Driving Me Crazy: Austrian Driving

We’ve found Austria is one of the safer places to drive when on holiday, particularly compared to Greece or Poland. Austrian drivers tend to be law abiding, and the police aim to catch those who flout the law. However, there are a few things you need to know before driving, even if it’s just from the airport to your hotel.

Only drivers aged 18 and above can drive in Austria, and you will need a full driving license along with photographic identification. In addition, if you are driving your own vehicle, you may need proof of ownership and proof of insurance.

Drinking and driving is strictly forbidden in Austria with an alcohol blood level of just 0.5 mg/ml required for a fine or a ban. That’s a half glass of wine or a very small bottle of beer. If you are drinking, don’t drive.

If you are using the motorways or S-roads in Austria, you need to have a vignette (sticker) displayed on your windscreen. These can be bought from border crossings or from the Austrian automobile clubs. Many petrol stations close to the border also sell them. In addition, you must carry a first-aid kit, a warning triangle, and a high-visibility jacket.

If you are driving a right-hand drive car, you need to have headlight converters. These are simple stickers that prevent your headlights from dazzling others. Unlike several countries in the EU, though, it is not compulsory to have your headlights on at all times. Seatbelts, when fitted, are compulsory, and there are on-the-spot fines for those not wearing them.

Between November 1 and April 15, you must carry snow chains and you must also use winter tires when driving in poor conditions, defined as mud, snow, ice, or slush.

The speed limits in Austria are enforced reasonably strictly, and they are 130 km/h for motorways, 100 km/h for main roads, and 50 km/h for towns and built-up areas (80 mph, 60 mph, and 30 mph).

One of the more bizarre pieces of legislation to come out of Vienna concerns congestion on single-lane and multilane roads. If there is congestion, all vehicles must form an emergency corridor for emergency vehicles. Follow the traffic in front for guidance in this case and don’t attempt to use the new clear stretch of road!

Now, Austria is a safe place to drive thanks to its adequate policing of road safety laws. Whether you are driving, cycling, or walking, you can be sure you’ll reach your pension in one piece.

Strolling in Styria

During the spring months, it is well worth travelling around in Styria, which is in the southeast of the country. I love the rural parts of Styria, and there are some great hikes to be had in that part of Austria. In the north of Styria, we hiked amongst the southern Alps, where there are fantastic views. Our zimmer was located halfway up a hill, so we had a few days of fantastic hill walks. We also ended up trekking between Semmeringbahn and Mürzzuschlag, which followed the local railway.

In the center of Styria, in a place called Knittelfeld, is Seckau Abbey, which looks like something out of a fantasy novel. The mountainous backdrop and the ornate interior are both absolutely gorgeous, so it’s a sight well worth adding to any sightseeing trip in Austria. In nearby Tremmelburg are two huge wooden towers, and it’s a great route to hike. From the top of the towers, you can see for miles around—great if you want some stunning photos of Austria.

In southern Styria and Burgenland is a chain of ancient volcanoes that form the basis of Austria’s wine industry. We chatted to the owners and staff of the local pensions and hotels to find out about local paths, and we walked among the vineyards. After a few days of trekking in this area, it is nice to unwind, so we checked out one of Styria’s seven spas. It’s great to have a little relaxation time, and the volcanic water makes even the achiest of muscles relax. Topping off the day sometimes involved one of Styria’s wines at a Buschenschanken—around 70 percent of wine production is with white grapes, so there are some great white wines in Austria.

One of our favorite walks was in the south of Styria: a seven-day walk from Leibnitz, through Gamlitz, Leutschach, Kitzeck, and back to Leibnitz. The trip offered several stays in different hotels and exploration of the areas around the towns and villages. Walking up to 12 miles a day was relatively easy, and the scenery was amazing. If you plan on doing a route like this, make sure you know where you’re going to go and when. Plan for bad weather; we were lucky and had sun all the way through our trip, but we had a backup plan if the heavens decided to open. Admittedly it was as simple as taking a bus to the next place if necessary.

The hiking trails in Styria vary widely in difficulty. Part of it depends on the steepness of the climb, and part of it depends on how well the trail has been maintained. Styria’s lowlands, in the south of the state, generally have much easier trails than in the north of the state, as the Alps tend to be rather steep. We ended up being very tired at the end of each day in northern Styria, which meant we slept very soundly. In southern Styria, we tended to go out a bit more after walking as the trails were easier, and the wine was quite good. This meant we saw more of the towns where our hotels and zimmers were based, and they were very pretty.

Walking in Styria rewards you with amazing scenery, good food, and lots of little hidden gems that you would miss on a simple guided tour of the cities.

Visiting the Austrian Alps

The Alps are one of the main tourist attractions in the country. Not only is the area a great place to look for charming Austrian zimmers but it also has a huge amount to offer if you want to visit there.

The Alps take up most of the western part of Austria – interestingly, 62% of the entire country is filled by the Eastern Alps. Other sections of the Alps are also found in Austria, including the Northern and Southern Limestone Alps, and the Central Eastern Alps.

