9 Days in Italy and Austria: Lake Como, Venice, Salzburg and,
Vienna.
Lake Como, Italy · Venice, Italy · Salzburg, Austria · Vienna, Austria
lakes, scenic trains, imperial cities, family friendly, alpine views, coffee houses, classical music, food
Itinerary
9 chaptersArrival on Lake Como
Varenna, Lake Como
Cloudy
Welcome to Italy. There is no need to rush today: once you have cleared the airport, the shuttle bus and the little lakeside railway do all the work, delivering you to Varenna in time for the golden hour. Settle in, then wander down to the water for a gentle evening and your first dinner beside Lake Como.
- 0116:30 · 90m
Varenna
Follow the Passeggiata degli Innamorati, the waterside Walk of Lovers, in the evening light, and allow time to get pleasantly lost in the steep little lanes above it.About this place↗ Open in MapsVarenna is a small pastel village stacked above the eastern shore of Lake Como, all steep lanes, lakeside promenades and quiet harbours.
HistoryA fishing settlement with Roman roots, Varenna grew from the Middle Ages onwards and long kept a rivalry with neighbouring Bellano. Grand lakeside villas such as Villa Monastero and Villa Cipressi later gave it their celebrated terraced gardens.Why it's famousIt is one of Lake Como's most photographed villages, loved for being calmer and more intimate than Bellagio across the water, with its colourful houses tumbling down to the shore.Did you knowThe romantic lakeside path linking the ferry dock to the old centre is officially called the Passeggiata degli Innamorati, the Walk of Lovers. - 0219:30 · 90m
Vecchia Varenna
Book a table on the waterside terrace ahead in season, and ask for a spot right over the lake to get the best of the setting.About this place↗ Open in MapsVecchia Varenna is a well-regarded restaurant tucked into an old stone building right on the water in the heart of the village.
HistoryIt occupies one of Varenna's historic lakeside houses along the narrow lane that threads the old harbour, where the stone walls rise straight from the water.Why it's famousIt is one of the village's best-loved places for classic Lake Como cooking, prized above all for tables that sit almost on the water.Did you knowThe dining room and terrace are built out over the lake itself, so the water laps against the stonework just below your table.
Bellagio, then east to Venice
Bellagio and onward to Venice
Drizzle
Make the most of the morning quiet: a short ferry hops you across to Bellagio before the day-trippers land. After a wander and an early lunch it is back to the train for the ride to Venice, so keep your bags light and your camera ready for that first glimpse of the city rising from the lagoon.
- 0109:30 · 150m
Bellagio
Catch an early ferry from Varenna, roughly fifteen minutes across the water, and climb the stepped alleys before the midday crowds arrive.About this place↗ Open in MapsBellagio is an elegant lakeside town at the very tip of the promontory where Lake Como splits into its two southern arms.
HistorySettled since Roman times, when Pliny the Younger is said to have kept a villa here, Bellagio later flourished as a retreat for aristocratic families whose gardens at Villa Melzi and Villa Serbelloni still shape the town.Why it's famousLong nicknamed the pearl of the lake, it is famed for its cobbled stepped streets, lakeside gardens and the panorama from the point where the three branches of Como meet.Did you knowThe Bellagio resort and casino in Las Vegas took both its name and its lake theme from this little Italian town. - 0218:30 · 45m
Grand Canal Vaporetto Line 1
Buy a single or a day ticket, board at Piazzale Roma or the railway station, and if you can, grab an open seat at the stern for uninterrupted views.About this place↗ Open in MapsLine 1 is the classic vaporetto, the public waterbus that threads the full length of the Grand Canal, stopping almost everywhere along the way.
HistorySteam vaporetti first appeared on Venice's waterways in 1881, gradually replacing the traditional rowed boats; today the network is run by the city transport operator ACTV.Why it's famousIt offers the cheapest and most romantic first look at Venice, gliding past palazzi, markets and churches that can only be seen properly from the water.Did you knowFor all its length, the Grand Canal is crossed by just four bridges: the Rialto, the Accademia, the Scalzi and the modern Calatrava. - 0320:00 · 75m
Cantine del Vino gia Schiavi
There are no tables, so join the locals standing at the counter with an ombra of wine and a few cicchetti; it closes in the evening, so go early and bring some cash.About this place↗ Open in MapsCantine del Vino già Schiavi, known to regulars as Al Bottegon, is a historic family-run bacaro and wine shop in the Dorsoduro district.
