Welcome to Enchanting Journeys

Imperial Austria….experience it now….

“We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us” – Anonymous

 

There simply is no way to tour Europe & not be awestruck by its natural beauty, epic history & dazzling artistic & culinary diversity. Once you have ticked off the great Museums, panoramic vistas & energetic nightlife, what's left? A chance to indulge in a culinary adventure to beat all others, that's what!

 

Central Europe, natural & refined, folksy & cultured, the combination of mountain rusticity & old-world style with its teutonic half-timbered villages, graffiti-decorated Renaissance Squares, medieval walled towns,captivates those looking for old-world appeal,

 

Austria offers a wide range of experiences. Famous for its Castles, Palaces & buildings, among other architectural works. For Theatres & glorious Balls to ancient traditions & handicrafts. Traveling to Austria gives you the chance to fully immerse yourself in the charms of the Old World.  Come……experience Austria with us………

 

Europe’s almost unmanageable wealth of attractions is its biggest single draw: the birthplace of democracy in Athens, the Renaissance art of Florence, the graceful canals of Venice, the Napoleonic splendour of Paris & the multilayered historical & cultural canvas of London.

 

Less obvious but no less impressive attractions include Moorish Palaces in Andalucía, the fascinating East-meets-West brew of İstanbul in Turkey, the majesty of meticulously restored imperial Palaces in Russia's former capital St Petersburg & the ongoing project of Gaudí's La Sagrada Família in Barcelona.

 

There is a huge diversity of natural scenery: rugged Scottish Highlands with glens & lochs; Norway's fabulous fjords, seemingly chipped to jagged perfection by giants; the vine-raked valleys of the Loire & the steppe-like plains of central Spain. If you are looking for beaches, a circuit of the Mediterranean's northern coast reveals one gem after another. Or strike out to lesser known, yet beautiful coastal regions such as the Baltic & Black Seas. Mountain lovers should head to the Alps: they march across central Europe taking in France, Switzerland, Austria, northern Italy & tiny Liechtenstein.

 

Once you have ticked off the great Museums, panoramic vistas & energetic nightlife, what is left? A chance to indulge in a culinary adventure to beat all others, that is what! Who wouldn't want to snack on pizza in Naples, souvlaki in Santorini or even haggis in Scotland? But did you also know that Britain has some of the best Indian restaurants in the world; that Turkey's doner kebab is a key part of contemporary German food culture; and that in the Netherlands you can gorge on an Indonesian rijsttafel (rice table)? Once again Europe's diversity and global reach is its trump card.

 

Europe has some of the best nightlife in the world. Globally famous DJs keep the party going in London, Berlin & Paris, all of which also offer top-class entertainment, especially theatre and live music. Other key locations for high-energy nightlife include Moscow, Belgrade, Budapest & Madrid, while those hankering for something cosier can add Dublin's pubs or Vienna's Cafes to their itinerary. Continue to party on the Continent's streets at a multiplicity of Festivals, from city Parades attended by thousands to intimate Concerts in an ancient Amphitheatre.

 

Central Europe - it is at once natural & refined, folksy & cultured: the combination of mountain rusticity with old-world style captivates. Teutonic half-timbered villages, graffiti-decorated Renaissance Squares, medieval walled towns…if you are looking for old-world appeal, this is the right place.

 

Nourishing yourself is more fun in a great atmosphere & Central Europe's abundance of outdoor Cafes & Coffee Houses offer just that. When the temperatures rise in spring, outdoor tables proliferate along with the daffodils & tulips.

 

Beer Gardens across the region offer an opportunity to enjoy hearty food, a convivial atmosphere & a good brew alfresco. Once the weather cools, move inside to a boisterous Beer Halls. Or, for something a little sweeter, try a cake at a Coffee House or Pastry Cafe. The most famous are in Vienna & Budapest, but there are many options - & other interesting places to eat & drink - all across the region. Enjoy a plate of pasta while admiring the Slovenian coast, nosh pierogi (dumplings) on a Polish cobblestone street or dip into fondue lakeside in Switzerland.

 

With mountains covering so many Central European states, it is no wonder that the outdoors holds such an attraction in the region. The Alps rise to their highest in Switzerland, with jagged, Toblerone-like peaks such as the Matterhorn, & march on through southern Germany, across Austria & south into Slovenia.

 

Wander the darkly Gothic alleyways of Prague, admire the baroque excess of Salzburg or take in the colourful old-Venetian influence on the Slovenian port of Piran. Poland & the Czech Republic seem to have more than their fair share of medieval masterpieces, but you can find narrow lanes and quaint townscapes throughout the region – from Bern, Switzerland to Bardejov, Slovakia. Smaller gems such as Bamberg, Germany are often far from the tourist radar. On mornings when the mists lie heavy & crowds are few, you might imagine yourself in an earlier century.

