Excursion Program ~ Austria ~ Vienna ~ German Language School Activities ~ Learn German In Vienna

Salzburg - The City of Mozart
Wachau region (Krems and Dürnstein) - wine from the vineyards to the glass
Lake Neusiedl - bathing fun and boat trips on the Hungarian border
Graz - Vienna's "competitor" yesterday and today
Budapest - between East and West, from tradition to new departures
Prague - medieval city center and home of Kafka

Laxenburg - residence of the house of Habsburg
Klosterneuburg - baroque residence and modern art collection
Burg Kreuzenstein - reconstructed medieval castle
Beethovengang - Leopoldsberg - walk from the 19th district into Vienna's environs

A must for all visitors to Austria. Early in the morning students embark on a 3-hour train ride from Vienna Westbahnhof to Salzburg. The whole day is devoted to culture, shopping and sightseeing.

You follow in Mozart's footsteps by visiting his birthplace, stroll along the famous Getreidegasse - a delightful shopping street - and visit "Festung Hohensalzburg" castle. In between you can make yourself comfortable at an inn or café for lunch. The costs include rail travel (return journey), admission to the castle and Mozart's birthplace.

The Wachau is a section of the Danube valley north-west of Vienna. It captivates visitors with its scenic beauty - the winding Danube nestled in rolling chains of hills.

The Wachau, however, is not only famous for its scenery, but also for wine-growing - it is one of the finest wine regions in Austria. The picturesque little towns and villages in the region also make the Wachau a popular destination for many tourists. Accompanied by fully trained teacher, the students take a morning train and make their first stop in Melk - the gate to the Wachau. A tour of the famous baroque abbey with its magnificent library is followed by a walk around the medieval town of Dürnstein - you will be enchanted! Narrow, winding alleys, and a view over the Danube valley, crowned by Dürnstein castle - the famous ruin above the town in which Richard the Lionheart was held captive. Of course, it is possible to climb up the steep path to the ruin. After the strenuous march you can take a short break, maybe at a wine tavern ("Heuriger") for a typical Wachau wine, for example a glass of "Steinfeder". The 2-hour return journey follows the Danube, giving a final view of the Wachau. Costs include rail travel and admission to Melk abbey.

Europe's largest steppe lake set in a large national park captivates visitors with its great variety of water sports and its wonderful reed landscape. In the summer we take the train to Neusiedl am See.

From there we change to bicycles and ride along the banks of the lake to Podersdorf. If the weather is good we go to the bathing beach in Podersdorf where students can swim, surf or take a turn in a pedalo. Following a visit to a "Heuriger" (wine tavern), either pedal power or a boat takes us back to Neusiedl, from which students then return to Vienna. Costs include train, bike and admission to the bathing area.

The capital of Hungary, like Vienna, also located on the Danube, is certainly worth a visit. We depart from Vienna Ostbahnhof by train early in the morning. Once arrived in Budapest we stroll through the magnificent city center, which has strong similarities with Vienna. The Fishermen's Bastion, St. Stephen's Basilica, city hall square and parliament are highlights of the city, which the Danube divides into in two parts - Buda and Pest. Caution: some foreign nationals require a visa for Hungary!

Klosterneuburg is a quaint little town 10 km north of Vienna set in the hills of the Vienna Woods. Its is most famous for its Babenberg abbey and wine-growing.

This excursion begins in Heiligenstadt, either with a 15-minute bus ride to Klosterneuburg or, if the weather is good, a 45-minute cycle tour along the Danube - past the famous "Lion's Bridge" designed by Jugendstil architect Otto Wagner. Once arrived in Klosterneuburg, you take a tour of the abbey - often likened to Schönbrunn Palace - and the church with the famous Verdun Altar. After these cultural impressions we move on to culinary ones - at one of the many "Heuriger" - a tavern where you can savour the wine of the region. You then return home in good spirits. The costs include admission to the abbey and the bus ride or bike hire.

Mödling is a pleasant little town south of Vienna and can be reached by rapid transit train or bus. The first activity is a short tour of the town center.

We then walk for about 1 hour through the Vienna Woods to Hinterbrühl Grotto where you descend underground to where aircraft used to be secretly built during the Second World War. The special feature of this grotto is its underwater lake - the largest in Europe. A boat trip rounds off the tour. The costs include train/bus and admission to the grotto.