HistoryThe bottle-lined shop has been in the same family for generations, serving the San Trovaso neighbourhood beside one of Venice's last working gondola boatyards.Why it's famousIt is celebrated across the city for its inventive cicchetti, small open sandwiches topped with everything from creamed cod to unexpected sweet-and-savoury combinations.Did you knowIt sits directly across a narrow canal from the Squero di San Trovaso, a centuries-old workshop where gondolas are still built and repaired by hand.
A full day in Venice
Venice
Rain
Beat the cruise crowds with an early start at St Mark's, while the mosaics are still catching the first light. Once the big sights are behind you, the day softens into markets, sunny promenades and unhurried wandering. Wear comfortable shoes: Venice is a city best measured in footsteps and little bridges.
- 0109:00 · 60m
St. Mark's Basilica
Arrive for opening to beat the cruise crowds, and note that large bags are not allowed inside; there is a nearby left-luggage point for them. Shoulders and knees should be covered.About this place↗ Open in MapsSt Mark's Basilica is the great cathedral of Venice, a dazzling example of Italo-Byzantine architecture on the Piazza San Marco.
HistoryThe first church on the site was built in 828 to house the relics of St Mark the Evangelist, reportedly smuggled out of Alexandria; the present basilica largely dates from the eleventh century.Why it's famousIts interior glows with more than eight thousand square metres of golden mosaics, which earned it the nickname the Church of Gold.Did you knowThe four bronze horses on the facade are copies; the originals, looted from Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade in 1204, are kept inside the basilica museum. - 0211:00 · 60m
Rialto Bridge
Come early or after dark to photograph it without the crush, and browse the neighbouring Rialto market, liveliest in the morning and closed on Sundays.About this place↗ Open in MapsThe Rialto Bridge is the oldest and most famous of the bridges spanning the Grand Canal, a single graceful stone arch lined with shops.
HistoryEarlier crossings here were wooden and one even collapsed under a crowd; the present stone bridge was completed in 1591 to a design by Antonio da Ponte.Why it's famousIt stands at the mercantile heart of Venice, beside the historic Rialto markets that have supplied the city with fish and produce for centuries.Did you knowAntonio da Ponte won the commission ahead of celebrated rivals, with proposals reputedly submitted by Michelangelo and Palladio among others. - 0315:00 · 120m
Zattere promenade, Dorsoduro
Time a stroll here for the late-afternoon sun, and stop at a waterside gelateria for the local gianduiotto, a scoop of chocolate-hazelnut gelato drowned in cream.About this place↗ Open in MapsThe Zattere is a long, sunny quayside promenade running along the Giudecca Canal on the southern edge of the Dorsoduro district.
HistoryIts name comes from the timber rafts, zattere, that were once floated in and unloaded along this waterfront; the neighbourhood behind it grew into Venice's university quarter.Why it's famousIt is a favourite local promenade, prized for open water views, unhurried cafes and a sense of everyday Venetian life away from the tourist crush.Did you knowThe Gelateria Nico on the Zattere is credited with popularising the gianduiotto, a block of chocolate-hazelnut gelato served floating in whipped cream. - 0420:00 · 90m
Trattoria alla Madonna
This big, busy classic near the Rialto does not take bookings and fills fast, so arrive early and come hungry for the fritto misto and squid-ink pasta.About this place↗ Open in MapsTrattoria alla Madonna is a long-standing Venetian restaurant just off the Rialto, known for traditional seafood cooking.
HistoryOpened in 1954, it has served generations of Venetians and visitors from its warren of wood-panelled dining rooms near the Grand Canal.Why it's famousIt is a benchmark for classic lagoon dishes such as fritto misto, sarde in saor and squid-ink pasta, served briskly and without fuss.Did you knowThe trattoria has kept its old-school Venetian menu and bustling, no-nonsense character largely unchanged for decades.
The Brenner scenic train to Salzburg
Salzburg, via the Brenner Pass
Rain
Today the journey is the destination. Pack a picnic and settle in as the train leaves the Italian plain behind and begins its long climb into the mountains. Sit on the right after Verona for the best of the peaks, and by evening you will step out into Salzburg, ready for dinner in the old town.
- 0120:00 · 90m
St. Peter Stiftskulinarium
Book ahead, especially if you want the atmospheric vaulted rooms or a courtyard table against the abbey walls; smart-casual dress suits the setting.About this place↗ Open in MapsSt Peter Stiftskulinarium, long known as the Stiftskeller, is a historic restaurant set within the walls of St Peter's Abbey in Salzburg's old town.
