Some places are beautiful.
Some places are charming.
And then there are places like Hallstatt, Austria - where you arrive, look around, and genuinely wonder if you're looking at one of the most beautiful towns in Europe.
I visited Hallstatt on a winter day trip from Vienna, and...
Austria
Austria blends imperial history with café culture and mountain landscapes. For now, most of my time here has been spent in Vienna, a city of palaces, music and winter evenings that feel almost theatrical.
This Austria travel guide gathers my Vienna posts in one place, with plans to expand beyond the capital as I explore more of the country.
Some places are beautiful.
Some places are charming.
And then there are places like Hallstatt, Austria - where you arrive, look around, and genuinely wonder if you're looking at one of the most beautiful towns in Europe.
I visited Hallstatt on a winter day trip from Vienna, and...
If you're planning a trip to Austria, chances are you've already seen photos of Hallstatt somewhere online. The tiny lakeside village appears everywhere online, with pastel houses, a mirror-like lake, and dramatic Alpine peaks rising behind it.
It's beautiful enough to make you briefly wonder if...
Hallstatt might be one of the most photographed villages in Europe… and honestly, when you see it in person, it's not hard to understand why.
That's good news if you're visiting for a day or two. The entire village is compact and wonderfully walkable, which means...
If you've ever searched for beautiful villages in Europe, chances are Hallstatt appeared almost immediately.
The tiny Austrian village shows up everywhere online: colourful Alpine houses beside a glassy lake, church spires rising above the rooftops, and dramatic mountains towering behind it all. It looks so...
Hallstatt is one of those places that almost feels too beautiful to be real.
Perched between a mirror-like lake and dramatic Alpine peaks, the village looks like it was carefully designed for postcards. But it isn’t. It’s an actual living place, with church spires, narrow lanes,...
If it's your first time in Vienna, here's something useful to know: the Kunsthistorisches Museum and the Natural History Museum sit opposite each other in Maria-Theresien-Platz… and they look almost identical.
Choosing where to stay can shape your entire experience of a city, especially when you’re travelling alone.
I’m Hazel, a British travel writer and solo traveller who focuses on calm, culture-led European trips. I look for places that feel comfortable rather than chaotic, walkable rather than...
Winter in Vienna feels elegant in a way few cities manage. Yes, there are festive markets and mugs of punch everywhere in December, but the real magic of things to do in Vienna in winter goes far beyond wooden stalls and fairy lights.
Think imperial palaces...
If you’re wondering about the best food in Vienna, get ready to loosen your belt. Austria’s elegant capital isn’t just about palaces and opera houses, it’s a city built on golden schnitzel, slow-simmered broths, sugar-dusted desserts, and a coffee culture that borders on ritual.
Attending the Vienna State Opera felt like a dream.
It was everything I hoped it would be - grand, atmospheric, genuinely special - but yes, I learnt a couple of useful things along the way.