Introducing Austria
Vienna’s jewel-box palaces and Mozart melodies, sparkling Alps and problems like Maria naturally still have their place in Austria’s heart. But venture further for experiences that defy expectations: from slinging on a backpack to stride through the Tennengebirge’s lunar landscape to slurping cider with grizzled farmers in Mostviertel orchards, from catapulting down the jaw-dropping Harakiri in Mayrhofen to bathing in Salzkammergut’s tingly lakes. Visit historic spa towns like Bad Ischl or discover cities such as Linz, where a newfound street cred is adding a twist to Austria’s tale. So cast aside the well-thumbed picture-book, as the real story is even more enchanting…
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Austria flaunts its heritage in exuberant fashion. Vienna’s bombastic Habsburg palaces and Salzburg’s baroque splendour are worthy, but dig deeper and you’ll unearth Stone Age settlements, Roman archaeological sites at Carnuntum and medieval festivals. In the country where Mozart composed and Strauss taught the world to twirl, you won’t need to search hard for culture – it waltzes right up to you.
Make it happen
Ready to go? These recommended partners make it easy:
- Cycle from Salzburg to Vienna
- Take a walk in the Austrian lakes
- Enjoy a royal package at the Schonbrunn Palace
- Revel in the beauty of the Wachau Valley on a Danube boat ride
- Travel from Vienna to Greece across 11 European countries
Last updated: Jan 19, 2012
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Hotels & Hostels
Top cities in Austria
Browse more cities in AustriaFeatured property
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Jufa Salzburg
Salzburg
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Austria
Things to do
- All things to do (1,524)
- Activities (204)
- Entertainment (282)
- Restaurants (362)
- Shopping (172)
- Sights (478)
- Tours (26)
Make it happen
Our Top Picks For Austria
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1 Innsbruck
The Austrian Alps capital with cobbled-stone lanes and the shimmering Goldenes Dachl
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2 Bregenzerwald
Idyllic villages, clinking cow bells and delicious cheeses from alpine dairies
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3 Salzburg
Birthplace of Mozart and baroque to the back teeth
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4 Grossglockner Road
Winding road through epic countryside, climbing to Austria's highest peak
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5 Tyrol's Valleys
Steep, narrow, awe-inspiring alpine valleys once carved by unstoppable glaciers
Fast Facts about Austria
- Growth rate
2.7%
- Median net income per year
€16, 626
- GDP
€257.9 billion
- Percentage overweight or obese
43.3% women & 57.7% men
- Number of dogs in Austria
560, 000
- Unemployment rate
6.3%
- Population
8, 281, 950
- Inflation rate
1.8%
Our favourite Austria Blogs (beta)
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In Search of Schnitzel in Vienna
Blog: Suzy Guese - 8 February 2012
It is so quiet you could hear my fork drop on the plate ever so lightly, that is, if I ever put it down. My waiter makes certain to place my Erdäpfel-Vogerlsalat, a vinegary potato salad with lamb’s lettuce, down in such a manner that I wouldn’t ever have to give my fork a rest. [...]
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Picture Perfect: Pretty Churches in Europe
Blog: The Art of Slow Travel - 1 February 2012
This post is part of a new series entitled ‘Picture Perfect’, published because of my wish to showcase some beautiful travel shots from around the world which didn’t quite make it into regular blog posts or which tell a story on their own and need few words, if any, to describe them. I grew up [...]
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Schloss Schonbrunn, Vienna: A splash of colour in the Grey
Blog: The Art of Slow Travel - 30 January 2012
The sky was grey, colourless. Most trees had long shed their leaves, the shrubs shrivelled and lost their green. Little colour was left apart from the slightly tired-looking lawn, but it was not hard to image how magnificent the Schloss Schonbrunn’s gardens would look come Spring and Summer, mainly because a few months earlier, Kristina [...]
