Austria is a state in the central part of the European continent, which has gained worldwide fame due to its huge opportunities for the development of both traditional and “green” tourism, which is gaining particular popularity in recent years. The tourism industry of the Austrian economy accounts for almost 9% of the entire gross domestic product of Austria.
In this beautiful country, every tourist who comes here will find his "tidbit". If you are attracted by the purest mountain lakes and hot mineral springs, then you need to go to the southernmost federal state of Austria - Carinthia. If you are a fan of opera, then you are in the capital, in Vienna. Lovers of picturesque landscapes and classical music will find it all in Salzburg. We will go there with you.
Visa processing
Austria is a country that is part of the Schengen zone, therefore, to get there, citizens of Russia and most of the CIS countries, except Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia, require an entry visa. To get it for the first time, you must personally submit documents to the Austrian embassy or consulate. After that, you will have to wait for some time while a decision is made.
You can also obtain a visa by contacting the travel agency where you are going to purchase the tour, or through visa centers accredited at the Austrian Embassy. Although visas are processed by diplomatic missions, it is much more convenient to process documents through such offices, which are located in almost every major city in Russia. Here, a wide network of Austrian visa centers is represented by the operator VFS. GLOBAL.
To obtain an Austrian visa, the following steps must be taken:
- Clearly state the purpose of the trip. It must be real, otherwise, if there is any doubt about the truth of the stated goal, you may be denied permission.
- Collect all documents to be submitted to the Austrian diplomatic missions.
- Submit documents and wait for a decision. In most cases, it is positive.
How to get there
If you decide to make a small independent trip to Austria and visit Salzburg, you will naturally face the question of the most convenient way to get there. Don't worry. You won't have any problems with this. Salzburg is today a major transport hub in the center of Austria.
Here has its own international airport, from where flights are made toMunich, Stockholm, Dusseldorf, London, Tallinn and many other cities and countries in Europe. Train and bus connections also make it possible for many tourists who prefer to travel by land to get here.
There are no direct flights from Russia to Salzburg, and they are quite expensive both in terms of money and time. From Moscow, you can get here with one change in Munich, Vienna or Frankfurt. The most budget flight can be made using the services of the Lufthansa airline with a round-trip ticket.
You can get to Salzburg from Moscow using two modes of transport - by plane and by train. The last option is less costly in terms of money, but not in terms of time.
A brief introduction to Salzburg
This small town is one of the most famous tourist centers in the country and the capital of the federal district of the same name. A huge number of tourists are annually attracted here by numerous historical monuments of architecture, which are perfectly preserved in the old part of the city. The area is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Here you can get acquainted with the gallery of European paintings, which is located in the building of the 17th century, the former residence of the archbishop. It is also worth visiting the city's cathedral, the Benedictine abbey of St. Peter, etc. But the main attraction of Salzburg is the place where the world-famous composer Wolfgang A. Mozart was born.
To accommodate such a large number of guests in the city, there are severalhostels, many hotels and guest houses. In Salzburg, hotels are mainly 3 and 4. There are very few five-star and non-star hotels. Most of them work on an all-inclusive basis. It is also possible to cook for yourself.
Hotels in the city center: "Salzburg City" 4
Every traveler, coming to a foreign city in order to get acquainted with its sights, always tries to find a hotel in the center. There are many such places in Salzburg. They are ideal for both the casual tourist and the business traveler. One such hotel is the NH Salzburg City, which is located in the heart of Salzburg, just a short walk from the old town.
This 4-star hotel offers 140 spacious, air-conditioned rooms with free Wi-Fi and satellite TV. The rooms have parquet floors, a minibar and an en suite bathroom. The hotel also features nine superior rooms, perfect for family holidays.
In addition, guests can visit the sauna, relaxation room and gym at the hotel's spa. Free on-site parking is available for guests' convenience.
Mercury Hotel 4
At the very foot of the Kapuzinerberg is the 4-star Mercure Salzburg Central hotel. From it, as tourists mention in their reviews, to the Old Town and the railway station - no more than 15 minutes walk. Here for gueststhere are 139 cozy rooms with a private balcony, satellite TV, telephone, minibar, bathroom with hairdryer and other amenities.
The hotel area is immersed in greenery. It has a well-equipped business center with conference rooms, making Mercure Salzburg city an ideal place for business meetings. For tourists there is also a library, souvenir and newsstands.
Hotel guests are served a buffet breakfast every morning, and they can enjoy local and Mediterranean cuisine at Amadeo Restaurant.
The hotel offers steam baths and massages. To make it easier for guests to get to know the city and its surroundings, the hotel has a car and bicycle rental service. Mercure Salzburg is one of the most popular hotels in Salzburg among traveling young couples and families, which is easy to understand from their reviews. Guests say that friendly staff, good service and excellent conditions of stay.
