It’s relatively inexpensive to travel in Lower Austria – prices here are about 30% lower than those in Vienna, Salzburg, and Innsbruck. This price differential explains why many travelers stay in one of the neighboring towns of Lower Austria when they come to explore Vienna.

One of Lower Austria’s most celebrated districts is the Waldviertel-Weinviertel (a Viertel is a traditional division of Lower Austria). In this case, the Viertels are the woods (Wald) and wine (Wein) areas. They contain thousands of miles of marked hiking paths and many mellow old wine cellars.

Some 60% of Austria’s grape harvest is produced in Lower Austria, from the rolling hillsides of the Wienerwald to the terraces of the Wachau. Many visitors like to take a “wine route” through the province, stopping often at cozy taverns to sample the local vintages of Krems, Klosterneuburg, Dürnstein, Langenlois, Retz, Gumpoldskirchen, Poysdorf, and other towns.

Lower Austria is also home to more than a dozen spa resorts, including Baden, the most frequented. Innkeepers welcome families with children at these resorts, which can be an inviting retreat from the city. Most hotels accommodate children up to 6 years old free; children ages 7 to 12 stay for half price. Many towns and villages have attractions designed especially for kids. Some hotels have only a postal code for an address, as they do not lie on a street plan. (If you’re writing to them, this postal code is their complete address.) When you reach one of these small towns, finding a hotel isn’t a problem because they’re signposted at the various approaches to the resort or village. Parking is rarely a problem in these places, and, unless otherwise noted, you park for free.