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Hi everyone,

Taking the family to Austria soon and was interested on any tips in general for traveling and, most importantly, any tips on music related topics.. ie Bosendorfer factory visit, Mozarthaus info...

Regarding the concerts available in Vienna and Salzburg, my wife and I are overhwelmed with the amount of info and i thought my fellow piano world visitors could help cut to the chase.

Thanks and have a great day!

Justin.

You'll have a great trip. Of course, Bosendorfer is a must!

Check out the scheduled recitals/concerts at the University of Music and Performing Arts, also known at the Vienna Conservatory. They have lots of great performances. Don't forget the Opera and Symphony. There's more than just Strauss!

No trip to Vienna would be complete without becoming addicted to shopping at Demel. Torte anyone?

Noted and thanks Marty... Also if there's any child friendly performances with first hand experience? My daughter is 3 1/2.

Thanks.

Here's a tip: Go to the Bösendorfer showroom and bring your checkbook!

Also be sure to visit the Parliament



and have some sachertorte

You'll find Mozart in Vienna, too:



Nearby, we've seen some great concerts in St.Pölten, so you may want to check out what's going on there, too. It's a short train ride from Vienna.

So much to do!

Our Piano World Member's trip (see under tours etc section) included Salzburg and Vienna. Lots covered there.

http://www.pianoworld.com/forum/ubb...Tour%20-%20See%20the%20.html#Post1690750
(lots of my pics of both are on pg 5 and 6)

A highlight for musical instruments was the Technical Museum in Vienna. A large roomful of instruments and mechanical instruments, another with organs.

Hofburg - history, spectacular place...look out front for a sight into lower digs of Roman ruins.
Vienna Choir boys sing there
Palace Chapel

NaschMarket, food market, loved it - eat there or get goodies for the hotel room

St Stephen's Cathedral in ctr of town - go inside for a beautiful stained glass site

Great architecture just to view in the ctr of town - very walkable

Belvedere Palace - artwork (Gustav Klimt), outside walking

Schönbrunn Palace - overwhelmingly large inside and out

I stayed fairly close to mid ctr, nice hotel about 15 minutes to walk to St. Stephens. (Hotel Erzherzog Rainer)

Salzburg

Mozart place was overcrowded, hot and not much to see, but I guess, while in Rome...

However that area of town is gorgeous.

Walk over the bridges, the river is beautiful. Especially at night.

Mirabel Palace has gorgeous grounds that are comfortable to walk about. (sound of music)

We stayed in a hotel in that area that I don't recommend. However from there back over the bridge was a great biergarten in a monastery. A must do.

After our tour, a friend and I traveled outside the city of Vienna...an hour by train

Go to Melk. Stay overnight there. Melk Monastery is fantastic. Loved it. Don't miss where Mozart played and the painted walls and ceilings of the tea house. Then travel down the Danube by boat and get off at Durnstein, another must see small village with walkable viewing. Make sure you find the old ruins and the cemetery.

Wineries all around so try some.
Beer is big too.

Great food everywhere.

If you are interested in seeing some tour photos, PM me. I have some stuff up on youtube.

My sister was only four years old when my family visited Hellbrunn Palace and retained memories of its enchanting water gardens into adulthood. I was a mature nine and still have many memories of that magical place.

Lilylady has some great suggestions, especially the trip to Melk, with the boat ride down the Danube and Durnstein thereafter.

I want to add seeing the Lipizzaners in Vienna, if they are there when you are. Especially if your daughter likes horses, they are fabulous. I think my daughter was already horse-crazy at that age, and she would have loved them.

Thanks for all the responses... Its gonna be a great trip and a much needed vacation.

Hello Justin
You may also visit "Schubert Geburtshaus", "Schubert Sterbewohnung", "Beethoven Wohnung" ... for more information see: http://www.wienmuseum.at/en/locations/more-locations.html ... The "Zentralfriedhof" is an impressive cemetery with the sepultures of Brahms, Beethoven, Schubert, Schönberg .... Another (very touristic) highlight ist the famous wine village "Grinzing". An absolut "must do" is a promenade over the already mentioned "Naschmarkt" (metrostation "Kettenbrückengasse")... you'll need several weeks to visit everything ...
Have a nice journey!

Hi Justin,
check out the "Haus der Musik" (house of music)
at Haus der Musik
A fascinating experience for any music lover. And they provide a lot of kids' activities - such as making your own CD or conducting the Vienna Symphony (not an easy task, ahem). And I think they also offer performances for children.
Have fun!