From Cities to Mountains

Introducing the Austrian youth hostels

Österreichische Jugendherbergswerk Junge Hotels (ÖJHW) is one of the numerous world organisations that are part of Hostelling International. It is a non-profit organisation that advocates affordable accommodation for travellers, groups, schools and families. Its goal is to promote quality-oriented, socially responsible and environmentally friendly tourism. Together with its federal organisations, OEJHW has 23 hostels and contractual relationships with eight additional hostels. But there’s also another organisation in Austria that’s part of Hostelling International, namely the Österreichische Jugendherbergsverband (OEJHV).

Where to stay in Austria

Next to Museum Quarter in Vienna is the Jugendherberge Myrthengasse where guests can have a little chat in the inner courtyard or relax in the winter garden. During cold winters, the sauna comes quite in handy. The hostel has a lot of room for organisation and holding of celebrations, conferences and seminars. Jugendherberge Neusiedl am See is located in the state of Burgenland, in the far eastern part of the country. Lake Neusiedl is the warmest lake in Austria and is open to swimming and other water sports. The hostel has an interesting architecture. The six hostels of Youth Hostel Association of Lower Austria offer ideal opportunities for relaxation and exploring the history of the places where the hostels are located. Junge Hotel Bad Großpertholz in Lower Austria is a hostel suitable for relaxation from everyday problems. Organic agriculture and cultural events have a special role here. In a convenient location in the middle of a romantic landscape is a house that is an ideal starting point for hikes, cycling trips and exploring scientific phenomena. The hostel has a typical intimate atmosphere.

What are some great hostels in Salzburg?

In a town house, situated between the train station and the old town, is the Junges Hotel Salzburg-Haunspergstraße, offering group discounts of all sorts as well as spaces for seminars. The hostel also offers all the information you need about cultural events, which abound in Salzburg. There’s a village called Zell am See underneath Kaprun, a ski resort where you can ski almost all year round. I recommend staying at the Zell am See Seespitzstrasse. The hostel is located right next to Lake Zell and it’s basically on the beach. You can start the day with breakfast on the terrace with a view of the lake. Later on you can partake in fishing lessons or head to the hostel’s library. Of course, the hostel also has room for your skis and bicycles. The mountain spa town of Bad Gastein is home to the Bad Gastein youth hostel with great family and group discounts. School groups can participate in holiday camps, outdoor school and ski lessons. The sports hall along with other sports infrastructure is also available to use during school holidays. The hostel organises a treasure hunt for all its guests. There are two seminar rooms with projectors available for those who are business people at heart.

Sightseeing

Austria offers plenty of experiences for travellers of all kinds. First, look at what the country’s capital, Vienna, a city where things can get quite expensive, has to offer. Enjoy a slightly different experience and explore the Vienna Central Cemetery, where you’ll be shown the graves famous Austrians and learn about their stories. A two-hour night walk around Vienna has a similarly spooky theme. You’ll get to meet the city spirits, learn about their legends and discover the city’s main attractions. In Salzburg, you can climb to the Hohensalzburg Fortress that overlooks the city or take the funicular to the top, travelling back into the Middle Ages with the help of multimedia guides. You can learn to make the traditional Austrian apple strudel. In Innsbruck, you can take a guided tour along the major attractions of the city between the mountains. If you love ski jumping and other winter sports, you must definitely visit Bergisel, the famous ski jump. There’s a wonderful view of the surroundings from the top. Time travelling awaits you in Mauterndorf Castle in Salzburg. To top it off, why not also climb the 44-metre Pell tower. Of course, the region doesn’t lack sports activities. You can go rafting down the rapids of the Salzach river and admire the wild nature all around you. In Vienna, you can see the morning training of the Lipizzaner horses in the Spanish Riding School. You’ll be impressed by their elegance. In the Albertina Museum, located in the Habsburg Palace, you can admire the world’s largest graphics collection, an important modernist collection and many other works of art.

Which Lonely Planet books to choose?

There are plenty of various Lonely Planet guide bookss available for Austria. Lonely Planet offers classic guide books for the entire country as well as guide books for Vienna. Austria is also included in guide books that list the most popular places in Europe.