HistoryIt stands inside a Benedictine abbey founded in 696, and a written mention of the inn survives from 803 in the records of Alcuin, a scholar at the court of Charlemagne.Why it's famousThat early reference is why it is often described as the oldest restaurant in Central Europe, serving guests against a backdrop of rock face and abbey buildings.Did you knowIts rooms are carved partly into the cliff of the Mönchsberg, and it hosts a long-running Mozart Dinner Concert that pairs period music with a historic menu.
Salzburg old town
Salzburg
Rain
Salzburg is made for walking, and today you can see the best of it on foot. Ride the funicular up to the fortress first, while the morning views over the rooftops and mountains are at their clearest, then wander down through the lanes at your own pace. Save some appetite for a monastery beer garden this evening.
- 0109:30 · 120m
Hohensalzburg Fortress
Take the funicular up first thing to beat the queues and catch the clearest mountain views; a combined ticket covering the ride and the fortress interiors is the best value.About this place↗ Open in MapsHohensalzburg is a vast medieval fortress crowning the Festungsberg hill directly above Salzburg's old town.
HistoryBegun in 1077 by Archbishop Gebhard and enlarged over the following centuries, it served the prince-archbishops of Salzburg as both stronghold and residence.Why it's famousIt is one of the largest and best-preserved medieval castles in Europe, offering commanding views over the city and the surrounding Alps.Did you knowThe fortress is served by the Reisszug, a private cargo funicular first documented around 1500 and reckoned among the oldest railways still in operation anywhere. - 0212:00 · 90m
Getreidegasse and Mozart's Birthplace
Look up as you walk: the wrought-iron guild signs are the real spectacle. Mozart's Birthplace at number 9 gets very busy, so go early or late in the day.About this place↗ Open in MapsGetreidegasse is the old town's most famous shopping lane, and at number 9 stands the yellow house where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born.
HistoryMozart was born here on 27 January 1756, and the family lived on the third floor for some twenty-six years; the building is now a museum of his early life.Why it's famousThe narrow street is renowned for its ornate wrought-iron guild signs, once used to advertise shops to a largely illiterate public.Did you knowThe tradition is taken so seriously that even the McDonald's on Getreidegasse trades under a discreet wrought-iron sign in keeping with the street. - 0315:00 · 75m
Mirabell Palace Gardens
The gardens are free and open daily; find the Pegasus fountain and the grand steps used in the Sound of Music, and give the children room to run on the lawns.About this place↗ Open in MapsThe Mirabell Palace Gardens are ornate baroque gardens laid out beside Schloss Mirabell, with fountains, statues and framed views of the fortress.
HistoryThe palace was built in 1606 by Prince-Archbishop Wolf Dietrich, and the gardens were redesigned around 1690 in the formal baroque style attributed to Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach.Why it's famousThey are among the most photographed gardens in Austria and feature in the Sound of Music, where the Do-Re-Mi sequence was filmed around the fountain and steps.Did you knowWolf Dietrich originally built the palace for Salome Alt, his companion and the mother of his many children, and first named it Altenau. - 0418:30 · 90m
Augustiner Braustubl
This is a self-service tradition: collect a stone stein, rinse it at the fountain, have it filled from the barrel, then pick up food from the deli stalls inside. Cash is handy.About this place↗ Open in MapsThe Augustiner Bräustübl is a huge monastery brewery and beer garden in the Mülln district, just north of the old town.
HistoryBrewing here dates back to 1621 under the Augustinian order, and the sprawling halls and chestnut-shaded garden have served beer straight from wooden barrels ever since.Why it's famousIt is one of the largest beer gardens in Austria, famed for its cheerful, family-friendly atmosphere and beer poured fresh from the cask.Did you knowThere is no waiter service for the beer: you choose your own stone mug, rinse it under the fountain and hand it over to be filled from the barrel.
A Salzkammergut lake, then Vienna
Wolfgangsee and onward to Vienna
Cloudy
Start with the postcard: in October the mist hangs over the Wolfgangsee and the little village of St Gilgen at its best. Enjoy a slow lakeside morning, then swap the mountains for the capital as the afternoon train carries you east. You will reach Vienna in the evening, just in time for a first look at its grand boulevard lit up for the night.
- 0109:30 · 150m
St. Gilgen, Wolfgangsee
It is about fifty minutes by bus from Salzburg; ride the Zwölferhorn cable car for the lake panorama, or simply stroll the shore and hire a rowing boat.About this place↗ Open in MapsSt Gilgen is a pretty village on the western shore of the Wolfgangsee, one of the classic lakes of the Salzkammergut region.
