the fact in the city’s nickname, the “City of Music”. Now glad to return few years after the first time and continue to explore this magnificent place.

Few years back, we did arrive in Vienna after little over 4 hours train ride from Prague, the enchanting city of Central Europe. And if 3 days were definitely not enough back in Prague, we experienced the same conclusion here in Vienna back in the days. That trip was for merely 2 days and an extra evening since we planned a very busy day tour to Salzburg, therefore cutting short the overall stay. Now, talking from extra fresh new experience after this trip, I can finally say my visit is complete and definitely looking forward to the next time and more.

The city has a great urban plan and follows what is pretty much a circular pattern. The Old Town, which is the historic area is called Innere Stadt and is completely encircled by the first ring road, the Ringstrasse, which was built with magnificent palaces, buildings, fountains and monuments all the way along. Both the Old Town coupled with this ring road are mandatory places for sightseeing, leaving for last the sights on the outer neighbourhoods from the Ringstrasse, being the major landmarks the Prater, Central Cemetery and Schönbrunn Palace.

(more…)

Share it with the world

Continue ReadingVienna – Austria
Read more about the article Bregenz – Austria
Bregenz - Austria

Bregenz – Austria

Share it with the world

Roman Brigantium

Continuing on this weekend trip after visiting Vaduz, the capital city of the 4th smallest country in Europe, Liechtenstein, we arrive at Bregenz by the Lake Constance, which boundaries are shared between Austria, Germany and Switzerland. Considering that the cities around the lake are very small, with some of them being island-cities, you can perfectly visit as many as time you have by simply stopping along the way. Not to mention the nice advantage viewing points you will have along the way driving.

Being able to visit all these places can only be really possible if having a rental car. Depending on public transportation means you will need much more time than just a weekend. At least, you can count with a good train network connecting most of the important cities.

Our first city by the lake was Bregenz on the southern tip, the westernmost city in Austria, minutes away from the Swiss and German borders. Austria after all, is the country with the less portion of border by the lake.
(more…)

Share it with the world

Continue ReadingBregenz – Austria
Read more about the article Salzburg – Austria
Salzburg - Austria

Salzburg – Austria

Share it with the world

The birthplace of Mozart

Countless years have passed since the first and only time I travelled to Salzburg, of course way before I started to create a site and travel guides, so finally this is the great chance for a well awaited return and thereafter creation of a proper guide for this so famous destination. One of the most beautiful, complete and most visited city in Europe, full of 17th century Baroque architecture wherever anyone look. It is one of these places where surprisingly, when looking in a map it is small, yet when walking along the streets the sights do not stop to succeed, like an open museum indeed and in fact, very overwhelming. One does not know where to look nor how to walk the most appropriate route, however, a day is good enough to fully explore all the sights and monuments while a second day would be nice to have and therefore enjoy the city at a much more relaxed pace.

If back at the first time I’ve ever visited Salzburg it was on a guided day tour from Vienna hence super short and very rushy, considering the 4 hours bus journey per way, on this occasion it turned out to be quite different. What originally though would be a long day trip to spend the Saturday away, due to some airline cancellations and re-schedule it worked in our favour in the sense that we gained an extra day and flew back the following day in the evening. Being a nice group of friends in this trip then was nice to also get to know the great thriving nightlife of the city.

From the city’s foundations little remain other than knowing from what’s been found, it was likely a Neolithic settlement before becoming a Roman post and still, almost no trace from the Roman period stands out today. We need to go forward to the 11th century AD when it was part of Bavaria (Germany) and the Festung Hohensalzburg, the city’s fortress, was built thus gaining importance and wealthiness from the salt trade coming directly from the mines not far south. It is this reason from what the name Salzburg derives, Salt Fortress.

(more…)

Share it with the world

Continue ReadingSalzburg – Austria
Translate »