1. Vienna: Full-Day Vienna Woods Wine Tour
Lower Austria is the cradle of Austrian viticulture, and this is your chance to visit the area's beautiful forests and vineyards of the Thermal Region, just south of Vienna. Your tour meeting point is Vienna's main railway station, where once you've met your guides you'll board a train southwards for approximately 30 minutes to the heart of the Vienna Woods. Summer (April-October) Your summer tour will begin with a hike in the spa town of Baden, which was once a favorite country retreat of Beethoven. From there you will walk along forest trails towards a magnificent elevated viewpoint overlooking the Vienna Basin in all directions. This spot alone is a photographer's dream, and will be followed by you entering the neighboring vineyards, wandering through row upon row of lush green vines. As a reward, you'll take a break among the vines for an open-air wine tasting at a local producer. Winter (November-March) Your train will bring you directly to the vineyards of one of Austria’s oldest winemaking institutions, steeped in middle-age tradition and history. While there, learn about how the monastic orders became wine pioneers of their time. Sample a glass of local sekt to toast to your arrival in the Austrian wine country. The afternoon segment of both the winter and summer tours will be the same. You will continue to the picturesque wine village of Gumpoldskirchen for lunch at a traditional Austrian wine tavern. From there, your second tasting is led by a local winemaker to whom you can ask questions about how wine is produced and which challenges modern-day vintners face. Your tour later concludes with a short train ride back to the city center, just in time for your evening schedule.