To
Klosterneuburg. Traveling to this scenic mountain destination—dominated by its famed baroque church—is approximately a half-day excursion. You'll want to see the north section of Klosterneuburg, called Kierling, where there's a famous Augustinian abbey, founded in 1114. There's also a wine cellar with the famous
tausendeimerfass, a barrel over which the people slide on 15 November to celebrate the birthday of the convent's founder—a big public festival.
Klosterneuburg is about 12 mi/20 km north of Vienna. A convenient way to get there is by train from Franz Josefs Bahnhof in Vienna (get off at Klosterneuburg-Kierling, which is the station closest to the abbey). http://www.klosterneuburg.at.
Farther up the Danube, in the Wachau valley, is the riverside town of Durnstein, with its blue-and-white church, apricot orchards and the ruined castle in which Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned in 1192. http://www.duernstein.at.
To Laxenburg. Laxenburg is approximately 16 mi/25 km south of Vienna, off the A-2 highway. It's one of many "pleasure" palaces where the Hapsburg family lived, as opposed to the official palaces where they also had to fulfill state duties. You can visit the palace, but the main attraction is the large park with its hiking trails surrounding an immense artificial lake. A ferry takes visitors across a small moat to a mock medieval castle, which has a restaurant and a cafe. Electric boats are available for rent (highly recommended). Paddleboats and rowboats are also available. A panorama train also takes visitors around the grounds. Open daily mid-April to October, with tours at 11 am and 2 and 3 pm. Unfortunately, you can't visit the palace without taking one of its tours, which are conducted in German unless you book in advance for a tour in English with a group of 10 or more. Entry to the park costs 1.30 euros. Tours cost 5 euros adults, 2.50 euros children. Ferries cost 0.40 euros per person. Schlosspark, Laxenburg. Phone 2236-71226. http://www.schloss-laxenburg.at.
To the Southern Wienerwald. This is an easy day trip—the scenic woods are only 12 mi/20 km out of the city center. Buses depart from Landstrasse-Wien Mitte. Or you can take the train from Sudbahnhof or the blue-and-white Badner Lokalbahn (in front of the State Opera House, tickets in front of the train station) to Baden. If you're going by car, take the Breitenfurterstrasse to Perchtoldsdorf (9 mi/15 km from the city center), a beautiful little village. Continue south to Burg Liechtenstein to see the impressive fortress and 12th-century home of the Liechtenstein family. In nearby Modling is the house where Beethoven composed his Missa Solemnis.
If you take Highway 21 from Modling, you can visit the Seegrotte Hinterbruhl, a centuries-old underground mine and lake visited by boat. Admission 7 euros adults, 4.50 euros children (http://www.seegrotte.at). Continuing on that road, you arrive at the exit for the Sparbach nature park (http://www.naturpark-sparbach.at). Continue on Highway 21 to Heiligenkreuz, the site of the grave of Maria Vetsera, the mistress of Crown Prince Rudolf who committed suicide with him in a hunting lodge in Mayerling. Drive on through the beautiful Helenental valley, where you can see the ruins of Rauheneck and Rauhenstein. Baden is a town famous for its neoclassical Biedermeier architecture, spectacular rose gardens, casino and therapeutic waters. Return home through Gumpoldskirchen, a pretty little wine village.
Local Tours
You'll find plenty of local tour options in Vienna, whether by foot, boat, bike or bus. One interesting option is to hire a professional guide. If you are more interested in scheduled group walks, brochures with meeting places can be obtained at the Vienna Tourist Board at Albertinaplatz 1.
Bus tours are prevalent and include all the major sights, such as the Belvedere, Schonbrunn Palace, the Staatsoper and the Riesenrad.
A very cheap way of sightseeing is to take trolley 1 or 2, which circle the Ring. A ticket only costs 2 euros. http://www.wienerlinien.at.