That region of the country is colder than much of the rest of Austria: with the exception of a few areas with the Alpine regions, the Alps typically experience a long winter – which is surely one of the reasons they are so popular for people going on a skiing holiday.

Despite the fact that skiing is probably what the Austrian Alps are best known for, they are also full of attractions in the summer, too. One great option is to stay in an Austrian zimmer and explore the Alps on foot: they’re great for walking holidays. If you are a serious hiker then you’re sure to love the Hohe Tauern National Park, which has some demanding routes – but great views to make it all worth it. The Vorarlberg is a good alternative if you want some lovely sights but don’t want the walking to be too challenging.

Overall, there is much more to Austria than just the Alps – but the Alps certainly make a great place to start and there’s so much to do in the region that they’re sure to keep you going back time and time again.

Grazing in Graz

One thing that is often overlooked in Styria is Graz—the culinary capital of Austria. Our hotel was close to Lendplatz where the local farmer’s market is held every day apart from Sundays. The gorgeous smell as you approach the farmer’s market is amazing, and the produce is very fresh. Homemade bread and fresh apricots are two things that stood out—a great way to start a morning. There is also a market held in Kaiser Josef Platz.

Before sampling the food, we took several sightseeing tours around Graz to check out the Schlossberg (castle mountain), Rathaus (town hall), and the Landeszeughaus, which is the biggest armory in the world. In addition, there are dozens of museums ranging from botanical gardens to the modern art museum (Kunsthaus Graz).

The food and beer in Graz was something special, though. Gösser Bräu, a restaurant in the old town, has its own brewery, which produces a very nice lager. The goulash is exceptional and reminded us of the Hungarian goulashes we’ve tried over the years. We also went to Cafe Sacher, a Venetian-style coffeehouse restaurant. While the prices were a little high, the quality of the food was even higher, and we had an amazing time surrounded by opulence.

Near the Stadtpark is a great little restaurant called Starcke Haus. The best time to go is for lunch, as you will be able to see all of Graz from this hillside location. We thoroughly enjoyed relaxing in the sun, and the downhill walk to our hotel was nice and easy.

Graz has some incredible food, and the city has styles that suit both those wanting authentic Austrian cuisine and those wanting something more contemporary. The city is known as the culinary capital of Austria, which is a well-deserved title. Admittedly it helps that the city has easy access to a wide variety of fresh high-quality produce, including Almenland beef, Hochschwab game, and Pöllauer Hirschbirne, which is a type of pear.
In total, it has easy access to 15 different foods that have protected status including pork, pumpkinseed oil, and cheeses as well. The means the chefs of Graz have a great range of ingredients to produce a great range of food. Wherever we were in Graz, the local restaurants never failed to impress us, and we always arrived at our hotel feeling full and satisfied.

One street in Salzburg

Moostrasse. Yep. That's the name. Thats the name of the street in Salzburg. That street is dear to me as it brings back so many good memories. It is a long street, perfectly straight. It starts off right at the end of the new/old city of Salzburg and takes you all the way to the Untersberg mountain. This mountain is beautiful. It is also where they shot the film "The sounds of music". A quote from Wikipedia on the Untersberg: "The Untersberg is a mountain massif of the Berchtesgaden Alps that straddles the border between Berchtesgaden, Germany and Salzburg, Austria" Wow!
Now back to Moostrasse street. There is an American Boarding school there. Thats were I have learned. I attended this high school for two years. Moostrasse street has so many Zimmers, you wouldn't believe it. Almost every other house has this wooden sign out side with the writing "Zimmer Frei" that's" Vacant room" in German. If you're up for a cosy Austrian traditional bed and breakfast - just knock on the door and you will be immediately escorted to your room. These arent hotels with large receptions and paper work. Just hop in, get a shower, dress up and enjoy the scenery. Pay just before check out after breakfast and drive off to your next destination. I like those zimmers because the wooden interior design they have in the Alps and because its very informal and easy in and out.
There is something...easy..relaxing or simply down to earth, highly productive and honest about the people of Salzburg. That sounds like a bunch of words with no meaning but I will give you an example. As oposed to Vienna, the 1.5 million person capital of Austria, Salzburg and the towns and villages are much quieter and relaxing. I used to see this old lady on a bicycle almost every morning. She would cycle up the street until she made it to the big chestnut tree. Next to that tree, on a sign poll, was a plastic bag filled with today's newspaper from one of the leading papers in town. She would put a dime in the box on top and only then open the facility and take out a newspaper. Sounds easy. But for people not living in Austria, this simple scene is hard to explain. Why put a dime in the box? who will see you if you don't? After all, its not an automatic machine. Anyone can open and take out a paper. Perhaps read it on the spot and return it. But Nooo, not the old Austrian lady. She would never even think about opening the plastic bag facility if she didn't have the exact amount of money. You see, that's Austria. That's would I like about it. If you pay for your paper left on a poll next to a tree, you would do anything right. That's why Austria is perfect, that's exactly why the food tastes so good, that's why the bus is always on time, that's why everything is pure and good. Its called Austria.