Austria Travel
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Like much of Europe, Austria is a year round destination thanks to its glorious summer sightseeing and extreme winter sports. Winter sports hit their stride from mid December to late March, and naturally, both crowds and prices increase in the summer months of July and August. But outside these months, it's basically just you and Austria's eight million locals. Almost half the country remains dense forest, yielding to alpine fields at altitudes of around 2000 metres. In fact, June is a particularly good time to visit, as countless alpine flowers start to carpet the mountains in colour.
Vienna, Austria's capital, has a certain formality about it. Impressive public buildings line the city's streets, traditions are carefully observed, and culture is everywhere: world class museums, renowned orchestras and lavish concert halls. And then there's the cuisine! Traditional Austrian food is of the meat-and-dumpling variety: stodgy but hearty fare. Perhaps the best example is Vienna's own wiener schnitzel. But it's when it comes to pastries, cakes and coffee that the country excels.
Of course, you'll need to walk off all those newly acquired calories if you've succumbed to the sacher torte. The good news is that most of Vienna's main attractions are found in the old city and are easy to explore on foot. Start at St. Stephan's Cathedral, where you can climb the south tower for a panoramic view of the city. Make sure you also visit the massive Imperial Palace (the Hofburg), the Schonbrunn Palace, the Belvedere Palace and the Kunsthistorisches Museum as well as the fascinating Jewish quarter (Judenplatz).
Sheltered by its surrounding mountains, Salzburg straddles the Salzach River near the border with Germany. From its quaint old town nestled below the medieval Hohensalzburg Fortress to its baroque palace and manicured gardens, the city presents one perfect view after another.
For a truly memorable 50 kilometre mountain trip, load up the car and head for the Grossglockner Road, Austria's premier alpine route. The best section is in the Hohe Tauern National Park where there are dramatic views of numerous peaks, including the mighty snow-covered Grossglockner. For skiers, the Arlberg region offers some of the best skiing in the country. St Anton is the largest and least pretentious of these resorts. With good medium-to-advanced runs as well as nursery slopes on Gampen and Kapall, the resort entered skiing history when it hosted the World Skiing Championships in 2001. Vienna is Austria's main air transport hub, but there are international airports at Linz, Graz, Salzburg, Innsbruck and Klagenfurt. It may be cheaper for you to fly to a European 'gateway' city and then travel overland from there to visit Austria. Munich, for example, is just two hours by train to Salzburg.
Visit the Austrian destination guide for more information.
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