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Day 1 | Arrival at Graz Thalerhof airport
Welcome to Graz! We will pick you up at the airport and drive to downtown, where we will stay at a traditional hotel for the next couple of days.
Welcome dinner in downtown (it's included in the tour package)
Day 2 | Graz
As Graz was the former residence of the Habsburg their history is visible with every step you take.
This morning we take a funicular railway up to our icon the Schlossberg, a rock in the center of the town, where, back in the 11th century, a castle was built.
From up there you will be able to recognize buildings from the romantic, baroque gothic renaissance histories and Jugendstil seemingly an entire ocean of different styles of roofs spanning centuries.
But what you can't see are all those narrow romantic streets and hidden inner courtyards full of witnesses of long-lost times that we will explore later.
We will have lunch at Schlossberg.
As we walk down the Schlossberg, we will enter Sporgasse. The steep road down to our main square was first mentioned as early as 1346.
Along the entire road feudal buildings are lined up and it will take us a bit of time as we will explore several of those buildings on the inside.
We will have dinner in downtown Graz.
Day 3 | Graz Castle Eggenberg
Castle Eggenberg was built during the 30 years war by the princely family of Eggenberg.
The castle is not just a UNESCO world heritage site but also a first-rate synthesis of the arts of the baroque period.
The palace preserves a precious ensemble of historic interiors with an important cycle of over 500 ceiling paintings and so much more.
Today the palace is set in an extensive romantic landscape park, which, with its precious trees, is one of the most important gardens in our county,
This combination of culture and nature makes the castle a special museum location for people for whom culture and nature are essential.
The variety and richness of Castle Eggenberg will captivate us for an entire day, yet even that won't be enough to experience everything it has to offer. It is a treasure trove that we will only begin to discover and appreciate.
We will have lunch at Eggenberg.
And we will enjoy dinner in downtown Graz.
Day 4 | Zeughaus and Mausoleum
Our emperor Ferdinand II (April 19th, 1793 – June 29th 1875) was laid to rest at Mausoleum Graz, - a truly imperial place next to the Grazer Cathedral (Dom).
Together with the Mausoleum und Katherinen church they define one of the city's most magnificent views.
You could almost have been whisked away to the lands to the south, given how this ensemble enchants any visitor with more than just a hint of Florentine flair.
Here in Graz, Ferdinand II has his court artist Giovanni de Pomis lay out the impressive tomb. This historical landmark is nowadays one of the most important reminders of the long history of Austria's Monarchy.
We will have lunch at main square Graz.
The Herrengasse in the center connects the main square with the 'Iron Gate' and is truly ancient. By 1261 it was a Jewish neighborhood where the elite used to live. In more recent times this boulevard is now a public hub.
Just a short walk down the boulevard we reach our next place that must not be missed - the Zeughaus. The worldwide largest collection of armories from the 15th to the 17th century with unbelievable 32.000 items to show, it tells the goose bump raising story of cruel wars and battels.
We will have dinner at downtown Graz.
Day 5 | Stift Admont Upper Styria
A short 90 minutes' drive north brings us to our next highlight - the Admont Abbey.
Almost 1000 years ago the first twelve monks started to build a very simple monastery in this beautiful setting of Gesauese. with the fortune of a very wealthy lady - countess Hemma von Gurk - who donated a large part of her possession to the archbishop of Salzburg with the demand to build even this Benedictine Monastery.
Through centuries of hard work, the monastery has grown and preserved what we see today.
The Admont Monastery library (the largest one worldwide) is one of the great masterpieces of European late Baroque.
It combines various forms of art (architecture, frescos, sculptures, writings and printed works) into a cohesive unity, serving as repository of knowledge spanning centuries. We will have enough time to enjoy this incredible place and the lovely nature around
We will have lunch at the monastery.
And we will enjoy dinner in Admont.
Day 6 | Bad Ischl
Northwest, we go! This short, but breathtaking scenic route, called “The Romantic Road” leads us to Bad Ischl.
The northern range of the limestone Alps and the summer residence of our last emperor Franz Josef who spent 82 summers out of his 86 years of lifespan there.