Sacher Salzburg Hotel 5
Among the few 5hotels located in the city center, I would like to note one of the oldest, opened back in 1866. It is located on the banks of the Salzbach River. From the windows of the hotel offers a wonderful view of the old city.
The Hotel Sacher Salzburg offers 113 cozy rooms and suites, each individually decorated. Original paintings and silk wallpapers hang on the walls. The room has a bathroom,air conditioning, minibar, as well as satellite TV and free internet access. If you come to rest with a child, then an additional baby cot can be placed in the room for him. Babysitting services are also provided for such families.
In the hotel restaurant, tourists can get acquainted with Austrian cuisine, reviews recommend eating the signature Sacher cake, which can be found in the hotel cafe. The cozy bar will pamper guests not only with a variety of drinks, but also with live music.
The hotel has a sauna with a massage room, where everyone can relax after a busy day. The fitness center offers a range of exercise options, and bicycle rentals are available for unorganized travelers to explore the city and surroundings.
Old Town: Auersperg Boutique Hotel
There is a hotel in the Old Town district of Salzburg, the rooms of which are exclusively for non-smokers. It is called Auersperg. This 4-star hotel opened in 1890. It belongs to the class of boutique hotels and has been run by the same family for three generations. The hotel complex also includes a villa located nearby.
The hotel's rooms are tastefully decorated in classic or contemporary style. The windows offer a wonderful view of the city. All rooms have private bathrooms with walk-in showers.
Guests of the hotel from 6.00 to 11.00 receive a free breakfast in the bar. The hotel has a restaurant where guests canrelax and have dinner.
Travelers who have vacationed in it recommend visiting the spa with jacuzzi. There are steam and Turkish baths, an office for massage sessions. Guests can also enjoy golf, aerobics and yoga classes. Gambling enthusiasts can visit the casino located next to the hotel.
Radisson Hotel 5
Romantic travelers enthusiastically describe one of the oldest hotels in Salzburg, Radisson Blu Altstadt, which is located in a medieval building dating back to 1377. This 5-star hotel is close to all of the city's main attractions.
The hotel has 62 double rooms equipped with air conditioning, private bathrooms, TV, free Wi-Fi and other modern amenities. All of them are elegantly decorated and offer views of the Kapuzinerberg Mountain and the Salzach River.
A breakfast buffet is served daily to hotel guests. At the hotel's restaurant, guests can enjoy both local and English cuisine. The bar menu has a wide range of cocktails, coffee and other drinks. According to reviews, the food here is very tasty.
Thermal hotels: Mozart 3
Austria, in addition to its historical monuments and ski resorts, is also known for its thermal springs. Thanks to them, a new direction in the tourism industry has appeared - he alth tourism. This was made possible thanks to the emergence of spa resorts.at numerous thermal springs.
The construction of special thermal hotels for vacationers in the resort areas contributed to the further rapid development of tourism in this direction. In Salzburg we will get acquainted with two of them.
Mozart 3 is located just 200 meters from the center of the spa town of Bad Gastein (Salzburg).
Comfortable hotel rooms are equipped with cable TV, private bathroom and private balcony. Guests can enjoy local cuisine at the hotel's restaurant.
A free sauna and steam bath are available to residents.
Hotel Gruner Baum 4
This 4-star hotel is only 2.5 km from Bad Gastein. The hotel complex Gruner Baum 4includes three buildings, the main of which is built in the style of a village house. The hotel has 80 rooms for a maximum of 3 people.
The rooms are equipped with shower, satellite TV, telephone, minibar and internet. There is a thermal outdoor pool, 2 tennis courts and ski slopes.
Breakfast buffet. The restaurant offers a menu of local dishes.
According to reviews, it has well-appointed rooms, free Wi-Fi, friendly staff, excellent breakfast and a good restaurant.
Budget hotels
In addition to 4- and 5-hotels in Salzburg there is also a sufficient amount of housing belonging to the so-called budget class. These are, as a rule, 3hotels or no stars at all. Cheap hotels in Salzburg enjoy a specialpopular among students and newlyweds. Let's name some of them (based on the positive feedback from vacationers), the cost of living in which, as a rule, does not exceed 3000 rubles. per day:
- Berlandhotel Salzburg - Free Wi-Fi, in-room refrigerator, breakfast available, good value for money. The cost of living is 2801 rubles per day.
- Hohenstauffen Hotel - free Wi-Fi, breakfast included, free parking, laundry. Cost - 2821 rubles.
- Hotel Turnerwirt 3 – family rooms, free parking, free Wi-Fi. Cost - 1790 rubles.
