Innsbruck
Rising above Innsbruck like a celestial staircase, this glass-and-steel ski jump was designed by much-lauded Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid. It's 455 steps or…
Must-see attractions in Austria
Styria
This is the cultural heart of Leoben. The complex has an interesting Schienen der Vergangenheit (Tracks of the Past) section telling the history of Leoben…
Tyrol
Seefeld’s trophy sight is this late-Gothic parish church, the supposed location of a miracle. The story goes that Oswald Milser gobbled a wafer reserved…
Schloss Belvedere to the Canal
Wow, a museum with Schiele, Raphael, Rembrandt and Marc Chagall paintings that nobody knows about? Well, that's because they are all fakes, though…
The Zillertal
The main draw for hikers in Ginzling is the Naturpark Zillertaler Alpen, a 379-sq-km nature park and pristine alpine wilderness of deep valleys and…
Styria
Built in 1250 by the Liechtenstein family, who once ruled the region, Schloss Murau was transformed into its present late-Renaissance form in the 17th…
St Wolfgang
St Wolfgang’s impressive Wallfahrtskirche is a spectacular gallery of religious art, with glittering altars (from Gothic to baroque), an extravagant…
Styria
This space, part of the MuseumsCenter Leoben, stages excellent exhibitions that are held every two years over a period of about seven or eight months and…
Tyrol
Stepping south of the medieval centre is the Burg Hasegg, where a spiral staircase coils up to the 5th floor for far-reaching views over Hall. The castle…
Linz
Street art comes into its own on the graffiti-blasted industrial facades in Linz' harbourside Hafenviertel. You'll find eye-catching, larger-than-life…
The Danube Valley
If you're intent on tasting the best of what the Wachau has to offer, it's a good idea to do a broad range of vineyards, from the innovative family-run…
Hohe Tauern National Park
As though cupped in celestial hands and held up to the mighty Alps, this 15th-century pilgrimage church lifts gazes, and spirits. Inside is a tabernacle,…
Vienna
From 1772 to 1780 Johann Ferdinand Hetzendorf added some of the final touches to the Schloss Schönbrunn palace park under the instructions of Joseph II…
The Salzkammergut
High-tech multimedia exhibits provide an overview of symbolist painter Gustav Klimt's life and works on the Attersee, which for Klimt fans is comparable…
Styria
The town square, host to a food and flower market on Wednesday and Saturday, is graced by the Rathaus, with an attractive arcaded courtyard;…
Vorarlberg
Glittering at a giddy 2030m above sea level, this startlingly aquamarine reservoir mirrors the snowcapped diamond of 3312m Piz Buin on bright mornings…
Tyrol
Schwaz hides a remarkably well-preserved Altstadt, built high on the riches of medieval silver. Taking pride of place on pedestrianised Franz-Josef…
Vorarlberg
The brainchild of much-lauded Pritzker Prize–winning architect Peter Zumthor, the slickly minimalist Werkraum, with its low-rise, timber-and-concrete,…
Carinthia
With its harmonious pillared crypt, the Dom (built between 1140 and 1200) is Austria’s foremost church from the Romanesque epoch. Inside you will also…
Salzburg
With its horse-drawn carriages, palace and street entertainers, this stately baroque square is the Salzburg of a thousand postcards. Its centrepiece is…
The Danube Valley
The Egon Schiele Museum, housed in a former jail near the Danube, vividly presents the story of the life of the Tulln-born artist. It presents around 100…
Vienna
The Wien Museum covers Vienna's history from Neolithic times to the 20th century, putting the city and its personalities in a meaningful context. It's…
The Salzkammergut
This 2km-long lakeside trail has information boards with prints of works by Gustav Klimt. The Vienna Secessionist painter spent regular spells on the…
Graz
Rising up on Herrengasse between the main square and Jakominiplatz, the town parish church stands out for its attractive baroque exterior. Inside, the…
Tyrol
Standing sentinel above Landeck, this 13th-century hilltop castle is visible from afar. The 1st-floor museum showcases everything from Celtic figurines to…
Vienna
The cemetery has three gates: the first is opposite Schloss Concordia and leads to the old Jewish graves; the second, the main gate, directs you to the…
Vienna
The private Kunstforum museum gets about 300,000 visitors each year, and for good reason – it stages an exciting program of changing exhibitions, usually…
Tyrol
Ehrwald’s crowning glory is the glaciated 2962m Zugspitze, Germany’s highest peak, straddling the Austro-German border. From the crest there’s a…
Tyrol
Arnica, edelweiss and purple bellflowers are among the 400 alpine blooms flourishing at this quiet garden atop Kitzbüheler Horn. It’s a four-hour (14km)…
The Salzkammergut
Carved in 1753 as part of the Pfarrkirche, this pulpit depicts the miracle of the fishes from the New Testament. It's a rather glam and glowing baroque…
Krems an der Donau
Reached by a covered stairway (Piaristenstiege) from Pfarrplatz, Krems' most impressive church has a wonderful webbed Gothic ceiling and huge, austerely…
Graz
This clock tower perched on the southern edge of Schlossberg is the city's emblem. Its present form dates back to the 1560s, and it is so beloved that the…
St Gilgen
There are numerous houses worldwide dedicated to Mozart, but this one takes the interesting approach of focusing mostly on the family, especially his…
Innsbruck
The Volkskunst Museum presents a fascinating romp through Tyrolean folk art from hand-carved sleighs and Christmas cribs to carnival masks and cowbells…
Carinthia
Insert a €2 coin into the turnstile set in a stupa to access this Buddhist walkway that climbs high above serene Hüttenberg. The metal staircases cling to…
Styria
This Benedictine abbey is a stunning Romanesque basilica and serves as the mausoleum of Karl II. A highlight is the moving Romanesque crucifixion, which…
Graz
Murinsel is a constructed island-cum-bridge of metal and plastic in the middle of the Mur. This modern floating landmark contains a cafe, a kids'…
Vorarlberg
The 23km-long Silvretta High Alpine Rd twists and turns beneath peaks rising to well over 2500m before climbing over the 2036m Bielerhöhe Pass via 34…
Vorarlberg
Easily explored on foot or by bike, this nature reserve sits 5km south of Bregenz, where the River Rhine flows into the Bodensee. The mossy marshes, reeds…
Graz
Graz' most compelling contemporary art space specialises in photography. A calendar of shows spans reportage, fashion and more conceptual work, and…
