I saved the best for last. On my final day in Vienna, I at last made my way to the Kunsthistorisches Museum. My favorite artist is Caravaggio, and here is housed a fine selection of his work, as well as an extensive collection of caravaggesque paintings by his followers and contemporaries. As I wandered the seemingly endless number of rooms, I was enthralled by all the incredible masterpieces that surrounded me. Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Ruben, I was fully immersed in a collection of the greatest humans to ever wield a brush. As I paused for a moment, I looked down into a cafe housed within the museum, and snapped a photo to capture the scene. Suddenly it hit me, here I was, surrounded by great art, and literally right under my nose was some of the most unlikely art of all: all of us individually enjoying not only what was on the walls, but also the environment and the moment together. www.khm.at/en/collections/picture-gallery

The Hotel Daniel has an open kitchen, bakery/cafe and retro boutique in the lobby. Out front by a little garden, there's an Airstream trailer converted into a guest room. In Europe's most classically preserved city, showcasing the glory of the Hapsburg Dynasty, the Daniel is a much needed shot of the 21st century. A short walk from Klimt's masterpieces in the Belvedere Museum, the 155-room hotel occupies an International Style glass building inspired by the iconic Lever House in New York. As soon as you enter, the fresh market vibe is a jarring contradiction to the Modernist exterior. Try the Quirky Turkey sandwich and fresh homemade pastries. Breakfast is a big healthy buffet of fruits, breads, granolas, soft boiled eggs, etc. The cafe and lobby are consumed in natural light, with vines and plants growing everywhere. Stacks of warehouse pallets are used for coffee tables littered with magazines from all over the world. At the little shop, a $900 single speed bike for sale hangs over the front desk. The bulk of rooms are small but brilliantly designed (I paid $122 last fall). The glass shower and small vanity are at the foot of the bed. Industrial pot lamps hang over the bed. I love the unfinished concrete ceiling with old hardware and unpatched holes left over from the renovation. "This is a new category for the lively, urban city hotel," says owner Florian Weitzer. "It’s tasteful with purposeful streamlining because we don’t want to get in the way of our guests.”

Rounding out your visit to Hofburg Palace you'll find the last of the great expansions to the palace by the Habsurgs. The building is a true neo-classical style, obviously to make the royal family appear as mighty as Greek gods. A statue of Archduke Charles II stands outside.

Hangar 7 in Salzburg is a place you have to see if you love airplanes, cars, art, food and/or architecture. It is located right at the Salzburg airport. The Red Bull co-founder and CEO, is the founder of this amazing place. It's not only the impressive collection of historic aircraft and helicopters but also the architecture of the Hangar 7 that is stunning! Also: Have a drink at the bar or even dinner at the restaurant, where chefs from all over the world are invited to create their signature dishes on a monthly rotating schedule.

The 900-year-old Hohensalzburg Fortress is an evidence of Salzburg’s medieval history. Take a ride (in the funicular) or walk up to the largest, fully preserved fortress in Central Europe for a breathtaking view over the city of Salzburg.

The village of Schwarzenberg in Vorarlberg (Austria’s westernmost province), only has a population of 1,700. Yet, over time it has established itself as a great festival venue (next to Vienna and Salzburg) and hosts the Schubertiade. Surrounded by lush, green Alpine pastures, extensive forests, and the imposing mountains, the Angelika Kauffmann Hall, with its simple wood construction, is regarded as one of the three acoustically best chamber-music halls in Austria. Here you can satisfy your cultural hunger paired with great hikes in the surrounding Alps.

