We recently came across a guide to Castle Hotels and Mansions in Austria and bordering countries published by Historic Hotels of Europe. Castle accommodations aren’t usually Cheapo territory, which is why we were overjoyed to find multiple listings for rooms under €100/night, as well as several castles with rooms for far, far less.

The lakeside Seeschlössl Velden in Velden (Carinthia) has rooms that begin at €65, including breakfast. Herberge an der Nikolauszeche in Purbach (Burgenland) sports single rooms that begin at €66, including breakfast. We found another great value at Strasserwirt Herrenansitz zu Tirol in Strassen (East Tyrol), where room rates begin at €48 per night for three-night stays.

The conventional wisdom is that this sort of lavish accommodation is well beyond Cheapo budgets. We’re happy to discover plenty of evidence to the contrary.

Photo by Eriol

It’s Wednesday, a.k.a. midweek madness freak out day.

On our minds:

1. The Tirol tourist site. First of all, there’s no regional tourism logo as timeless as that white-on-red “Tirol, “the dot of the “i” safely lodged in the cross of the “t.” But beyond that, the Tirol tourism site is just so crisp and gorgeous that we’re suddenly, unexpectedly, ready to pack our bags for a summer wander through the Lienz Dolomites. (See Lienz, above. Pee-ritty, right?)

2. Doing research for our upcoming Balkan jaunt, we came across Hotel Park, a Ljubljana hotel that looks like a kick-ass place to rest our Cheapo heads. Hotel Park appears to be characterized by that simple central European modernist feel that makes us limitlessly happy. Plus we like the rates: €60 for a double in high season sounds awfully nice.

3. We’ve mentioned ace Euro budget flight finder flycheapo more than once. We realize that we’ve neglected another useful budget airline digest site: attitude Travel, which provides LCC info for Europe and beyond. Check out attitude’s European low-cost carrier map right here.

Photo by temp13rec.

Parents! Don’t forget to take Mieze Katze, Bello der Hund, and Petzi Bär along, because the kids are flying too.

Austrian Airlines is adding another Aktion to its summer repetoire by offering free flights to all children under the age of 11. Mothers and fathers who want to bring their tots along can book through the end of June to take advantage of the Kids for Free program. The promotional fare is valid from June 30 until August 31 to destinations across the European Union, Russia, and Ukraine.

Flights can be booked online. Taxes and fees are included and booked flights count toward frequent flyer program credit.

Photo courtesy of Vienna’s Künstlerhaus

In a manner of speaking, that is.

Of course, we are talking about the famous terracotta figures of warriors and horses of the First Chinese Emperor Qin, the controversial ruler who was responsible for the unification of China. The reproductions of more than 150 lifesize statues and 1,000 soldiers in battle formation has been touring around Germany for the last five years. Now, to the delight of many, the pack has come to Austria.

The ground floor of the Vienna Künstlerhaus in the First District paves the way for the replicas, which consist of infantrymen, generals, officers, and archers, plus eight horses from the original figures. The “Terrakotta Armee” exhibit kicked off this past Sunday and will run until August 26.

The two-millennia-old statues on which the replicas are based are considered to be the Eighth Wonder of the World by UNESCO. In order to make the exhibit more interesting, it also features mannequins of Chinese women wearing then-fashionable dresses. Expect lots of satin and velvet.

The entrance fee is €12, with reductions available for seniors, students, and children. Kids under 6 enter for free. The Künstlerhaus is located at Karlsplatz 5. It is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and is closed on Mondays. Telephone: +43-01 587- 9663.

Photo by Elen Farkas

In literal translation, Burgenland means “land of castles.” Annexed to post-Imperial Austria in the early 1920s after the monarchy’s defeat in World War I, the once-Hungarian province is home to a number of palaces and chateaux still maintained today by their owners.

One fascinating castle is Halbturn in the northern part of Burgenland. It is very close to Vienna—just over 30 minutes by car—and is a favored cultural hangout for tourists following a dip in nearby Lake Neusiedl.

The history of Halbturn is very rich. Built in 1711, the castle’s late baroque architecture was designed by Lucas von Hildebrandt and formerly served as the summer residence of the Habsburgs during the reign of Charles VI. Later, Empress Maria Theresia gave the castle to her favorite daughter Archduchess Marie Christine and her husband Duke Albert-Casimir von Sachsen-Teschen, who in turn founded the Albertina Museum’s graphic art collection.

The castle was destroyed during the World War II and the late 1940s. It was rebuilt by its present owners with the help of the Austrian government. Today, it is in the possession of the family of Baron Paul Waldbott-Bassenheim, a direct descendant of the Habsburg family. The castle is open to the public with various exhibitions and concerts for culture lovers. One part of the castle has become a museum.

From tomorrow April 27 through October, the museum will feature an exhibit on the secrets of Tibet. It will be open from 10 a.m. through 6 p.m. The entrance fee is €8.

Aside from the castle’s park, which is free to visit, one can experience culinary delights from the on-site restaurant and sample the wines from their cellar. We recommend their Backhendl (chicken in breadcrumbs) with Vogerlsalat (a type of field lettuce) in pumpkin oil and vinegar for less than €10.

Halbturn Castle is located at Parkstrasse 4. Telephone: +43 (0)2 172 8594. Email: office@schlosshalbturn.com.

