Austria Guide
A symphony of baroque romance, open-air art and giddying mountains, Austria strikes a chord with its grand cultural sights and Alpine heights. From the old-world grandeur of Vienna's cafés to Tirol's glass-walled spas, discover the country behind the lederhosen.
Fall for Vienna's whirl of Imperial palaces, opulent Jugendstil cafés and the Museum Quarter's cultural riches. Mozart runs through Salzburg's baroque veins. Peer above red-tiled rooftops and gables in Graz's Old Town, up to pointy alpine peaks from Innsbruck's maze of narrow streets and seek out Roman-rooted Linz on the Danube's banks.
Explore the Danube Valley's steep vineyards and Dachstein's warren of sub-zero caves. Hike Hohe Tauern National Park to spot Alpine ibex, ice-blue glaciers and thundering waterfalls in the shadow of Grossglockner Mountain. Swim in Lake Wörthersee's turquoise waters, cross the Leutasch Gorge's swirling whirlpools and ski the Big 3 in Sölden, Tirol's trio of 3,000-metre-high peaks.
Foodies sniff out Vorarlberg's flavoursome Bergkäse cheese, Styria's fruity Weissburgunder wines and pumpkin-seed oil, and Armschlag's poppy liqueur. Pop into Vienna's Grand Cacao for arty pralines and pistachio-filled Mozartkugeln. Shop for glittering crystals in Swarovski's flagship store, Innsbruck, or blue-and-white porcelain in Gmunden.
Warm up with hearty Austrian fare like tafelspitz (braised beef) and spicy goulash in the Kitzbühel Alps. Salzburg serves up Wiener Schnitzel (bread-crumbed veal escalope) with lashings of potato salad, washed down with gold-hued Stiegl beer. Save room for flaky apfelstrudel in Vienna's 1950s-style Café Prückel, or chocolatey Sachertorte in Innsbruck's Café Sacher.
Spa is the word on Tirol's lips. Head for Längenfeld's Aqua Dome to sweat it out in the 70°C hay-barn sauna or alpine steam dome. Brave Austria's first cold chamber in Bad Häring for therapeutic freezing in teeth-chattering sub-zero temperatures.