Before Starbucks, there was the Coffee House. This isn't a cafe or a chain of stores, instead it is the more general coffee culture that exists in Vienna Austria. This coffee house culture has survived through the changing times of Starbucks, cup sleeves, and ‘to-go’ coffee cups. I decided to go on a coffee house tasting tour around Vienna to attempt to try all of the various coffee drinks the coffee houses serve. Each cup was brought out on a silver tray, with glass of water, a spoon (normally placed on top of the glass), and a little chocolate. The coffees were small and strong, and there were no American style refills. But even more exciting than the coffee itself were the coffee houses that oozed sophistication and high brow culture. From the elegant surroundings from days gone by to the proper way each coffee is delivered to your table, the coffee houses suspended me and held me in this caffeinated world of a time that seems to be disappearing. From the moment I opened the door, I felt like all of the hectic noise in my head slowed down to ‘waltz time’ and I could relax. This was the perfect kind of slow travel. Sit, relax, drink coffee, eat some sausage, listen to music, read, and repeat the next day – that’s how to visit Vienna. Coffee Houses to try: Café Pruckel – I stopped here twice…definitely my favorite! Café Central Café Demel Café Drechsler Café Ritter – amazing strudel! Café Frauenhuber

Where art meets the slopes: I almost skied into this life size, solid cast iron sculpture. Antony Gormley's Horizon Field consists of 100 figures of the human body spread over an area of 150km² in the High Alps of Vorarlberg. Horizon Field is the first art project of its kind in the mountains, and the largest landscape intervention in Austria to date, forming a horizontal line at exactly 2,039m above sea level. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horizon_Field

Traveling on a student budget makes you appreciate finding a good deal even if it takes a little bit of work; going to the opera is an amazing experience but going cheaply is even better! If you go to the Vienna opera house 80min before the start of the performance you can get a standing room ticket for only 4€ !! (I suggest the 4€ over 3€, better spot). Once you claim a spot at the cushy-bar (bring an item to claim it with, like a scarf), you are free to leave. Go grab a bite to eat in the area, you'll have plenty of time to spare! Additionally, don't worry about understanding the opera, there are numerous translators attached to the bars so you can read along in English.

Graben Street is one of the most popular pathways for tourists in Vienna. Lined with cafes and shopping, the visitor is occasionally greeted with relics of the past, like this sculpture known to the Germans as a "plague column". It's more or less a "tribute to God" that rulers commission in the hopes that God would remove a plague from their lands. It started off as a Corinthian column that would contain the Holy Trinity, but with the deaths of several of its architects, this turned into a more grandiose group effort spanning twenty years.

This beautiful Neo-Renaissance building was opened in 1869 to a mixed public review, but today it's well-loved by the Viennese and tourists alike. I did not get a chance to go inside, but caught a photo as we walked by. I can only imagine what it would be like to hear Mozart's works performed there.

Vienna's most storied cafe invites! A visit to the Cafe Sacher in the venerable Hotel Sacher is a must on your Vienna-list. Feel centuries of history, taste decades of experience, and relax for hours. Ahhh, I wish I could join!

Don’t miss a tour of the Salzwelten Salzburg which takes you far underground into one of the oldest mines in the world. The Celts started this mine 7000 years ago! Put on a coveralls, ride on a small miniature train into the mine and the adventure begins! After stepping off the train, you have to go deeper underground to where the salt was mined. This is the fun part! There are long polished wooden slides taking you ever deeper into the mine. Four persons sit behind one-another and slide into the depths. There are mining exhibits along the way and one of the highlights is the boat ride on the underground lake, a spectacular sight with colored lights dramatically lighting the scene. Watch for the border sign showing you are entering Germany and another when leaving back to Austria! Back outside, there is a recreation of a Celtic village next to the entrance. Great fun!

By Patti McCrackenLocated on the edge of Seewinkel National Park, the nautilus-shaped St. Martins Lodge features spacious rooms with wooden balconies that overlook Lake Neusiedl. Thermal pools abound, and the spa offers a smorgasbord of massage packages (holistic pulsing, anyone?). If animals are your thing, rangers can guide you to see birds, water buffalo, wild horses, and golden jackals. Rooms from $174. 43/(0) 2172-20-500, stmartins.atPhoto courtesy of St. Martins Lodge. This appeared in the July/August 2012 issue.

Josef Kröll has reimagined his family’s 14th-century estate in the Hinterglemm valley and turned it into a modern, 24-suite hotel. Its outstanding restaurant serves updated versions of classic dishes using produce grown on-site. From $200. 43/(0) 6541- 6308. Photo courtesy of Wiesergut. This appeared in the June/July 2013 issue. .