The fact that we love travelling is well-known. That is also why we have this travel blog called Awara Diaries. But the past 2 years have been a test of patience, not just for us, but for everyone who loved to travel. The pandemic really locked us up but it didn’t manage to dampen our spirit and dream about travelling again.
One of such dreams came true when we moved to Vienna, Austria. It has been about 2 months since we landed in Vienna and set our base. Check out this detailed blog post regarding this announcement.
On our 2nd wedding Mensiversary or Monthiversary, we decided to go out and explore something in Austria where not many international tourists go. While browsing Instagram, we came across a place called Schloss Laxenburg. It looked really pretty in photos. Green grass, blue sky, clear lakes and people boating on it, a gorgeous palace and of course, lots of locals. We decided to take a day trip to this place. It was a decision made within minutes.
Now to clarify, we really didn’t know about its historical importance and we still don’t know about the dynasty of Austria or the Austro-Hungarian empire. We just like looking at marvellous architecture. After the visit to Schloss Laxenburg, we realised that it is one of the most important and beloved places of the Habsburg dynasty.
Towards Schloss Laxenburg
We started from Vienna Central Station (Wien Hauptbahnhof) by bus. There are a couple of buses that go from the train station to Schloss Laxenburg. There are buses going every half an hour from here. If you have a valid Vienna Travel Pass (24H, 48H, 72H, Weekly, Monthly or yearly), depending on the driver, your journey might be either free or cost you €2.5 one-way.
While boarding the bus towards Schloss Laxenburg, when we showed our Vienna Travel Pass to the driver, he asked us to pay €2.5 per person for the journey because our pass was, apparently, not valid till the Schloss’s bus stop. But while coming back, when we showed our pass to the driver, he didn’t ask us to buy tickets because according to him, the pass was valid. So that’s why there’s this ‘either or’ thing regarding the bus tickets.
It took us about 30-35 minutes to reach the destination by bus. The journey was pretty scenic. The Austrian countryside is indeed mesmerizing. Once we got down, it was a 5-minute walk to the entrance of the castle. There is an entry ticket to the place and it is €3 per person. The counter takes cards, cash, Apple Pay, Google Pay etc.
At The Gate Of Schloss Laxenburg
Once we entered, we saw 2 large, beautiful structures on both sides, and a lush green picturesque countryside scene in the front. It was gorgeous. We started walking on the path (very well-marked, by the way) to get a sense of the place. After reading about the whole complex, we narrowed down our visit to 3 things.
- Checking out the waterfall
- Boating
- Taking a stroll
- Eat something in the castle’s café
- See the castle, obviously!
Once we started walking, we saw an old palace and a built-in cathedral, which were shut to everyone. Then we saw a lot of locals playing with their kids in the park. Picnics were set. People eating snacks, playing football & frisbee, kids running around, and a toy train going around the complex, it was a lovely scene to look at. While walking around, Parampara saw flowers and went a little mental taking its pictures.
We came across a lake where the water was crystal clear. There were huge fish underwater and a few ducks, well, ducking around the lake as usual. We sat on the bench for some time to bask in the sun. It was the sunny day that we had asked for.
The Waterfall
We then reached the waterfall after walking for a few minutes. The waterfall isn’t huge, it is just a small fall but very picturesque thanks to its surroundings. We sat in front of it for some time, took a few pictures and started walking towards the main lake where people go for boating.
The lake was blue and stunning. It was a very picture-perfect moment with blue water, blue sky, a sunny day, ducks and swans near the shore and people playing with their kids and pets in front. After being awed by the scene, we reached the cabin from where we could rent boats. There were about 6-8 categories of boats that one can rent. Right from paddleboats to the electric boats, they had everything.
Boating On The Lake
We really liked an unusual boat so we asked for that. We paid €12 for a 30 minutes rental. Please make sure you have cash because once you enter, everything can be purchased only with cash. The boat was nothing like a boat, honestly. It was a giant round bed on which we lay down. There was a lever used to control the boat. It was a very cosy, satisfying boat ride. The only downside to it was that the entire lake wasn’t accessible by this boat due to its height. There are a couple of bridges under which this boat couldn’t pass. We really wanted to check out what was on the other side of the bridges, so we came back to the shore after 30 minutes and took a suitable boat for the new adventure.
The second boat also cost us the same. It was a bit faster than the first boat so we covered more area of the lake. It was definitely worth paying twice and spending an hour on the lake.
‘THE’ Schloss Laxenburg
After returning the second boat, even though we wanted to go for one more round, we resisted and started walking towards the original castle – The Schloss Laxenburg. It was a rather short walk. Once we arrived at the castle complex, we realized that seeing it from the inside is only possible via guided tours. The last guided tour was done an hour back. If we had come here directly before boating, we could’ve seen the interior of the castle.
There is a restaurant and a café inside the castle which is by the lake. You can eat/drink here while enjoying the lake view. There are also toilets available here. There’s an area for kids to play inside too. For us, the menu didn’t offer much and it was a bit expensive as well, so we decided to get out of the complex and eat/drink something near the bus stop.
Outside The Castle Complex
We got out of the castle, stopped near a pretty café and had hot cups of coffee. It was also an ice cream parlour so we also an ice cream after our coffee session. Guess the flavour? Yep, coffee flavour again. Also, before entering the castle, we ate a Falafel from a takeaway place because we were too hungry.
After our lovely little trip to Schloss Laxenburg, we took a bus back to Vienna Central Station (Wien Hauptbahnhof). This time, as mentioned above, the bus driver didn’t take any money because according to him, our passes were valid for a free ride. We reached Vienna in the next 30-35 minutes.
It was a lovely way to spend our 2 months of marriage because it had almost everything we love doing. If you are in Vienna for more days than usual, do take this day trip to Schloss Laxenburg. You, too, will fall in love with his gorgeous place.
Things To Keep In Mind
- Keep some cash with you while going on this trip because most of the activities/restaurants take only cash.
- Start your day early. Leave from Vienna around 10 AM to ensure maximum time at the Laxenburg Castle Park.
- Take some snacks, chocolates, and water with you. The restaurant inside the castle and the kiosk near the lake have limited options when it comes to food (also expensive).
- Even if you have the Vienna travel pass, always show it to the driver and wait for their response. It is a bit of a grey area.
- Check the weather beforehand. There’s hardly any shade in case it starts raining. Go here only on a sunny/cloudy day. We don’t recommend going here in rain.
Check out our vlogs for more ‘visual’ information.
Parampara’s Vlog
Parichay’s Vlog
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