Featured - Wiener Wanderland

S-Bahn Wanderings – Absdorf.

Jessica Bannister-PearceAugust 4, 202102.6K views

Summer is the perfect time to get out and get some wandering done. The sun is out and I fancied taking a trip. Now living in Austria you’re never short of a destination or two. Salzburg, Innsbruck, Linz and Graz are all fantastic destinations, but you can miss so much of Austria heading to these tourist destinations. I came up with an idea that was going to mean I’d avoid the tourist traps and instead experience the countryside for myself. Yes, I’d be hitting up the S-Bahn and heading to Absdorf.

Hiking in the city. Vienna’s Stadtwanderweg 1

Jessica Bannister-PearceJune 15, 202106.5K views

Austria is a country that could be defined by hiking. With the mighty Alps offering the chance to get out into nature, and dare I say, Get away from it all, Hiking is very much part of the national psyche. This is great for the people of Salzburg, Stieremark and the Tirol, where finding a mountain to climb is simple. For those who live in the Austrian Capital, things can seem a little more tricky. Vienna sits out on the marches that lead to Slovakia and the Czech Republic. These flatlands differ wildly from the mountainous peaks seen further west. That doesn’t mean there isn’t an opportunity to get out into nature, and even find the odd place to climb. The City of Vienna has a plan, and it’s called the Stadtwanderweg.

Grinzing to Cobenzl – Escape to the Wienerwald.

Jessica Bannister-PearceJune 8, 202103.7K views

For our first wander post Lockdown, I’m heading out to the north of the city, into the 19th district, Döbling, to the largest suburb, Grinzing. Grinzing is just the starting point of today’s wander, and also the endpoint. The middle is going to be challenging but in the best way possible. So let’s dive in.

Uppsala. Sweden’s Beautiful University City.

Jessica Bannister-PearceApril 20, 202103.5K views

Sweden is my ‘Goto’ destination when I want to unwind, relax, and recharge. I’ve been there many times, the last of which was back in Autumn 2018. While Stockholm does have its charms, good coffee, and the royal family who live in the city, it’s Uppsala that calls to me on almost every visit. A University city, Uppsala is a great place to relax, even on a cool autumn day.

Lindau – Mountains, Shorelines and History

Jessica Bannister-PearceApril 6, 202103K views

Lindau is beautiful. I know that summing up in the very first sentence isn’t the way these kinds of articles are supposed to go. The fact remains though that Lindau is beautiful. I found myself spending the weekend there a few years ago for work. I didn’t pick Lindau because of its beauty. I picked it because it was cheaper than staying in Friedrichshafen where I was to work, and it was also cheaper than the Austrian City Of Bregenz, just a few miles away. I had no expectations, just that it would make a nice base to head to Friedrichshafen the following morning. So on a Friday afternoon, after a long trip from Wien on a Railjet, and a change at Bregenz, I arrived on the tiny island.

Graz. The modern old Alpine city.

Jessica Bannister-PearceMarch 9, 202102.9K views

My morning begins early, horribly early. I’m catching the 07.58 train from Wien to Graz. While it’s early, the ticket price was a steal, just €9 each way. The downside to these deal is usually an early or a late departure. My train today is the EC150, a Eurocity service that’s operated by Slovenian railways, and will run on from Graz to Ljubljana. For me its a 2 hour 30 journey through the Alps. I board and settle into a nice single seat, which is very comfortable. departing on time, my journey will take in Wien Meidling, Wiener Neustadt then into the alps, stopping at Semmering, Mürzzuschlag, Kapfenberg, Bruck/Mur and on to Graz. It’s slow going once we leave Wiener Neustadt as the track bends and climbs high up into the mountains. Here speeds drop, even for the Railjets that operate the same route. In a few years, ÖBB will have finished a huge new tunnel system that will cut the journey time by 30 minutes. Today though, in the early morning light, I’m treated to beautiful views and snow-covered mountains.

Ljubljana – Europe’s greenest city.

Jessica Bannister-PearceMay 11, 201802.8K views

Having itchy feet is a terrible thing. Despite copious amounts of wandering around Austria, sometimes wanderlust can become all-consuming. In truth, I need a vacation. After moving from the UK to Vienna nearly two years ago, neither of us (I include my better half Lynda in this) have had a holiday together since May 2016, when we spent her 40th birthday with friends in Sweden. So we are in desperate need of a change of scenery. Just a little getaway for the weekend. So shall it be done? May in Austria is a confusing time as all sorts of bank holidays and days off can crop up. This year has brought with it a bumper crop, thanks to an early Easter. The weekend of the 12th of May has Thursday and Friday off, just in time for Lynda’s birthday. So armed with time off and the OEBB app, let’s see where we can go. As it happens, there was a special on over the Christmas break and we’ve bagged two return tickets to the capital of Slovenia, Ljubljana. Total price for us both, €36! That’s just €9 there and €9 back each. Bargain. Sure it takes just over 6 hours by train, but it a trip through some of the most beautiful countryside in the world. So let’s get going.

Brno. The Czech Republics’ quiet city.

Jessica Bannister-PearceApril 23, 201802.5K views

With the arrival of spring, I decided to strike out and hit the rails running. Christmas brought a present in the form of new train service to Prague and Brno. Regiojet is the Czech Republics number one budget rail and bus provider, offering cheap fares to all parts. Their arrival in Vienna offers direct competition to the Czech’s main rail provider on the route. RegioJet’s prices are incredibly competitive, offering free coffee, water, magazines, wifi and a full in-seat entertainment system. Best of all, it now stops at Simmering, saving me a trip into Hauptbahnhof. Prague is still 4 hours away and way beyond a day’s wandering. Brno however is barely an hour and a half’s journey time. Why not?

Melk. The Wachau valley’s most stunning town.

Jessica Bannister-PearceSeptember 28, 201702.7K views

For this wander, I’m taking to the rails once more and heading west to the Medieval town of Melk. Melk is one of those ‘must see’ areas. Situated on the Danube, Melk’s main reason to visit is the imposing Abbey that sits above the town.

Two Hours in Wieselburg

Jessica Bannister-PearceSeptember 6, 201702.4K views

I like surprises, and today I unexpectedly find myself some 60km from Wien, on a whistlestop tour of Wieselburg. I’m here for just two short hours, so I’ve got a lot to…