Imagine stepping back in time over 100 years, where it seems nothing has changed. As you delve into history and craftsmanship, you'll gain insights into the lives of both high society and common people from long-past eras.
“It's not easy to find, this embraced mellifluously, devoted, moving fused place somewhere else in the world”. This is how Helmine von Chezy described it in her travel book in 1833.
We take the day to absorb the history of this special village and we will visit the Kaiservilla, which is still in the possession of the Habsburg family and partly open to the public.
See the place where Emperor Franz Josef signed the document which ultimately led to the First World War. Certainly, a very dark day in our history, not just for Austria, but for the world.
Bad Ischl is best explored and admired by foot, we stroll along the river Traun, have lunch in a famous coffee house and let the special atmosphere of the village have a gentle, calming and relaxing effect on us.
Still so much to explore and to see you might like to have the afternoon on your own, but of course loaded up with lots of information provided by us.
We are meeting again for dinner in Bad Ischl.
Day 7 | Salzburg
Art, culture and unique history, Salzburg is, not surprisingly, a proud member of the UNESCO world heritage list.
Salzburg isn't just rich in sightseeing attractions, sitting on both sides of the river Salzach. The city has a long history of culture and art. The cultural heritage of the city shaped by the baroque, has its origins in a vibrant exchange with the southern neighbors especially Italy.
The special Charme of Salzburg can be best experienced by foot while strolling through the “Old City" - you might feel like flying through centuries.
First, we take the funicular up the enthroned Hohensalzburg fortress. Built in the year 1077, high above the city of Salzburg it will allow you to get an idea about the stunning aera and city.
We take lunch at the Hohensalzburg before we dive into the narrow streets of the old district.
There is no way not to see Mozart's birthplace in the well-known Getreide gasse and just a stone's throw away the place where Mozart used to live until he was 25 years old. So much to see and to do and everything so close by we will spend a lovely time there.
We will have dinner on our way back to our accommodation
Day 8 | Salzburg
Castle Hellbrunn Expect the unexpected!
You actually never know what's going to happen next but for sure it will be a lot of fun and a series of surprises. This is a place of celebration, pleasure, recuperation. Just like Prince Archbishop Markus Sittikus intended it to be.
This incredibly beautiful baroque castle sitting in one of the most beautiful parks has so much to offer, including some film locations of Sound of music which you will recognize in a heartbeat.
We will have lunch in Hellbrunn.
It's hard to leave this place behind but still we need to move on to Mirabell Castle.
Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Reitennau built this castle for his mistress Salome Alt and their 15 children they had together.
First named Castle Altenau, it got renamed by his successor Archbishop Marcus Sittikus to Mirabell (from the Italian 'Mirabelle”(wonderful) and” belle” (beautiful).
Today the palace is the office of the mayor and municipal administration.
The marble room is one of the finest wedding venues worldwide.
The baroque garden is a stunner with every step. We promise there will be no boring moments at all.
Weather permitting, we have a surprise for you, see the city from a different perspective.
We will enjoy dinner at a “Gastgarten” in Salzburg.
Day 9 | Hallstatt
Today we will explore one of the highlights of our tour - the lovely village of Hallstatt.
Human activity in the magnificent natural landscape of the Salzkammergut began in prehistoric times, with the salt deposits being exploited as early as the 2nd Millenium BC.
The Hallstatt – Dachstein alpine landscape, part of the Salzkammergut and thus of the Eastern Alps, is one of visual drama with huge mountains abruptly rising up from narrow valleys. The basis of its prosperity, since ancient times, has been the mining of the 'white gold' - salt.
The oldest Saltmine worldwide with salt carried out as far back as the Bronze age, it is still accessible and can be explored even today.
We will take our time and decide on the go where we start the day and either go up the funicular to see the salt mines or take a stroll through the village or just hang out at the lake side and get fascinated by this astonishing place and its incredible landscape.
We will have lunch in Hallstatt.
And eventually we will also enjoy dinner there.
It's just a short drive to Graz where we might have a good glass of wine in a Taverne at downtown Graz.
Day 10 | Departure
Time to say goodbye with a transfer to Graz Thalerhof airport.