Central Europe
Austria
Imperial palaces, classical music and coffee houses in the cities, and lakes, glaciers and alpine villages everywhere else.
For storytellers
Why Austria matters
Austria packs two very different holidays into one small country. In the east, Vienna carries the grandeur of the Habsburg empire, with palaces, opera, waltzes and coffee houses where you can sit for hours over a single cup. Head west and south and the Alps take over: turquoise lakes, storybook villages like Hallstatt, glaciers and high mountain roads. Salzburg sits between the two, a baroque city of Mozart and film fame. Trains are good, villages are tidy, and the cake is serious. It works as a city break, a ski trip or a summer of hiking.
Talking points
- Vienna is a global capital of classical music, with opera and concerts every night of the season.
- Viennese coffee house culture is recognised as a cultural tradition worth experiencing slowly.
- Hallstatt's lakeside village is one of the most photographed in Europe.
- Salzburg is Mozart's hometown and the setting of a famous musical film.
- The Alps cover most of the country, with skiing in winter and hiking from spring to autumn.
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- Capital
- Vienna
- Languages
- German
- Currency
- Euro (EUR)
- Best time to go
- May to September for hiking and lakes; December to March for skiing; December for Christmas markets in Vienna and Salzburg.
Where to base yourself
Cities and towns in Austria
City
Salzburg
Austria
Mozart's baroque hometown beneath a clifftop fortress, with Alps on the horizon.
Village
Hallstatt
Austria
A tiny lakeside village in the mountains that looks like a painting and has an ancient salt-mining past.
City
Innsbruck
Austria
An Alpine city where pastel old-town houses meet a mountain wall just above the rooftops.
City
Graz
Austria
Austria's relaxed second city, with a UNESCO old town, a clock-tower hill and bold modern architecture.
Town
Zell am See
Austria
A lake and mountain resort that is the gateway to the high Alpine road and glacier skiing.
Town
Bregenz
Austria
A town on Lake Constance known for a floating opera stage and a minimalist art museum.
City
Linz
Austria
A Danube city that reinvented itself around technology, art and a famous nut-filled cake.
Town
Melk
Austria
A small Danube town beneath a giant baroque abbey, at the entrance to the Wachau valley.
Top places
What to see in Austria
- Top places
- Church, mosque or temple 7
- Palace 6
- Museum 5
- Lake 5
- Mountain 5
- Entertainment 4
- Neighbourhood 4
- Castle 3
- Scenic route 3
- Viewpoint 3
- Other 2
- Historic site 2
- Art gallery 2
- Food and drink 2
- Garden 1
- Bridge 1
- Market 1
- Waterfall 1
- Cave 1
Palace · UNESCO
Schönbrunn Palace
Vienna, Austria
The Habsburg summer palace with ornate rooms and vast gardens, one of Vienna's top sights.
Palace · UNESCO
Belvedere Palace
Vienna, Austria
A baroque palace and gardens that holds Klimt's The Kiss.
Scenic route
Grossglockner High Alpine Road
Austria
A spectacular mountain road with hairpin bends, glacier views and Austria's highest peak.
Palace · UNESCO
Hofburg Palace
Vienna, Austria
The sprawling former imperial palace in the city centre, now home to museums and the president's offices.
Castle · UNESCO
Hohensalzburg Fortress
Salzburg, Austria
A huge medieval fortress on a hill above Salzburg, reached by funicular or on foot.
Museum
Kunsthistorisches Museum
Vienna, Austria
A grand art museum with Habsburg treasures, including major works by Bruegel and Vermeer.
Mountain
Nordkette Cable Car
Innsbruck, Austria
A cable car from the city centre to alpine peaks in minutes.
Church, mosque or temple · UNESCO
St. Stephen's Cathedral
Vienna, Austria
Vienna's gothic cathedral with a colourful tiled roof and a tower you can climb.
Neighbourhood · UNESCO
Getreidegasse
Salzburg, Austria
Salzburg's narrow shopping street, with wrought-iron guild signs hanging above shop fronts.
Historic site
Golden Roof
Innsbruck, Austria
A late-medieval balcony with a roof of gilded copper tiles, the symbol of Innsbruck.
Church, mosque or temple · UNESCO
Melk Abbey
Melk, Austria
A sweeping golden-yellow baroque abbey on a rock above the Danube.
Garden · UNESCO
Mirabell Palace and Gardens
Salzburg, Austria
A baroque palace with formal gardens and a picture-perfect view of the fortress.
Church, mosque or temple · UNESCO
Salzburg Cathedral
Salzburg, Austria
A baroque cathedral where Mozart was baptised.
Entertainment
Vienna State Opera
Vienna, Austria
One of the world's leading opera houses, with performances most evenings.
Entertainment
Bregenz Festival Lake Stage
Bregenz, Austria
A giant floating stage on Lake Constance for spectacular summer opera.
Mountain · UNESCO
Dachstein Mountain
Austria
The highest peak in the region, with glaciers and cable-car viewpoints above Hallstatt.
Cave
Eisriesenwelt Ice Cave
Austria
One of the largest ice caves in the world, reached by cable car and a steep walk.
Waterfall
Krimml Waterfalls
Austria
One of the tallest waterfalls in Europe, tumbling in three stages with a path alongside.
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