These two countries have been together in the Habsburg and later in the Austro-Hungarian Empire for around half thousand years, so no wonder that even today Hungarians call Austrians their brothers-in-law. Austria is about the same size as Hungary but its landscape is quite different – contrary to the Eastern neighbour, the geography of Austria is dominated by mountains, mostly by the wonderful ranges of the Alps.
About AustriaBeyond the spectacular landscape, Austria is full of beautiful cities, including Salzburg, Linz, Klagenfurt and Innsbruck and on top of all, Vienna (Wien in German, Bécs in Hungarian). Vienna is the capital of Austria, with a population of about 1.7 million, serving as the cultural, economic and political centre of the country. In addition, it hosts numerous international organisations such as the United Nations or the OPEC. As it is one of the most beautiful and romantic cities of the world, Vienna was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It usually ranks on the top of almost all quality of life surveys and it is widely considered to be the most liveable city in the world.
About ViennaVienna has a very rich history that dates back to the Roman times (the name of the city originates from the Roman name, Vindobona) and since then, the city has always been a major settlement in the region. It had withstood several Turkish sieges, had became the capital of the Holy Roman Empire, the Austrian Empire and later Austria-Hungary. Modern Vienna is still a flourishing city with 23 districts, always looking back proudly to its rich heritage.
What to seeIf you visit the Austrian capital, it won’t be hard to notice that Vienna and Budapest look much alike. This similarity originates from the remarkable development at the 19th-20th century turn, when the dualistic Austro-Hungarian Empire lived its golden ages. Both cities were built on the Danube, they both are dominated by eclectic, art-nouveau boulevards, they both have very special café culture and this Central-European, Habsburg bourgeois charm is present in every aspect of both cities.
Naturally, the gorgeous city of Vienna is full of tourist attractions – here’s a short list of some of the most important places to visit. Cultural highlights in the downtown include the Burgtheater (Castle Theatre), the Wiener Staatsoper (Opera House) and the world-famous Museumquartier (Museum District) with more than 100 art museums (the most important of them are Albertina, Belvedere and Leopold Museum). Vienna’s several beautiful historical churches, such as St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the Deutschordenkirche, the Jesuitenkirche and the Karlskirche. The heritage of the famous Wiener classics (Beethoven, Mozart) can also be found at their memorials at the impressive Zentralfriedhof (Central Cemetary). Of course, the modern city also offers much to explore: Hundertwasserhaus, the United Nations Headquarters and the view from the Dunauturm (Danube Tower) are all recent additions to the city.Getting thereVienna is not so far away from Budapest, only 220 kilometres separate the two cities. You can easily get there by car – the trip on the direct highway shouldn’t last more than two hours. However, taking the train is also a valid option: Inter City trains leave from Budapest Keleti Railway Station every two hours, and tripsare served 4 times a day by hypermodern RailJet trains, by which the ride only takes three hours. In addition to that, tourists can ask for a very special return ticket for only 29 Euros that comes with unlimited travel on public transportation in Vienna. If you take the train, you will arrive at Vienna Westbahnhof Railway Station so you couldn’t be any closer to the city centre.
