Travelling through Europe!

AUSTRIA

Velden-Worther lake

Visits to Austria mostly include trips to Vienna with its Cathedral, its "Heurigen" (wine pubs) and romantic Waltz music flair. Worth a visit are Salzburg, birthplace of Mozart, Innsbruck, capital of Tyrol surrounded by the Alps, and the Danube valley with its vineyards, for example the Wachau or Dunkelsteinerwald, which are between Melk and Krems. In the western part of the country the province Vorarlberg reaches the Lake Constance, in the eastern part Neusiedler See.
Of great touristic importance are the Austrian skiing, hiking and mountaineering resorts in the Alps as well as family-friendly recreation areas (e.g. the Witches's Water in Tyrol). The same applies to the numerous Austrian lakes (e.g. Wolfgangsee and other lakes in the Salzkammergut east of Salzburg or Wörthersee in Carinthia).
For visitors interested in Media Art, there is the Ars Electronica Center in Linz. Since 1979 this center has organized the Ars Electronica Festival and presented the Prix Ars Electronica, the worldwide highest-ranked prize for media art.

Obertauern by night

Halstatt

Seefeld-winter

Vienna (German: Wien) is the capital of Austria, and also one of the nine States of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primate city; with a population of about 1.7 million (2.3 million within the metropolitan area), and is by far the largest city in Austria as well as its cultural, economic and political centre. Vienna lies in the very east of Austria and is close to the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. In 2001, the city centre was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an Economist Intelligence Unit study of 127 world cities ranked it third for quality of life.

Vienna

Hofburg-Vienna's Imperial Palace

Vienna State Opera

When To Go

For warm weather, aim for the months between April and October. In the summer high season (July to August) crowds are bigger, prices higher and temperatures in cities can rise to uncomfortable levels. Austrians also take their summer break at this time and many famous institutions close down. Consequently, June and September are also busy months for tourism, and are quite often the best times for city trips and hiking in the Alps.

During winter you'll find the cities less crowded and the hotel prices lower (except over Christmas and Easter), but it can get bitterly cold. The length of the skiing season depends on the altitude of the resort - skiing is possible on glaciers nearly year-round. Alpine resorts are very quiet from late April to mid-June, and in November and early December. School children have week-long breaks over Christmas and during February, making it a good time to avoid the pistes. Festivals occur year-round, although the majority of music festivals are held between May and October.

Kitzbuhel-winter,night

Graz

Kitzbuhel by night

Places to see

1) Eisriesenwelt Caves

Set at an elevation of 1640m (5380ft), these caves are the largest accessible ice caves in the world with more than 40km (25mi) of explored passageways. Entry to the caves is regulated and a 75-minute tour takes in several immense caverns containing elaborate ice formations and frozen waterfalls.

2) Salzburg

Salzburg's Altstadt (old town), on the south bank of the river, is a Baroque fiesta of churches, plazas, courtyards and fountains, oozing the waves of charm that you would expect from this Mozart Mecca. Museums, houses, squares, chocolate bars and liqueurs are all part of one giant homage to Wolfgang.

When To Go to Salzburg
Salzburg is a year-round destination so when you go depends on what you want to do or see. The summer high season is in July and August, when both large crowds and high prices may be a turn off. June and September are also busy months for tourism. Winter can get very cold but things will be less crowded and hotel prices will be lower (except over Christmas and Easter). Winter sports are in full swing from mid-December to late March.

3) Eisriesenwelt Höhle

The world's largest accessible ice caves are in the mountains near Salzburg. These Eisriesenwelt Höhle (Giant Ice Caves) house elaborate and beautiful ice formations. Take warm clothes because - surprise, surprise - it gets cold inside. The tour lasts 75 minutes, so you need to be reasonably fit.

4) Hohe Tauern National Park

This park covers over 1786 sq km (690 sq mi), making it Europe's biggest. At the heart of this protected oasis of flora and fauna (including marmots and some rare ibexes) lies the 3797m (12,454ft) Grossglockner, Austria's highest mountain. The highway through the park, the Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse, is one of the world's most scenic.

5) Krimml Falls

These triple-level falls are an inspiring sight and attract hordes of visitors in summer. In winter, the slopes above Krimml village become a ski area, and the falls a static lump of ice. The falls' combined height is 380m (1246ft), over three main sections connected by a twisting river and rapids. The trail alongside them is steep in parts, but rewarding.

6) Kuenringerburg

High up on a hill, where it commands a marvellous view of a curve of Danube River, is the ruined castle of Künringerburg, where King Richard I (the Lionheart) was imprisoned from 1192 to 1193 for the heinous crime of insulting Leopold V.

7) Schloss Hellbrunn

Built in the 17th century by bishop Markus Sittikus, this castle is mainly known for its ingenious trick fountains and water-powered figures. When the tour guides set them off, expect to get wet! Admission includes a tour of the baroque palace. Other parts of the garden (without fountains) are open year-round and free to visit.

Events Overview

The cycle of music festivals is unceasing. In January, New Year concerts consist of lavish balls in Vienna. February brings Fasching (Shrovetide carnival) which celebrates the return of spring with masked processions and dances. Corpus Christi (the second Thursday after Whitsun) is heralded with more carnivals, some held on lakes in the Salzkammergut. The Wiener Festwochen (from May to mid-June) has a wide-ranging programme of arts and is considered the highlight of the year. Midsummer Night's celebrations on 21 June light up the sky with magnificent bonfires. The Salzburger Festspiele takes place in late July and August and includes plenty of music by the city's favourite son, Mozart. National Day on 26 October involves lots of patriotic flag-waving. St Nicholas Day, on 5 to 6 December, marks the beginning of the Christmas season.

Stuben

Saalbach

Getting around in Austria

Cars

The Austrians are known to be a car-loving nation. As a result, Austria boasts an excellent road network. However, almost all of the bigger cities suffer from severe parking availability problems. Spaces are scarce and prohibitively expensive. If you do find a space, the time you are allowed to park for is usually around 90 minutes in central districts. One way streets and traffic jams also take enjoyment out of the journey.
If you do decide to drive your own car here to Austria you will need to purchase a Vignette which is a form of toll that allows you to drive on Austria's motorways. These vignettes can be purchased at gas stations, border crossings etc.
Drivers in Austria are also required to carry safety warning equipment, namely a reflective warning triangle to place on the road in the event of an accident, a first aid kit and a reflective vest. Failure to carry these items in your car will leave you liable to a fine.

Public transport

The public transport system in Austria is excellent. Austria's rail network is comfortable, reliable and fast. The main rail website offers excellent information on timetables, services and discounts. The quality of service offered by the rail network makes it far more appealing than bus links.
Cities such as Bratislava, Budapest, Prague, Munich, Venice are all are regularly served from main stations. For the more adventurous there is also the possibility to travel further a field to destinations such as Warsaw, Berlin, Kiev etc.

Air links

All of Austria's major cities including Linz, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Graz and Klagenfurt and Vienna have their own international airports. Austrian Airlines, Austria's national carrier, serves all of the above cities and connects Austria with many international destinations. There are now a range of low cost carriers which connect Vienna, Linz and Bratislava to a number of European destinations e.g. AirBerlin, FlyNiki, Ryanair, Sky Europe and German Wings.

Cycling

Many Austrian cities and towns encourage cyclists through designated cycle lanes. There are many beautifully tended cycling routes throughout the country esp. in areas of natural beauty such as along the Danube river.