HistoryA long-established market village, it sits amid the lakes and peaks that the Habsburgs and Viennese society made a fashionable summer retreat in the nineteenth century.Why it's famousIt offers the same alpine-lake scenery as busier Hallstatt but with fewer crowds, and is closer and easier to reach from Salzburg.Did you knowMozart's mother, Anna Maria, was born in St Gilgen, and his sister Nannerl later lived in the very same house after marrying the local magistrate. - 0219:30 · 60m
Vienna Ringstrasse
An evening stroll shows it at its best, when the Rathaus, Parliament and Opera are floodlit; the number 1 and 71 trams trace much of the circuit if you would rather ride.About this place↗ Open in MapsThe Ringstrasse is Vienna's grand circular boulevard, looping around the historic centre past a parade of monumental public buildings.
HistoryIt was laid out from 1857 after Emperor Franz Joseph ordered the medieval city walls demolished, and the showpiece boulevard opened in 1865.Why it's famousIt is lined with some of Vienna's greatest landmarks, among them the neo-Gothic Rathaus, the Parliament, the State Opera and the Burgtheater.Did you knowThe whole boulevard follows the line of the old fortifications and their open glacis, the cleared field of fire that once ringed the city.
Vienna: the imperial day
Vienna
Rain
This is Vienna at its most imperial. Book a timed slot for Schönbrunn and arrive early to enjoy the gardens before the crowds thicken. Break the afternoon with coffee and cake in a vaulted coffee house, a Viennese ritual worth slowing down for, before the Klimts at the Belvedere.
- 0109:30 · 180m
Schonbrunn Palace and Gardens
Book a timed entry in advance and go early. Beyond the state rooms, leave time for the free gardens, the maze and the walk up to the Gloriette for the view back over the city.About this place↗ Open in MapsSchönbrunn is the vast former summer palace of the Habsburgs, set in formal baroque gardens on the western edge of Vienna.
HistoryRebuilt as an imperial summer residence in the eighteenth century, it reached its celebrated form under Empress Maria Theresa and remained central to Habsburg court life until 1918.Why it's famousWith some 1,441 rooms, sweeping gardens, a maze and the hilltop Gloriette, it is Austria's most visited sight and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Did you knowThe palace grounds are home to Tiergarten Schönbrunn, founded in 1752 and recognised as the oldest zoo in the world still in operation. - 0214:00 · 90m
Belvedere Palace
The main draw is Klimt's The Kiss in the Upper Belvedere, so book ahead; if you have had your fill of galleries, the baroque gardens linking the two palaces are free.About this place↗ Open in MapsThe Belvedere is a pair of baroque palaces set in terraced gardens, now home to one of Austria's great art collections.
HistoryIt was built in the early eighteenth century as a summer residence for Prince Eugene of Savoy, the celebrated general, to designs by Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt.Why it's famousThe Upper Belvedere holds the world's largest collection of paintings by Gustav Klimt, including his golden masterpiece The Kiss.Did you knowIn 1955 the Austrian State Treaty was signed at the Upper Belvedere, restoring the country's independence, and the signatories waved to crowds from its balcony. - 0316:30 · 60m
Cafe Central
Expect a queue at peak times: come mid-morning or late afternoon, order a melange and a slice of cake, and do not rush, as lingering is the whole point.About this place↗ Open in MapsCafé Central is one of Vienna's grandest historic coffee houses, set beneath soaring vaulted arches inside the Palais Ferstel.
HistoryOpened in 1876, it became a legendary meeting place for the city's writers, thinkers and revolutionaries in the decades around 1900.Why it's famousIts marble columns, vaulted ceilings and pastry counter make it the picture-book Viennese coffee house, and its guest list once read like a who's who of the age.Did you knowRegulars are said to have included Sigmund Freud and Leon Trotsky, while the poet Peter Altenberg used the cafe as his postal address and is now immortalised as a papier-mâché figure by the door.
Vienna: city and music
Vienna
Cloudy
Today swaps grand palaces for the rhythm of the city. Explore the Hofburg and the lanes around St Stephen's, graze your way through the Naschmarkt, then let the children loose at the Prater funfair. Round it off in the most Viennese way possible, with music: standing-room tickets at the State Opera cost only a few euros if you fancy it.
- 0109:30 · 120m
Hofburg Palace
The complex is huge, so pick your focus: the Sisi Museum and Imperial Apartments, the Treasury with the crown jewels, or the Spanish Riding School. The courtyards are free to wander.About this place↗ Open in MapsThe Hofburg is the sprawling former imperial palace at the heart of Vienna, built up by the Habsburgs over more than six centuries.