Photo by Elen Farkas

Austria may be a landlocked country, but it is surrounded by lakes and rivers. One of these is Lake Neusiedl in northern Burgenland, Austria’s easternmost province. It is said to be the warmest lake in the whole country and is frequented by Austrians as well as tourists from Eastern and Northern European countries. It is called the “Sea of the Viennese” due to its close proximity to Vienna. Aside from traditional swimming, sailing and windsurfing activities, the lake also hosts some commercial fishing.

The Austrian-Hungarian border bisects the lake, which is called Fertő tó in Hungarian and Neusiedler See in German. Since 2003, the water level has decreased dramatically (by 30 cm within just one year!) This decrease is seriously imperiling commercial fishing endeavors.

In 2001, the Neusiedler See-Seewinkel (Austria) and Fertő-Hanság (Hungary) National Parks were accepted in tandem as a World Heritage Site.

The lake is home to Surf World Cup 2007 where the best kiters and windsurfers will meet at Podersdorf division of the lake from April 27 to May 6. For the months of April and May, excursions around the National Park and the surrounding areas are offered for a price of €9 per adult. Children under 18 are entitled to a 50% reduction.

For more information, call +43-2175-3442 or email neusiedlersee.np@netway.at.

Photo by Miranda Siegel 

Wondering how we captured this excellent sky-high view over Salzburg?

We didn’t climb Mönchsberg, the mountain from which we snapped the photo. Instead, we entered a building in Museumsplatz, pressed a button the size of a dog’s paw, and took a bizarre James Bond-ish elevator straight up through the mountain rock.

Mönchsberg stands approximately 523 meters high and forms a fitting backdrop for the spires of the Altstadt. It provides a quick escape from the Altstadt’s tourist-congested bowels on a summer day, and offers a host of afternoon diversions. Numerous hiking paths, outdoor sculptures and installations, and a huge panoramic terrace are among the delights.

The mountaintop is also home to the second component of Museum der Moderne, the first of which—Rupertinum—can be found in the Altstadt. The gray, box-like museum, designed by the Münich architect firm Friedrich Hoff Zwink, is visible from the ground and showcases contemporary international art. It can be accessed for an additional €8.

Tickets for the Mönchsbergsaufzug (Mönchsberg Lift) are €2.90 roundtrip and €1.80 one-way. If you’re feeling particularly frugal (and energetic) you can reach the top of Mönschberg from the stairs at Toscaninihof in about 15 minutes.

Photograph by Tomsch

Now that spring is officially here, with daylight saving time adjusted, Austrians are up and ready for outdoor activities, including the famous open-air music festivals that fill their streets with music and tourists.

Nickelsdorf, a sleepy village in Burgenland, will be the scene of one of the biggest rock festivals in Europe, attracting visitors from the ever-expanding corners of Europe. The vast Pannonia Fields is gearing up for Nova Rock for the third time.

This year attendees will witness the reunion of Smashing Pumpkins, along with Pearl Jam. Other musicians who have confirmed their appearances are Marilyn Manson, Incubus, The Killers, Slayer, The Hives, My Chemical Romance, Mando Diao, and Frank Black. Even Hollywood actor Jared Leto’s side project 30 Seconds to Mars is slated to perform.

The festival will run from June 15 to 17. Tickets range from €179 (including camping and parking) to €30 (for the so-called Caravan ticket). For concert attendees located anywhere in Austria outside of Burgenland, Austrian Railways is offering a 25% reduction on train journeys to and from the festival. Get a hold of their EVENTticket passes by booking on their Web site.

Photograph by extranoise

The southern German lake city of Friedrichshafen is low-cost carrier Intersky’s base. We like Intersky for this fact alone, as Friedrichshafen is hardly a first-tier destination.

From Thursday March 29 through Sunday April 1, Intersky is offering €19.98 fares (including taxes and fees) from Friedrichshafen across its entire route map, good for travel from April 21 through July 31. Snap up cheap one-way fares between Friedrichshafen and Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Elba, Graz, Hamburg, Naples, Nice, Olbia, Vienna, and Zadar.

No word on how many tickets at this fare will be made available, so your best bet is to move quickly.

Mozartkugeln boxes are stacked in pyramid form in countless Salzburg shop windows, bearing the sweet beponytailed face of W.A. himself.

Salzburg confectioner Paul Fürst dreamed up the chocolate-nougat-marzipan balls to sell in his shop back in 1890. He named them Original Salzburger Mozartkugeln after the city’s famous son. Much to Fürst’s dismay, other manufacturers began to cash in on the success of the chocolates. Nowadays visitors can choose from a whole slew of different-sized boxes. Some are even shaped like the little violins.

Intrigued by all this fuss, we ventured into a branch of the shop where it allegedly all began—Konditerei Fürst.

Our verdict? Tasty, but a little too soft in the center. The marzipan component is fundamental to the kugel. If you like marzipan, hop on board; if not, you’ll probably want to pass.

While marketed proudly as Salzburg’s hometown chocolate, it’s not hard to find Mozartkugeln outside of the city, or even beyond Austria’s borders. We spotted them among the clog keychains, pot-leaf visors, and stroopwafel canisters at Amsterdam Schiphol airport! We’ve even spotted them on a shelf crowded with Ukrainian jams in Brighton Beach!

Mozartkugeln, you’ve done your hometown proud.