Austria and Czech Republic: Castles, Cafe Culture, and Countryside

Tell Me Why…

Impressive Architecture, Centuries Old Castles, Beautiful Alpine Scenery

From the impressive architecture in Vienna and the stunningly serene countryside in St. Margarthen, Austria to the centuries old castles dripping with history in Český Krumlov and Prague, these two weeks in Austria and Czech Republic was memorable and surprising in so many ways. What a perfect place to immerse yourself in the past and rejuvenate in beautiful alpine scenery and green-blue lakes that take your breath away. To experience a bit of a glamorous past with an art and music legacy that continues to evolve in new and exciting ways. And, for us personally, to connect to family history in a powerful way.

Just the Facts, Ma’am

Take Me Along with You

This trip was a true family adventure. Not only were we lucky enough to have our three grown daughters along with us but we also had the privilege of traveling with my mother-in-law, Linda on a tour of her ancestral homeland. With personal connections to Vienna, Klagenfurt and St. Margarthen in Austria and family roots in the Czech Republic, this was, at its heart, a true heritage trip. Being able to see where Linda’s mother was born, the Summer Palace where her grandmother worked while a young mother waiting to go America and to chance to meet some of the family there added to the special feeling of the trip. But it was a spectacular trip, regardless, and one I would highly recommend to anyone.

Vienna, Austria

Our two week trip started in Vienna, steeped in culture and architecture from the Hapsburg Dynasty. Littered with palaces, cafes, cathedrals and museums, Vienna is, in one word, grand. We stayed in a lovely apartment in the 3rd District which allowed us to easily walk or take public transport ( Wiener Linien) anywhere we wanted to go. While we barely scratched the surface on what Vienna has to offer in the 3 days we were there, we did get to visit the elaborate Summer Palace (Schönbrunn) where Linda’s grandmother worked as part of the staff during Franz Joseph’s reign, the iconic cathedral, St. Stephens, in the city center and the magnificent Kunsthistorisches Museum where the architecture is as impressive as the exhibits.

Of course we also made sure to enjoy the wonderful cafe culture at a few different cafes including Café Central. Café Central, established in 1876, served as a second home for Vienna’s poets and intellectuals with famous frequent visitors including Sigmund Freud, Leon Trotsky and Vladimir Lenin. Plus it served mouth watering pastries!

Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Austria

From Vienna, we rented a car to explore the Carinthia region in Southern Austria, to visit with relatives and see the ancestral hometown. Because this is an area that is popular with tourists outside Austria, it was not as easy to find information about the city of Klagenfurt ahead of time. So we were very happy and surprised to discover the city charming with beautiful countryside surrounding it. The city itself contained a quaint historic old town to explore, complete with a dragon statue in the center commemorating the brave men that had slain the abominable “Lindwurm”, a winged dragon in the moors adjoining the lake.

One of our favorite days of this trip was when we were based in Klagenfurt and ventured into nearby Slovenia to one of my top bucket list sites, Lake Bled. From the startling blue/green waters to the ancient castle on top of a hill to the church on a little island, Bled really was the fairytale setting it appeared to be in all those Instagram pictures. And the hour drive through the mountains to get there was one of the most visually stunning I have ever been on. We finished the day by visiting St. Margareten im Rosental, Austria and fell instantly in love with the serene, bucolic birthplace of my husband’s grandmother. Seeing the alpine mountains that provided the perfect backdrop to farms on rolling hills, there was no doubt why Linda’s mom always visited “home” when she could and talked so glowing about “the mountains”.

Salzburg, Austria

In Salzburg, we went from our party of 4 to a party of 6 as our oldest two daughters joined us for the second part of the trip. Traveling with 6 makes accommodations a little trickier but also broadened our experience by allowing us to look outside the obvious lodging choices. We stayed in a fantastic 3 bedroom apartment at Villa Karin in a small town called Adnet in the Austrian countryside about 20 minutes from Salzburg. Getting away from the hustle and bustle of busy Salzburg at night and waking up to the sun rising over a lovely church with cows all around and majestic mountains in the background was worth the slightly added travel time.

A delightful, if touristy, city, Salzburg was filled with Mozart and The Sound of Music and live concerts everywhere. After a long day of sightseeing in castles, dancing through gardens and hiking up hills, we happened upon a music rehearsal in Salzburg Cathedral and were treated to a lovely unexpected concert that filled the soul and made us keenly aware of why so many people loved this city.

One of the most treasured days of our trip was a visit to Berchtesgaden National Park in Bavaria, Germany, recommended by our host Karin. We cruised on a small ferry on Lake Königssee which allowed you to disembark at two locations. St. Bartholomew where we admired the scenery and its Baroque chapel, had lunch in a classic Biergarten and hiked up to an alpine wonderland. And Salet where a short walk took us to Lake Obersee nestled in a canyon. There we were tempted to sit in quiet contemplation for hours until we realized that the last boat of the day was coming soon.

Český Krumlov, Czech Republic

Having been incredibly lucky with weather up to this point, our luck broke and we encountered a bit of rain at our next stop, Český Krumlov. But it did not dampen the charm of this UNESCO world heritage city. Since this is a day trip for most tourists, getting to explore it on a slightly wet evening allowed us a more leisurely pace walking through the cobbled streets, admiring the old town square and Baroque and Renaissance architecture all around the small city.

