A Well Versed Weekend In Austria and Mallorca

This weekend was a myriad of fun and one of my favorite trips I have been on while studying abroad. While our initial plan was to spend three days in Vienna, Austria, our trip later evolved into what I like to call, the perfect amount of spontaneity. Our initial destination remained Vienna however we added a day trip to Hallstatt and a layover on our way home on Sunday. Where was this layover you may ask? Well Mallorca of course! We had the option for a one hour layover or a six hour layover which was five euros extra. This was an easy decision for us and we simultaneously booked our flights while we were looking up beaches ten minutes away from the airport so we could soak up some sun. I could go on for hours about this trip but I am just going to highlight what we did right.

Austria

Vienna is an incredible city with excellent views and architecture. The nightlife may be a bit lacking but we knew that coming in and were excited for a peaceful trip. I would absolutely hit a rooftop view! Schönbrunn Palace or Belvedere at sunset is a must! Also, skip the touristy restaurant Figlmuller (according to locals) and try a chain like Centimeter or Brandauer that has Wiener Schnitzel of the same quality. Spend some time in the 7th district for shopping and hit St. Stephens Cathedral for a beautiful church and great food nearby. St Christopher's Inn is a very nice and affordable hostel as well.

Hallstatt is probably the most beautiful place I have ever been to in my life. I do not want to spoil much about it but the cover photo of this blog is a picture that I took during my time there. I highly recommend going. It is worth the trip even though it is across the country. I recommend taking the train and skipping the GetYourGuide excursion. You can do it for far cheaper and spend much more time in Hallstatt. Furthermore, if you are looking for a peaceful experience you will never forget, I recommend doing the skywalk (bring airpods for some music) and sit and take in the view. This was absolutely incredible and I am still thinking about when and how I will be returning to Hallstatt in my life.

Mallorca

Protip! While traveling to Eastern Europe the majority of flights connect in Mallorca for very cheap! Our direct flight would have been over one hundred euros but this one was half the price! We got 4 hours in the sun at a rocky cove called Calo Fort that was very local with the clearest water I have ever seen. If you are looking for a beach day but do not want to waste a weekend of travel this is the perfect alternative while studying abroad in Madrid! 

Sleeping and Downtime

In trips past, we have been extremely bold with our planning. On our Spring break we did 8 cities in Italy in 8 days and the exhaustion caught up with us about halfway through the trip. With three different locations and two early wake ups we were extremely worried we had bit off more than we could chew. However, we planned correctly with our sleep schedules this time! My friend and I are able to sleep on trains so we took a 6am train to Hallstatt where we both clocked out for about three hours. This fueled us for the day and really helped us enjoy the hillside town. We also decided to have an early night after our day trip and slept in the following morning so we could enjoy our time in Vienna. 

While we did wake up at 7am for our flight to Mallorca, we combated exhaustion with sleeping on the plane and the beach when we got there. It is extremely important to plan time to relax or a highly anticipated trip can turn you into a miserable walking zombie. This is one of the most important things I have learned since I have gone abroad!

Until next time! 

• Dom