The Best Day Trips You Can Take From Vienna, Austria

Vienna is a vibrant and colourful city that has a multitude of attractions and programs for visitors of all ages and interests. But what if you want to get away from the city for a day and explore other interesting sites in Austria? With the top notch Austrian public transport system it's quite easy and convenient to visit another city. So here is a short list of our recommendations for where to start your explorations outside Vienna.

Scenic view of the famous mountain village Hallstatt at Hallstatter lake

1. Hallstatt

Hallstatt is a village on the shores of a lake by the same name and offers a beautiful scenic view for visitors with the mountains in the background. Many people may know it as a perfect getaway place for a winter vacation, but actually it's worth to pay a visit to this village all year round. There are many tour operators who organize day trips from Vienna via bus, but you can also take the train and make your way to this amazing area. Hallstatt is near Salzburg, so why not combine the 2 destinations on your day trip?

Website: https://www.hallstatt.net/home-en-US/

2. Salzburg

Salzburg is the 4th biggest city in Austria. It is situated near the German border in a beautiful natural surrounding. The city has many historic attractions as well as a wide range of cultural programs. The most convenient way to reach the city is by taking a train from Vienna.

Website: https://www.salzburg.info/en

3. Danube River Cruise To Wachau Valley

The Wachau Valley is a region following a 30-kilometer course of the river Danube between hills and historic monuments.

Highlights of the region include:

Melk:

The town is famous for its massive baroque monastery with its breathtaking decorations.
Info: https://www.stiftmelk.at/englisch/ and https://melk.gv.at/en/Tourism

Krems:

It is a historic city with beautiful medieval and baroque buildings and is now part of the Unesco World Heritage.
Info: https://www.krems.gv.at/

Wachau Wine region:

Wachau is one of the wine regions in Lower Austria. If you have a thing for great white wines check out some of the local vineyards.
Info: https://www.austrianwine.com/

Medieval castles:

Along the Danube there are a couple of medieval castles and ruins to see for the history buffs. The remains of Dürnstein castle, Aggstein castle and Hinterhaus Castle near Spitz should be on your checklist for explorations.

To get the most of a day's trip, why not book a river course and enjoy the scenic view from the deck of a ship?

Town of Dürnstein

Dürnstein castle ruins on the hill in the background

Aggstein castle ruins

Hinterhaus castle ruins

4. Klosterneuburg Abbey

Klosterneuburg is a town in Lower Austria and it's most famour for the Augustian monastery dating back to the 12th century. This tourist attraction is easy to reach as it's only a few kilometers away from the city limits of Vienna.
Info: https://www.stift-klosterneuburg.at/en/ and https://www.klosterneuburg.at/en

5. Laxenburg castles

Laxenburg is a town near Vienna and is a must see for everyone who wants to extend the Viennese imperial experience. The palaces and castles here once belonged to the Habsburg family but now are mainly used for various events. Highlights of the place: Franzensburg castle, Altes Schloss (palace), Blauer Hof and the castle gardens.

Website: https://www.schloss-laxenburg.at/

6. Linz

Linz is one of the biggest cities in Austria divided by the river Danube. This city seamlessly merges the old and the new together. There is a historical center with lovely promenades (dotted by cafes and restaurants) and beautiful churches (the New Cathedral being the most famous of them). Linz has a lot to offer culturally and it openly embraces contemporary art and modern technology. The city is easily reached by train from Vienna.
Website: https://www.linz.at/english/

7. The Vienna Woods (Wienerwald) and its surroundings

The Vienna Woods is a popular recreational area for the inhabitants of the capital.
A perfect destination for hikers and bikers and for family excursions. This biosphere reserve is a protected area aiming to keep its biological diversity and to provide environmental education and research. Attractions to explore in the region: Lainzer Tiergarten (Lainzer Wildlife Park), Hermesvilla (in Lainzer Tiergarten), Baden bei Wien spa town and the vineyards and wine taverns (Heurigen).
Website: https://www.bpww.at/en

Abbey Of The Holy-Cross, Vienna Woods

Hermesvilla in Lainzer Tiergarten, Vienna Woods

Casino in Baden bei Wien, Vienna Woods

Path to Liechtenstein Castle, Vienna Woods

Liechtenstein Castle, Vienna Woods

8. Day trips to the neighbouring countries

Due to Vienna's central location in the region, a lot of neighbouring capitals are within a distance of a couple of hours. If you have and extra day or weekend in Vienna that you want to spend with exploring the region outside the borders of Austria, here are the most popular destinations to check out: