by Tatiana Zebrowska, BA student in the Culture, Politics, and Society Program
If you are into travelling and you don’t mind making your trips shorter, then Vienna is perfect for you. The number of beautiful places that you can visit from here is countless. After spending a year in Vienna I still have places I want to visit here, so I know that the city itself has a lot to offer. However, I’m the last one to reject an invitation for any kind of trip and I was lucky enough to explore some places outside of the city. I will try to introduce you to some of my favorites, and these can all be explored on your own.
The second biggest lake in Austria, the Neusiedler See, is only 40 minutes away from Vienna. Especially when it’s warm and sunny, getting out of the city is an amazing idea. If chilling by the beach isn’t going to satisfy you, don’t worry. There’s also an amusement park there, and if you aren’t into adrenaline, you can enjoy a stroll in the company of llamas.
Another place to visit is the town of Laxenburg. You will find an astonishing castle and palace complex that was owned by the Habsburg Family and served them as their most important summer retreat. However, you don’t need to be royalty to explore Laxenburg’s architecture and nature. Pro tip: before getting there, check the webpage for events, especially concerts.
Austria is famous for winter sports for a reason, and you can find out about it during more active trips. If you are into skiing, then go visit the Stuhleck in the Semmering region. The slopes are perfect for all levels, working from 8:30am to 4pm during the season. What makes this trip a bit easier to organize is that ÖBB offers train ticket combos with ski passes.
This list of day trips would be incomplete without mentioning Bratislava. The capital city of Slovakia is as close as one hour away from Vienna. I’m sure that you can spend more than one day there, but if you were to get there in the early morning and leave at night, I think it’s a decent enough amount of time to explore the city.
