Welcome To Austria No country waltzes so effortlessly between the urban and the outdoors as Austria. One day you’re cresting alpine summits, the next you’re swanning around imperial Vienna. Perhaps yours will be a meandering one through deeply carved valleys, […]
Welcome To Austria
No country waltzes so effortlessly between the urban and the outdoors as Austria. One day you’re cresting alpine summits, the next you’re swanning around imperial Vienna. Perhaps yours will be a meandering one through deeply carved valleys, on railways that unzip the Alps to thread improbably along sheer mountain flanks, past glaciers and through flower-freckled meadows
Vienna
Vienna is among the least spoiled of the great old western European capitals. Its central core, the Innere Stadt, is easily manageable by foot and public transportation. In a city renowned for its architecture, many of Vienna’s urban prospects remain basically those devised over several centuries by imperial gardeners and architects. The skyline is still dominated by the spire of St. Stephen’s Cathedral and by the giant Ferris wheel in the city’s chief park, the Prater.
Salzkammergut Lake
Salzkammergut Lakes has developed into one of the most popular destinations in Austria on account of its outstanding natural beauty. We visit the crystal clear Lake Mondsee, one of the largest lakes in the region and also one of the warmest.
Innsbruck
A host of cultural highlights await you in the regional capital of the Tyrol. From the newly renovated Imperial Palace and the famous Golden Roof to the Tyrolean Folk Art Museum – this baroque city offers something for every lover of culture. The heart of the town, of course, offers plenty for those who are more interested in the art of cooking than culture.
Salzburg
Salzburg is a very popular tourist destination and famous for mainly four things: Its Baroque architecture and general prettiness (the old town is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site); as the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart ; the world-class Salzburg Festival, a series of opera, concerts and theatre performances during the summer; and as the place where the movie “The Sound of Music” was shot.
When to go and weather
High Season (Apr–Oct)
- High season peaks from July to August.
- In lake areas, the peak is June to September.
- Prices rise over Christmas and Easter.
- Salzburg is busiest in July and August for the Salzburg Festival.
Shoulder (late Mar–May & late Sep–Oct)
- The weather’s changeable, the lakes are chilly and the hiking’s excellent.
- Sights are open and less crowded.
Low Season (Nov–Mar)
- Many sights are closed at this time of year.
- There’s a cultural focus in Vienna and the regional capitals.
- Ski resorts open from mid-December.
- The high season for skiing is mid-December to March.
Sample Itinerary – 10 Days
This itinerary is Austria in a nutshell, winging you from Vienna’s opulent palaces and coffee houses to the vine-stitched Wachau Valley. Mozart, Maria, and landscapes no well-orchestrated symphony or yodeling nun could ever quite capture – this one has the lot. Devote a couple of cultural days to swanning around Habsburg palaces, world-class galleries hung with Klimts and sumptuous coffee houses in Vienna. A breezy hour’s train ride west and you’re in the heart of wine country and on the Danube in the picture-book Wachau. Linger for a day or two to lap up the castles, abbeys and local rieslings. Swing west now for two days to the Salzkammergut, where cinematic mountain backdrops rim lakes of bluest blue. Base yourself in ludicrously pretty Hallstatt for peak-gazing swims and a visit to Dachstein’s astonishing ice caves. From here, head west to Salzburg for a feast of baroque art, prince-archbishop palaces, Mozart and more. After a couple of days, tag on a day in Werfen with its high-on-a-hill castle and extraordinary Eisriesenwelt – all backdropped by the Tennengebirge’s jagged limestone peaks.
Fast Facts
Capital: Vienna
Currency: Euro
Language: German, Hungarian, Austrian German, Slovenian
Recommendations: Stift Melk, Schloss Ambras, Staatsoper