Holidays in Vienna with AUSTRIAN AIRLINES

Meeting at the airport and flight to Vienna with AUSTRIAN. Arrival and tour of the beautiful capital of Austria, during which we will see the Danube Tower (one of the symbols of the city), the building of the Association of Friends of Music, where the famous New Year’s concert takes place, the famous Ping Avenue, where we will admire famous works of architecture such as the former Ministry of War, the Museum of Applied Arts, the Municipal Park, the famous Vienna State Opera, the Twin Museums, the Hofburg Winter Palace, the Franz Joseph Gate, the neoclassical Parliament with its richly decorated facade, the Neo-Gothic Town Hall, the Palatine Theatre, the University, the famous Naasmarkt Central Market, the Greek Quarter, the Gothic St. Stephen’s Cathedral, etc. Transfer and check-in at one of the hotels in ROOMZ VIENNA PRATER 4* sup. (www.roomz-hotels.com) or at the INTERCONTINENTAL VIENNA 5* ( www.intercontinental.com ). In the afternoon our acquaintance with the city continues. We will walk with our leader through the historic center of Vienna with its beautifully decorated shopping streets, famous cafes and restaurants, pass through the complex of winter palaces, stop in front of the imposing statue of Maria Theresa and arrive at the famous Christmas market in the square of the Town Hall with the many options for souvenirs, food and drink. Don’t forget to end your evening with a glass of Glühwein, the warm aromatic wine of Christmas. Overnight.

Free day to get to know the city even better, visit one of its world-famous museums or the large Prater amusement park with the world’s oldest Ferris wheel, or take a romantic ride in a fiaker – the famous horse-drawn carriage. During your stay in Vienna, do not miss to visit the famous cafes of the city, which evoke the Viennese culture, such as the traditional Café Sacher with its world-famous chocolate, the historic Cafe Central, a meeting place of the Viennese intelligentsia from the first years of the 20th century, as well as the Café Mozart with its fragrant coffee, located in the same place since 1794. Overnight.

For today’s free day, we recommend a full-day excursion (individual expenses) to Mozart’s birthplace, Salzburg, which was the setting for the legendary film “The Melody of Happiness”. The name Salzburg means “Salt Castle” because, during the Roman era, its economic power was based on “white gold”, i.e. mineral salt. During our tour of this fairy-tale city of unique beauty and history, we will see the Mirabell Palace (exterior) with its amazingly landscaped gardens, while, after crossing the Salzach River by the Makartsteg Bridge, we reach Getreidegasse, the main shopping street of the superbly preserved Old Town (Altstadt) with its narrow streets, beautiful buildings, temples and the impressive Hohensalzburg Castle on top of the hill. Among elegant boutiques and shop windows with porcelain dolls, is the house where one of the most important composers of classical music, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), was born and which today is the eponymous Museum with interesting personal and family items. Return to Vienna, late afternoon. Overnight. (100 € per adult and 70 € per child / paid directly to the leader)

For today’s free day we suggest an excursion to one of the newest capitals of Europe, that of Slovakia. Bratislava, or ‘little Vienna’ as it is often called, is built on the banks of the Danube River, with the wet element adding another touch to its natural beauty. Our acquaintance with the city will start from its castle, which is located on a steep hill, from where we will admire the wonderful view towards the river and the old city. Then we will walk through its wonderfully preserved historic center with a multitude of baroque buildings and palaces, impressive examples of the Habsburg era. Among others we will see the Gothic Cathedral of St. Martin of the 15th century, the old Town Hall, the Archbishop’s Palace, but also the “UFO”, a strange building that looks like a space platform and adorns one of the city’s bridges in an original way . Return to Vienna. Overnight. (€70 per adult and €40 per child / paid directly to the leader)

Today, the much-sung Viennese Forests await us. Among other things, we will see the castle of the Liechtensteins, the well-known family that runs the principality between Austria and Switzerland, the monastery of the Holy Cross, the area of Mayerling, known from the tragic romance of the crown prince of the Austro-Hungarian empire Rudolf, only son of the emperor Francis Joseph I and Empress Sissy, with the 17-year-old Baroness Maria Vetsera. Our green route will take us to the historic spa town of Baden, known for its thermal springs and cosmopolitan air. Return to Vienna. Overnight.

Breakfast and departure to the airport where we will board our flight to Athens.