HistoryFrom a thirteenth-century castle it grew wing by wing into the winter residence and seat of the Habsburg emperors, and today part of it serves as the office of Austria's president.Why it's famousIt houses a remarkable cluster of sights, from the Imperial Treasury and the Sisi Museum to the Spanish Riding School and its Lipizzaner horses.Did you knowThe Imperial Treasury within the Hofburg guards the crown jewels of the Holy Roman Empire, including an imperial crown more than a thousand years old. - 0212:30 · 90m
Naschmarkt
Graze rather than commit: work along the stalls for a bite of everything, and note it is liveliest on Saturdays and closed on Sundays.About this place↗ Open in MapsThe Naschmarkt is Vienna's largest and best-known open-air market, a long ribbon of food stalls, delis and casual eateries near the city centre.
HistoryA market has traded on this spot since at least the eighteenth century, beginning with milk and farm produce before growing into today's cosmopolitan food bazaar.Why it's famousIt is the city's great grazing ground, packed with produce, spices, cheeses and dishes from around the world, from falafel to fresh oysters.Did you knowIt stretches for roughly a kilometre and a half along the covered course of the River Wien, which flows beneath the market. - 0315:00 · 120m
Prater and the Wiener Riesenrad
The Wurstelprater funfair is free to wander, with rides paid for individually; the giant wheel is the classic, so buy a ticket and time it for the view.About this place↗ Open in MapsThe Prater is a large public park on former imperial hunting grounds, home to the Wurstelprater funfair and its landmark giant Ferris wheel.
HistoryOnce a royal hunting ground, the Prater was opened to the public by Emperor Joseph II in 1766, and an amusement park grew up in one corner of it.Why it's famousIts Wiener Riesenrad, built in 1897, is one of the world's oldest surviving Ferris wheels and a defining silhouette on the Vienna skyline.Did you knowThe wheel's slow turn features in the classic 1949 film The Third Man, in the famous scene high above the fairground. - 0419:00 · 120m
Vienna State Opera
For a bargain, join the standing-room queue that forms before the show; tickets go on sale about eighty minutes ahead for a few euros, and slipping out early with a tired child is perfectly accepted.About this place↗ Open in MapsThe Vienna State Opera is one of the world's leading opera houses, a grand building on the Ringstrasse with a nightly programme through the season.
HistoryIt opened in 1869 with Mozart's Don Giovanni, was gutted by bombing in 1945 and reopened in 1955, becoming a symbol of the city's postwar revival.Why it's famousIt is renowned for the sheer breadth of its repertoire and its ties to giants of music such as Gustav Mahler, who once directed the house.Did you knowThe opera stages a different production on almost every night of its long season, and each spring the auditorium is transformed for the glittering Vienna Opera Ball.
Vienna: a flexible last day
Vienna
Cloudy
Your last day is yours to shape. If you would rather stay in town, the Kunsthistorisches Museum is a treasure house that keeps all ages busy; if you crave one more adventure, the Danube and the Wachau valley are an easy day trip away. Whatever you choose, end it with a proper Viennese schnitzel before heading for home.
- 0110:00 · 150m
Kunsthistorisches Museum
It is enormous, so pick a couple of highlights: the Bruegel room, the Egyptian hall and the cabinet of curiosities work well with children. The cafe under the great dome makes a fine break.About this place↗ Open in MapsThe Kunsthistorisches Museum, the Museum of Art History, is one of the world's foremost art museums, built to display the imperial Habsburg collections.
HistoryIt opened in 1891 in a grand purpose-built palace on the Ringstrasse, created to house the vast artworks and antiquities gathered by the Habsburgs over centuries.Why it's famousIts galleries range from Egyptian mummies and classical antiquities to old masters by Vermeer, Raphael, Titian and Velázquez.Did you knowIt holds the world's largest collection of paintings by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, roughly a third of the artist's surviving works, including the celebrated Hunters in the Snow. - 0219:30 · 90m
Figlmuller
Book ahead: the original Bäckerstraße branch is small and always busy. The famous schnitzel is huge, so one portion between two, with a side salad, is plenty.About this place↗ Open in MapsFiglmüller is a much-loved Viennese institution near St Stephen's Cathedral, known above all for its enormous schnitzel.
HistoryThe family opened its first premises on Bäckerstraße in 1905, and the restaurant has been serving its signature dish to Viennese diners and visitors ever since.Why it's famousIts schnitzel is pounded wafer-thin and fried until it spills well over the rim of the plate, a portion that has become a Vienna landmark in its own right.Did you knowThe house schnitzel is traditionally made with pork rather than veal, and is beaten out so wide that it comfortably overhangs a dinner plate.
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