Eastern Austria: Places to Explore

The small village of Bernstein is one of the very few sources of Edelserpentin, a dark green serpentine stone also known as Bernstein jade.... Read more

Bruck an der Mur is known primarily as Styria's major traffic junction, a point where four valleys and two rivers converge and where several highways and main rail lines come together. Although most of... Read more

Burgenland's provincial capital, Eisenstadt, is a really small town. Nevertheless it has an illustrious history and enough sights to keep you busy for a half, if not quite a full, day. Although the town... Read more

Austria's second-largest city, Graz is graceful, welcoming, and very untouristed. Instead of visitors, it's the large university population who keep the sidewalk cafés, trendy bars, and chic restaurants... Read more

An excursion to Mariazell—famed for its pilgrimage church and gingerbread—is an adventure, thanks to the winding road that brings you to this Alpine region of northern Styria. The town has been... Read more

Mörbisch is the last lakeside village before the Hungarian border. Considered by many to be the most attractive settlement on the lake, the town is famous for its low, whitewashed, Magyar-style houses... Read more

The resort town of Mürzzuschlag is popular with the Viennese for both winter and summer sports. From Bruck an der Mur, head northeast on S6, past the industrial town of Kapfenberg, and take the exit... Read more

Neusiedl am See, at the north end of the lake for which it is named, is a pleasant resort town with good facilities. Direct hourly commuter trains from Vienna have made it very popular, so you won't be... Read more

The village of Podersdorf, on the eastern shore of Neusiedler Lake, marks the beginning of the unusual Hungarian puszta, the great flat steppe dotted with occasional windmills and wells with their long... Read more

People flock to the quiet mountain resort of Puchberg am Schneeberg mostly to ride to the top of the Schneeberg mountain, Lower Austria's highest peak. From Vienna, the railroads have a package ticket... Read more

Purbach, like the nearby wine villages of Breitenbrunn and Donnerskirchen, retains traces of its medieval fortifications. Look for the bust of a Turk atop a chimney in the town center; legend has it that... Read more

Picturesque Rust is easily the most popular village on the lake for the colorful pastel facades of its houses and for lake sports. Tourists flock here in summer to see the sight of storks nesting atop the... Read more

Climbing along Route 306, high atop the Semmering Pass, at a height of 3,230 feet, lies the boundary between the provinces of Styria and Lower Austria. A bridle path has existed on this mountainous route... Read more