The Wine Culture of Vienna & Austria

Didn't know there was such a thing? Well, we hadn't either until we were recommeded by a book to visit the Grinzing neighborhood of Vienna. It's not just your run-of-the-mill place to have a nice glass of wine, either! There are actually vineyards within the city limits (only a short tram ride north of the city center), coupled with an outstanding village-atmosphere with plenty of places to eat, drink and soak it all in.

Heuriger is the specialty wine of the area. It's a white wine that's relatively sweet but not so much as a dessert wine. They make it within and outside of the city as well, though you'll find most stores within Vienna cornered by one winery which is ok because they're (almost) all as good as the next when you're drinking the real Austrian stuff.

The neighborhood, itself, is worth a visit as it has the attributes of an 18th century village one pictures when reading Snow White or any other fairy tale. Also, the food is as good as anywhere you'll find in the city and for similar prices as the center of town. Remember, you're still in a popular spot that many locals as well as tourists vistit! Don't forget to drop by one of Mozart's houses before you leave. It's on a cobbled back street if I remember.


Also know that it is a hilly part of town and, if you are a walker or you just want to see the wineries themselves, bring you walking shoes (but not your sneakers).

Please join us on Facebook and our newsletter for more information regarding your favorite destinations and other travel news!

Festivals and Fun in Europe: August

Though Europe is mostly on vacation this month, they still need a good reason to party and celebrate. Today’s blog features some of Europe’s best festivals in the Month of August.

The Salzburg Festival is an arts festival in Salzburg, Austria that lasts all month and features some of the world’s best music and theatre. http://www.salzburgerfestspiele.at/

The Edinburgh International Festival in Scotland is similar, starting on August 14th and lasting through September 6th. This is a must see for culture and arts lovers. http://www.eif.co.uk/faqs

Maybe the most unique festival in Europe, La Tomatina is a world famous food fight featuring tomatoes. The city of Bunol in Valencia, Spain erupts in what is every elementary students’ dream lunch the last Wednesday of every August! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdgVULWrPfE

Courtesy of Wikipedia

Midnattsloppet is Sweden’s answer to the Boston Marathon. This six mile run in Stockholm starts at midnight and has more of a party feel. 20,000 racers quickly breeze through the run while thousands more have a huge celebration along the course. http://www.midnattsloppet.com/start/index.cfm

We will highlight festivals every month on this blog. What are your favorite festivals of the world? Discuss anything and everything by commenting below and don’t forget to visit http://www.jetsetpilot.com/ when we officially launch the website in September. We enjoy hearing from you!