Because we were staying right in town at The Orangerie, we got to beat the crowd to the Český Krumlov Castle the next day. Dodging much larger raindrops that day, we visited the 14th century castle ducking inside to see Chapel of St. George and Masquerade Hall just as the skies opened up. After a quick dash into a nearby restaurant for lunch, we visited a quirky Marionettes museum before heading to our final destination.

Prague, Czech Republic

From one historic Czech city to another, we landed in Prague, a city of ancient castles, libraries, clocks and churches as well as good cheap beer. It is unfortunate that it is becoming increasingly visited only for the latter when its true value lies in the history that seems to come at you from every direction. In Prague you will find a monastic library whose collection was started in 12th century, an astronomical clock located in the town center that was installed in 1410 and a castle overlooking the city founded in 880. Of course, after a day of historical wandering, you can top it off with a cold brew at an outdoor beer garden.

In addition to the castles and churches, there are exuberant art deco buildings like the Municipal House which houses a lovely cafe. There is also the beautiful Petrin Park overlooking the city complete with its own miniature Eiffel Tower. The Jewish Ghetto is also well worth a visit to see a moving memorial to seven centuries of oppression. There are so many things to see in Prague that it was a little hard to pull ourselves away for a day trip. But Karlštejn Castle, rumored to be the inspiration for the Castle at Disney’s Magic Kingdom was worth it.

At the end of each packed day, we got to relax on our terrace looking out over the Vltava River and watch the crowds gather on the 14th century Charles Bridge as the sunset in the background. Pure magic…

Maybe Next Time…

Although we did so much in two weeks, there were some places I wish I had time to see:

• Bratislava, the Capital of Slovakia: This city is less than an hour from Vienna, has a beautifully restored castle, is reputed to be charming, and less touristy than Vienna and Prague.
• Hallstatt, Austria: Adorable town nestled into the mountains on the banks of a sparkling lake; we were so close but couldn’t quite fit it in.
• Bohemian Switzerland National Park: This park looks amazing and a possible day trip from Prague although it would be a long day trip.

Wish I Had Known…

• There is more than one St. Margareten in Austria: There are in fact 3. Luckily we caught this error fairly early on but not before making plans that had to be quickly changed
• Small airports sometimes close completely: After struggling for weeks trying to figure out why there were no flights in May going to Salzburg, I found out the airport was closed for runway repairs. Quick scramble to get tickets for our oldest two daughters to nearby Munich instead.
• Parking rules in Old Towns can be tricky: Had issues in both Klagenfurt and Prague where we were slightly confused about what the parking rules were. Historic Old Towns tend to have very strict rules about where to park and getting info on these can be tricky. Relying on our airbnb hosts for information was not the best solution.

Armchair Exploration

To make the most of your trip by exploring ahead of time, I would recommend these resources for help understanding the culture and history in Austria and the Czech Republic. Have any recommended resources? Please comment and share them!

For European destinations, one of the best resources I’ve found for learning the culture and history from a local is Rick Steves Audio Europe App. It’s free and you can download it for iPhones, iPads and Android. Most notable among the many offerings for Czech Republic and Austria were the following.

• American Nobleman in Prague: An interview with William Lobkowicz, an American who inherited his families titles and palaces when the communists fell. Really fascinating family history which sparked my interest in visiting the Lobkowicz Palace at the Prague Castle.
• Czech Republic: Honza Vihan, a native of Prague offers advice on visiting Prague and the Czech capital city’s rich history. Great first hand account of the fall of communism in the Czech Republic.
• Vienna: Hapsburg Capital: Interview with hometown tour guide Ursula Klaus on cafe culture and the Hapsburg history.

Other valuable resources:
Note: I did not get to read through all of these due to a lack of time before this trip but wish I had! Books mentioned are linked to IndieBound through affiliate links. Purchases made through these links help independent bookstores and provide us with a little commission to help run our site.

• Lonely Planet Austria (Travel Book)
• DK Eyewitness Prague (Travel Book)
• Prague Spring, Simon Mawer (Fiction): “Mawer brilliantly captures the differing shades of naïveté and world weariness that characterize the Czech response to the possibility of greater freedom…[a] smart and touching look at the folly and sweetness of the young.” —Booklist
• Prague Winter, Madeleine Albright (Non-Fiction) Drawing on her own memory, her parents’ written reflections, interviews with contemporaries, and newly-available documents, former US Secretary of State and New York Times bestselling author Madeleine Albright recounts a tale that is by turns harrowing and inspiring.
• The Age of Insight, Eric R. Kandel (Non-Fiction): The Age of Insight takes us to Vienna 1900, where leaders in science, medicine, and art began a revolution that changed forever how we think about the human mind—our conscious and unconscious thoughts and emotions—and how mind and brain relate to art.

Tell Me More, Tell Me More

Really? After all that? Well, actually, I’ve got lots more…just need the time to write it. Check back for detail posts on each stop. Links will appear below when new detail posts are written.

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