Europe and Middle East

A three day weekend is plenty of time to see the best of Eastern Austria. While the region is beautiful any time of year, it is transformed into a magical snowy fairytale setting during late autumn and as a bonus the Christmas markets (open air craft and food markets sprinkled throughout the region spreading holiday cheer) are open from November through the end of the year.

Here's a look at two quintessential Austrian cities; one straddles the Danube River in the eastern part of the country, and the other is further west, and a bit inland from a significant waterway, but it's a popular day trip on many cruises along the Danube River.

A city known for its coffee culture, opera, classical music and ultra-rich Sachertorte, Vienna is a wonderful city to visit.