The first trip I made during my exchange was to Graz. Graz is a city full of energy. As it has six universities, there are many students. It is the capital of the state of Styria and the second largest city in Austria. It has so much history, in fact, it has the largest medieval historic center in Europe, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It's great because Graz is very close to Leoben and it's a perfect option if you just want to do a day trip. There are many things to visit there, such as the Eggenberg Palace or the Schlossberg, and many great places to eat and have a drink or coffee. If you want to know more, you can visit the city's website: https://www.graztourismus.at/en/good-to-know/about-graz

I went to Hallstatt with my group of friends. The moment we arrived, this village captivated me. It is now one of my favorite places in Austria. This place looks like something out of a fairy tale. Hallstatt is located in the center of the "Hallstatt-Dachstein/Salzkammergut Cultural Landscape", which is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. So yeah, Austria has some of those. In Hallstatt it is great to just walk through its alleys and to hike to the top of the mountain where you can enjoy the amazing views. If you want to know more I leave you the following link:

https://www.hallstatt.net/about-hallstatt/?source=nav

Innsbruck is also a great Austrian city. It is located in the state of Tyrol; in fact, it is its capital. This city also has a very large student population, so its atmosphere is young and energetic. This city is very beautiful, especially the old part of it, where there are many buildings from the Middle Ages, but, for me, the most impressive part are the huge mountains that surround the city. They are so tall, that when I was there I would joke that I couldn’t see the sky, only mountains.

City website: https://www.innsbruck.info/en/

There is a place in the Innsbruck district that I loved! It is the Swarovski Crystal Worlds. To get there I took a bus from the city of Innsbruck. It took me about one hour. This place is amazing. It is a museum that consists of 17 “Chambers of Wonder”. These chambers are rooms that contain not only pieces of art made with lots of Swarovski crystals, but are also set with lights, music, and even smells, so you can experience everything the artist who created them intended. If you like art and/or shiny things, I highly recommend you visit this place.

Here is the website: https://kristallwelten.swarovski.com/Content.Node/wattens/index.en.html

This is a beautiful mountain lake. I went there with a couple of friends and we had a picnic. After the picnic we tried to get in the lake and swim but I gave up because the water was too cold for me (I went in early June). But this place is gorgeous and it is not so far from Leoben, so it is perfect for a sunny day. For more information, I recommend you visit: https://www.steiermark.com/en/styria/destinations-for-day-trips/leopoldsteinersee_p597444

Vienna is THE city of Austrian cities. It is the capital of Austria, and in this city you never run out of things to do! It has numerous tourist attractions like the Schönbrunn Palace, the Hofburg, and the Belvedere Palace, that are gorgeous and have so much history, but also just walking through the city center is a unique experience. I like to sit there and watch Viennese people go with their Viennese life. Also, if you are into art, music or history, Vienna is the place to be! There are so many interesting museums of any of these topics, such as the Albertina with pieces by artists like Monet and Picasso, or the ones in the MuseumsQuartier. In Vienna I also got to visit one of Mozart’s houses, an unbelievable experience. But there are so many more things to do. I love going to Vienna, it is relatively close to Leoben, and every time I go I can do something different.

If you want to know more about Vienna you can visit:https://www.wien.info/en

Salzburg is the capital of the state of Salzburg. For me, this city is very unique. Walking around the historical downtown district (which is also a UNESCO World Heritage site) feels like you’ve been transported to another era. An important fact about Salzburg is that Mozart was born there. When you visit Salzburg you see Mozart all over the place in souvenirs, chocolates, ice cream, and the list can go on and on, and you can actually visit Mozart’s birthplace and residence in Salzburg. Something that I loved to visit was the Hohensalzburg Fortress. Its history is so interesting, and you can get into different parts the fortress, plus the view from there is priceless.

This website is really good for more info:https://www.salzburg.info/en

I am going to be honest, I am not a hardcore hiker. But even me, being here, from time to time makes me want to go enjoy the charm of the Austrian mountains, and I never regret it. Austria is an ideal place for people who love the outdoors and nature, where hiking is the unofficial national pastime. The hiking trails are well sign-posted, and there are routes for all levels. Whether you want a light hike or actual climbing you can do it here.

I leave you this website about walking and hiking in Austria:https://www.austria.info/en/things-to-do/walking-and-hiking

Austria has much more to offer, but I only shared a few of the most important to me. I also went skiing a few days ago and it was awesome! Austria has many castles throughout the country, as well as gorgeous lakes. Unfortunately, I have not visited all of them. But trust me, I wish I had the time to do it. Anyway, if you want to know more you should explore this website: https://www.austria.info/en/things-to-do