Austria - The beautiful dream of youth

I have lived my youth to the fullest in Austria. I have admired the beloved city of Vienna quietly changing through the four seasons of the year; enjoyed countless delicious dishes of the famous Central - Eastern European region; or wandered with friends under the endless rows of grapes, picked sweet bunches of fruit and watched the sunset at Wachau - Austria's grape production treasure.

Here, I put a lot of feelings and many happy and sad memories. So, let me tell you the story of Austria, and help you have deep feelings about a place I consider my second home.

Wandering the streets of Vienna in the rain of yellow leaves  

Arriving in Vienna, I was like a blank sheet of paper, ready to explore every corner of the city. “Grüß Gott!”, babbling a few German sentences combined with my existing English, I started chatting with Austrians on the street to ask about their experiences exploring Vienna like a local.

Vienna has its own beauty in every season, but for me, Vienna is most beautiful in autumn when every street here is decorated with rows of trees with brilliant yellow and red leaves. It is not difficult to see yellow and red leaves in Vienna when this city is planted with green trees on almost every corner of the street, especially maple trees, oak trees and ivy.

I spent an entire afternoon wandering Mariahilfer Street, watching the flow of people on one of the busiest streets in the Austrian capital, under the rain of yellow leaves. Somewhere, there will be street artists singing, dancing or playing classical music with violins or accordions, creating extremely bustling and exciting feelings. Even more special, in Vienna, you just need to raise your camera to have beautiful photos right away because here, the streets are considered "without dead angles" with rows of bright beige Baroque houses, highlighted by rows of trees and vividly sculpted statues.

Coming to Vienna, we cannot miss the symbol of Vienna - St. Stephen's Cathedral in the old town. With its magnificent Gothic style and beautiful mosaic roof, the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vienna has become a prominent tourist attraction as well as one of the sacred cultural heritages for Austrians in particular and the world in general. To explore further, our group of friends paid about €5 to explore the church inside, and proceeded to climb 343 winding steps to the room at the top of the South Tower of the church with a beautiful view of Vienna in all directions.

Then we went out into the street past the Wiener Staatsoper Opera House, and stopped at the Albertina Terrace, the filming location of my favorite movie “Before Sunrise.” I still remember the heroine saying in the movie: “If there is any magic in this world… it must be the effort to understand someone, or to share something.” At that location, I was happy and grateful for the opportunity to travel with my friends, stand there and watch the bustling life on the streets of Vienna.

Not only has Vienna been named the most livable city in the world for many consecutive years, it has also been ranked among the safest cities in Europe or “Europe’s greenest capital”. It also has a top position in water quality and is one of the top three cities in Europe for ecological transport, with more than 80% of the population commuting by public transport, walking or cycling. So, when you come to Vienna, you don’t have to worry about transportation or lack of “quality” check-in points.

Enjoy ripe grapes, taste wine in Wachau Valley - Austria's wine region  

If Vienna attracted me with its unique streets, buildings and architecture, the Wachau Valley area really stole my heart with its peaceful and charming natural beauty. Living and studying in a small city located on the gentle Danube River, hidden in the Wachau Valley - Krems an der Donau, I had the opportunity to admire the largest vineyards in Austria.

Located in Lower Austria, about 70km east of Vienna, Krems in particular and the Wachau Valley in general are known for their hillsides growing the specialized wine grape varieties Grüner Veltliner and Rieslings. Most of the Wachau vineyards are located on steep hillsides along terraces above the Danube River – a location that helps the area receive a lot of natural dry sunshine as well as the right warm temperature during the harvest season to produce grapes with a rich, delicate flavor structure with a hint of white pepper, a little herbal sweetness and a strong citrus aroma. With a total cultivated area of ​​over 1,350 hectares, there are more than 100 vineyards for visitors to visit, explore and experience grape picking, or participate in winemaking process instructions or wine tasting.

If one day you want to “Escape” from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, Krems will be the place you can go. What could be more wonderful than running around endlessly with friends and family through the vineyards, enjoying the sweet bunches of fresh grapes and laughing, watching the city of Krems from afar surrounded by the beautiful Danube River./.

Javier Uyen

Check out the package tour information, departing from Hanoi with Vietravel:

Eastern Europe: France - Germany - Austria - Hungary - Slovakia - Czech Republic (Romantic cruise on the Seine River) (11 days 10 nights)

Turkish Airlines - Departure: September 21, October 5 - Package from: 81,900,000 VND

See program details: https://travel.com.vn/tim-tour/3/2/2023-07-26/0/170/ket-qua.aspx

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