 

The Alps rise to their highest in Switzerland, with jagged, Toblerone-like peaks such as the Matterhorn & march on through southern Germany, across Austria & south into Slovenia. You can hike, bike, ski or just ride the gondolas & funiculars to enjoy the Alpine views. Other mountains, like the Swiss Jura & the Polish -Slovak Tatras, offer no less adventure. There are also sculptural sandstone 'rock towns' in the Czechia to climb, waterfall-filled gorges in Slovakia & Slovenia to hike and the bucolic Black Forest in Germany to walk.

 

Enough & now let us talk about Austria where one day you are cresting alpine summits, the next you are wandering around imperial Vienna. No country waltzes so effortlessly between the urban and the outdoors as Austria.

 

Historic Overload | Spectacular Scenery | Folklore & Festivals

Welcome to incredible Austria - a landlocked East Alpine country in the southern part of Central Europe, that might conjure visions of wedding-cake-like baroque Churches, dripping with lavish detail, palatial Hapsburg headquarters like Schloss Schonnbrunn & Gothic crowning glories like the Stephansdom.

 

The Habsburg Empire, which had its seat in Vienna, spanned a territory from modern Spain to Romania & left the country with iconic cultural treasures. Imperial Palaces, grand Opera Houses, courtly Churches, collections of Crown Jewels & Fine Art and Concert Halls are just some of the highlights of their grand legacy.

 

Over centuries, the Habsburgs channelled immense wealth into the fine Arts & Music, collecting Palaces & Castles the way others do Stamps, as an example. You will still feel their cultural reverberations in Austria today - be it watching Lipizzaner stallions prance at the Spanish Riding School, or crossing the Hofburg to eyeball Ruben’s masterpieces in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, or Klimt & Schiele at the Museums Quartier. The work of classical pop stars such as Mozart, Strauss, Mahler, Haydn & Schubert echo as loudly as ever at lavishly gilded Concert Halls & iconic Music Festivals are staged against uplifting lakeside or mountain backdrops.

 

The journey really is the destination in Austria. Perhaps yours will be a meandering one through deeply carved valleys, on railways that unzip the Alps to thread improbably along sheer mountain flanks, past glaciers & through flower-freckled meadows.

 

Chances are, however, that such lyrical landscapes will have you itching to leap onto a bicycle saddle or lace up hiking boots to reach those enticingly off-the-radar corners of the country. In winter, the slopes hum with skiers & boarders, while summer beckons white-water rafters & canyoners to glacial rivers & lakes that sparkle like gemstones.

 

But the country is more than the sum of its pomp & Palaces. Prepare to see Austria in a whole new light. A fresh breath of architectural air & a feel of new-found cool is sweeping through the cities, bringing with it a happy marriage of the contemporary & historic. Some of the most eye-catching icons are actually the newbies: Vienna’s Museums Quartier in revamped imperial stables, the colour-shifting giant Rubik’s Cube that is Ars Electronica in Linz & the sci-fi ready Kunsthaus Graz. 

 

And not to forget the culinary delights. The country has come on in culinary leaps & bounds recently, while staying true to its ethos of careful local sourcing. There is more to Austrian cuisine than boot-sized schnitzels & dumplings heavier than bowling balls.

 

Whether you are at a farmers’ market, a retro-style deli, bakeries, coffee houses, fish farms, cheese makers, taverns, Alpine huts, street food carts, a cool new brunch spot or a Michelin starred restaurant, the love of the land shines through time & again. Asparagus in spring, Marille (apricots) in summer, Mushrooms, Game & new Wine in autumn – Austria likes its food to swing with the seasons & taste of the source. Enjoyment is the most important part of any Austrian meal & you are encouraged to savor every single bite.

 

Traveling to Austria gives you the chance to fully immerse yourself in the charms of the Old World. Beyond the imperial elegance of the Habsburgs, Austria’s medieval Castles & remote Alpine villages defied cultivation & offer another layer of great European history waiting to be explored. Take the plunge now & yep….historical secrets & an artistic paradise awaits you and The Journeys is ready to take you on well, a journey (or journeys) of discovery.

 

We are in the process of updating our Offerings of experiential journeys to Austria. Please contact us in the interim if you want to explore more options & we will be happy to customise & offer suggestions based on your personal preferences…

 

Come…be inspired & discover the World with us