Is Austria the Most Beautiful Country in Europe? 4 days wasn’t enough – Family Travel Vlog – Ep 41
🇦🇹 Austria Completely Surprised Us | Hallstatt, Vienna & Alpine Villages
Austria was never supposed to be a long stop on our world trip… but it quickly became one of the biggest surprises of our entire journey.
In this vlog, we slow down and truly experience Austria beyond the postcards — from a peaceful Alpine village near Bad Ischl, to the fairytale lakeside town of Hallstatt, and finally the grand, cultural energy of Vienna. What we found was a perfect balance of nature, history, food, and city life — and we didn’t want to leave.
We base ourselves in a small village surrounded by the Alps, where the kids bike into town, hike together, and everyone finally gets a chance to rest and reconnect. The slower pace gives us space to breathe and appreciate just how beautiful everyday life in Austria can be.
One of the most unforgettable days of the trip is our adult-only day trip to Hallstatt — a place that truly feels like it belongs in a storybook. Driving into the valley, the view of the lake and village literally takes our breath away. We wander narrow pedestrian streets, admire centuries-old homes built into the mountainside, explore historic churches and cemeteries, and sit quietly by the crystal-clear lake as swans drift past.
Instead of rushing to viewpoints, we choose to simply walk Hallstatt, soaking in the peace, the details, and the history. Lunch becomes a highlight as we enjoy authentic Austrian food — fresh potato salad, dumplings, sauerkraut, and warm apple pie — the kind of meal that feels like it came straight from grandma’s kitchen.
We also reflect on Hallstatt’s deep history, including its origins in ancient salt mining, which helped shape the wealth and importance of the region hundreds of years ago.
Our journey continues east to Vienna, Austria’s capital and largest city, where the energy shifts instantly. Vienna feels grand, international, and rich in culture. We explore the city streets, visit the Kunsthistorisches Museum, and discover what may be the most beautiful café in the world, enjoying hot chocolate, strudel, soups, and cake beneath stunning architecture.
As we wander Vienna, we stumble upon historic landmarks like the Votive Church, learn about its long construction history, and unexpectedly find ourselves in the middle of a football celebration after Romania defeats Austria — complete with chanting crowds, drums, smoke, and riot police. It’s a raw, unplanned moment that perfectly captures the city’s passion and energy.
By the end of this vlog, it’s clear: Austria exceeded every expectation. From quiet Alpine villages and pristine lakes to world-class cities, food, and culture, this country offers something incredibly rare — balance. We strongly recommend spending 5–7 days or more here, and we already know we’ll be back… maybe in winter for skiing and Christmas markets.
If you’re planning a trip to Austria, or just dreaming of one, we hope this video inspires you to slow down, explore deeper, and experience it for yourself.
🌍 OUR WORLD TRIP
We’re traveling to 30 countries in 6 months with our five kids before our oldest heads off to college. Follow along as we explore the world, learn together, and make memories we’ll never forget.
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📍 PLACES FEATURED IN THIS VIDEO
• Austria
• Alpine village near Bad Ischl
• Hallstatt
• Vienna
• Kunsthistorisches Museum
• Votive Church
💬 LET US KNOW
Have you been to Austria?
What cities or hidden gems should we explore next time?
Drop your recommendations in the comments — we’re coming back 🇦🇹
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#AustriaTravel #HallstattAustria #ViennaAustria #FamilyTravelVlog #WorldTravelFamily #EuropeTravel #TravelWithKids #SlowTravel #AlpineVillages #HiddenGemsEurope #BucketListTravel #TravelVlog #tousleysenroute
21 Comments
Planning a trip shouldn’t feel stressful 😌
A tailored itinerary really helps.
I'll answer the title question so you don't have to watch the video: Nah!
If you go in wine season, it is very common to go up to the vinyards in vienna. Yes there are vinyards in vienna up on some hills on the city border, the view is great and its always a great day out and a place to watch the sunset with some wine. Thats some solid local advice haha. (Also still fun if you dont drink ofc)
Suprise, Austria is beautiful 😂😂
It is hard to beat Austria in that.
North Italy and France are as beautiful. But they have the alps and the Mediterranean.
If Austria had beaches it would be the most beautiful country in Europe.
hey, those are my people. im here in usa florida. strong tech background. blonde tall. i want to come home please.
You guys are crazy for rushing through those countries 🙂 All the best for that from this Austrian. About Hallstatt, it is very very famous thus also so so so busy most days. So famous in China that they built a 1:1 replica. We did celebrate our office christmas party in that art museum several times where we could roam around inbetween courses and during the party time. Great experience. Football game warm up rallies can be pretty intense.
Now, something else… when invited to a wedding in Wisconsin I did a 2-3 week trip around the great lakes with my wife and a friend. And while on the Canadian side it was mostly fun, mackinaw island was a gem. But Ohio and Cleveland made me feel very insecure. It was definitely not a place where I'd roam around.
I am from austria and the dampling you guys had eaten were actuarly knödel it wasn´t chinase at oll but as a recumandation the gramel knödel i konw this souds wierd are much bether then them with speck
Greetings from Austria. Do not visit Linz. It's ugly.
Glad you liked our country! You made really good food choices, Austrian cuisine has a lot to offer. I am surprised that you even noticed naked people in a museum, I don't think an Austrian would even notice. We seem to be much more at easy with nudity. There is so much more to see, you should definitely return.
The introduction, the whole trip, it kinda sounds like work to me. you get to see a lot of places but you don't seem to take the time to really experience them. You can't do the whole world in 6 months, you need about 20 000 lifetimes for that, and by then things will have changed. it is a never ending story, that is the beauty of it. It is too awesome to see it all.
Hey… we beat romania 2:1. see you at world cup
Next time check out: Eisriesenwelt (German for "World of the Ice Giants") in Werfen, Austria. It is the world's largest ice cave! Glad you enjoyed it!
I recommend "Klagenfurt am Wörthersee"
Hello from Austria Tirol!
Every Fountain in austria have drinkable wather when there is no warning shield on it. So , when you are thirsty , you can drink it, we have very clean wather here from the mountains
so fun watching this, I live in Austria, been to most of those locations multiple times, and to me it's the most normal thing ever 😅 but every now and again I can definitely apprechiate the beauty and how lucky I feel to grow up here
What some tourists don't know: Austria is attractive even in the height of summer. While it's too hot for hiking (except high up in the mountains) and long walks through the city can be tiring, the Austrian Alps offer many lakes perfect for swimming. The cities have numerous outdoor pools, and Vienna in particular boasts the Old Danube, where you can swim and go boating. On the New Danube, you can go wakeboarding and water skiing. And there are festivals throughout the summer, especially in Vienna.
Im glad u enjoyed it bro
6:59 you make it sound like Hallstatt is this hidden gem when in fact its one of the most overtouristed places in Austria 😄
You got a taste, but you only scraped the surface. If you really want to experience the beauty and the weirdness, you get to know some Austrians (now, that's not an altogether easy task…) and be taken to see the real gems.
When you come back, I recommend to visit one of the large medieval castles, e.g. Hohenwerfen, Hochosterwitz or the Riegersburg.
I am sure your kids will like it. They are really impressive and some of them have stuff like armories, bird of prey flight shows etc. And near Riegersburg, there is the Zotter chocolate factory – their Chocolate Experience World is probably what comes the closest to an actual visit in Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory.
Of course, there are also multitudes of beautiful smaller castles and castle ruins, like Dürnstein or Aggstein.