A-Z Top 2 Countries|| Austria & Australia


Welcome to my brand new series for 2016. 'A-Z Top 2 Countries' every other Monday I will bringing you a small travel guide of 2 countries beginning with a different letter of the Alphabet. Today I am starting at the top with 2 amazing but VERY different countries beginning with A. I hope you will find my post very informative. I would love to know what country out of the 2 you would love to visit and why.

So lets start first off with Austria. 



Best Time to Go...

If you are someone like me who loves exploring cities the best time to visit Austria is without a doubt in the winter. I would say the best month to go is beginning of January this is when most people head to Austria's ski resorts as the snow is still fresh and plenty of it which is vital for good skiing conditions.

The general consensus is that Austria is a typically cold country, whilst technically this is true the country actually has 3 quite different climatic regions all with varying weather for example...

In the East of the region you can expect low precipitation, hot summers and moderately cold winters. 

In the Alpine region you will receive very high levels of precipitation, very short summers and long winters- perfect weather for skiing. 

And finally the rest of the country has a transient climate which is influenced by the Atlantic climate (in the west). 



Typical temperatures in the Winter average at 32 degree Fahrenheit (0 degrees C)  but have been known to reach a very cold -4 degrees Fahrenheit (-20 degrees C).

In the summer temperatures have risen to 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees C) with an average of 68 degrees Fahrenheit. (20 degrees C) so if you are thinking of spending your summer here you should feel some warmth at least if you are coming between April to October. 

Photo Credit: Summitpost


Where to stay...


-The Ritz-Carlton,Vienna- 

Photo Credit: rivercruiseadvisor

This amazing 5 star hotel which is located in 4 historic palaces on the Ringstraße Boulevard. One of best things about this hotel is that it offers great panoramic views of the entire city. 

The hotel itself offers a variety of different spacious rooms from deluxe double rooms to club suites with access to a private bar. All hotel rooms come with flat screen satellite Tv's, Mini Bar and an Ipod docking station. All rooms are air conditioned and have baths in the bathroom as well as complimentary shower gel and shampoo. 

Photo Credit: Trip Advisor

Photo Credit: Trip Advisor

Photo Credit: Ritzcarlton

The hotel is in a great central location to some of Vienna's major sights. St. Stephen's Cathedral and the Hofburg Palace can be reached within 10 minutes on foot. The hotel is also conveniently located near The Schwarzenbergplatz Tram Stop (2oo yards) and the Stadtpark Underground Station is 3 minutes away as well. 

Price's start from £270 per night for a deluxe room.



Things to see and do...

-Skiing- 

This of course has to be number 1 on the list. Austria is one of the most popular destinations for this winter sport and has loads of great resorts to suit all budgets and to cater for all needs. You can find a complete list of amazing top 10 resorts here.

#1 Ski Lech


Photo Credit: Inghams
Lech resort is said to be one of the most glamorous out of them all! (It was even featured on Bridget Jones 2: The Edge of Reason film) this lovely little village offers lots of upmarket hotels which attract the rich and famous or those with a considerable amount of income.  

Key Facts: 
Resort accommodation is made up of self catered 5* luxury Chalets, 5 5* Hotels and over 40 4* Hotels. Accommodation in Lech is some of the best in Austria making this resort one of the most fashionable in the entire country. 

Click here for a list of some of the best to stay in. 


Photo Credit: fernsicht-lech
Photo Credit: movemountainstravel


Photo Credit: Booking.com

Lech is a good resort if you are looking for a lively Apri-ski scene. It also has an excellent snow record and is accessible by bus to other resorts/slopes including St Anton and Stuben. 

There are over 50 restaurants in the resort the majority of these in hotels. If you are looking for an actual restaurant then you should head to the foot of the slopes to a big spacious wooden building called  Skihütte Schneggarei    called they sell almost anything you fancy their main speciality is authentic Austrian dishes. 

Or if you are looking for a nice Italian meal then you should definitely try Don Enzo Due restaurant which is a family run Italian Pizzeria, they sell anything from stone oven baked pizzas to pastas and authentic and is one place not to be missed. 



Photo Credit: roughguides


-Vienna- 

You can't visit Austria and not take a trip into the capital city. There is so much to do in Vienna and just like any major city you will usually find lots of tourist attractions. Here are a couple of the most popular ones taken from Trip Advisor. 

#1 Ringstrasse Boulevard 


Photo Credit: beyondhorizon

This is considered one of the most famous streets in Vienna, it is where you can find lots of historic sites including...

Rathaus (Town Hall) and Rathauspark 


Photo Credit: ismh
Austrian Parliament


Photo Credit: Flickr


The Burgtheater (most famous German Theatre in the world) 


Photo Credit: Wikipedia Images


University of Vienna (3rd oldest in central Europe)


Photo Credit: topcollegesblog

Votivkirche (Votive Church) 


Photo Credit: skyscrapercity


The Boerse, Stock Exchange Building 


Photo Credit: doctorhomeair
So there we have just a few landmarks which you can visit if you are in the area of the Ringstrasse Boulevard. 

Some other notable landmarks you might want to visit if you are in the city The City park, The Opera House, The Museum Quarter, Burggarten and Hofburg Palace all which are accessible by public transport. 


The City Park/ Central Park
Photo Credit: Trip Advisor
The Opera House
Photo Credit: Viennaconcerts


The Museum Quarter
Photo Credit: Viennalife Wordpress


Burggarten
Photo Credit: Trip Advisor


Hofburg Palace
Photo Credit: All Free Photos

Eating Out..

Restaurant Steirereck
£££- High
Location: Stadtpark


Photo Credit: theworlds50best

Located on the banks of the river Wein in Vienna Central Park, this charming and strikingly beautiful restaurant is the only in Vienna to have two Michelin stars. It was also voted number 15 Best Restaurant out of 50 in the world in 2015. (Read here for more on that)  and has remained on that list for 7 years prior.

 The restaurant is run by head chef Heinz Reltbauer  and his style of cooking is eccentric and unusual to say the least, and has been described as 'cutting- edge cooking'. Take one dish for example his 'Char cooked in beeswax with yellow carrot, pollen and sour cream'  this is definitely not your average dish, but one which is very popular amongst diners who are eager to try his exotic concoctions. The only question is are you brave enough to try?-Make sure you book your reservation before you arrive as this place fills up quickly.

Opening Times:
Mon-Fri 11:30am-3:00pm
Evenings from 6:30pm  


Photo Credit: pickyglutton.com



Make sure you come back next Monday for part two of my A-Z guide this time we will be visiting Australia..

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