Places to Visit in Austria

As the imperial capital of the country, Vienna has some big shoes to fill. However, its majestic baroque architecture, lively cultural scene, and cozy coffee-house culture ensure that it more than lives up to anyone's expectations. Visitors can admire the artwork in one of the city's many museums, spend the afternoon in one of the opulent coffee-houses, or tour important landmarks like the Schloss Schönbrunn and the Belvedere Palace. It's also worth making time to take in a live music performance; sometimes called the City of Music, Vienna has something to offer people of every age and musical inclination.

Famous for being the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the shooting location for The Sound of Music, Salzburg boasts a picturesque old town that looks like something straight out of a storybook. The many stunning baroque buildings have earned the old town the honor of being a UNESCO World Heritage Site; visitors should take special care to visit Festung Hohensalzburg, the largest intact fortress in Central Europe. Thanks to its history, the city also has a wonderful arts and music scene; it hosts approximately 4,000 cultural events every year, including the highly acclaimed Salzburg Festspiele.

Nestled in a tiny valley and surrounded by towering mountains on every side, Innsbruck is a quintessential Austrian mountain town. The area has a long history of hosting winter sports competitions and is renowned for its ski resorts, which draw throngs of visitors during the colder months. There's plenty to do during the summer as well; visitors can hike through stunning alpine meadows or take the cable car up the Nordkette mountain range. It's worth spending some time in the town itself as well; the late-medieval old town boasts beautiful architecture as well as plenty of coffee shops and restaurants.

Set in the High Tauern mountains, Bad Gastein first rose to fame because of its bubbling natural hot springs. Believed by some to have miraculous healing properties, the thermal waters can be enjoyed at many of the town's spas and resorts. The impressive Gastein Waterfall is located right in the center of the town, surrounded by gorgeous Belle Époque buildings and enticing fir forests. Although the area is most popular with tourists who come to ski during the winter season, there are plenty of excellent hiking opportunities to be found here during the warmer months.

The former summer home of Emperor Franz Josef I, Bad Ischl has been a fashionable spa resort since the 19th century. Today, visitors can enjoy a massage at one of the resorts or warm up in one of the many thermal spas or saunas. Another highlight of the town is Kaiser Villa, a beautiful neoclassical structure that served as the summer residence of the royal family for many years. Visitors looking for a bit of nature can take a cable car to the top of majestic Mount Katrin or stroll up to the wooden lookout tower on the southern side of the town.

Located on the shores of Lake Constance, Bregenz offers incredible views of Germany, Switzerland, and the Alps. A promenade runs along the waterfront, making an excellent place for a stroll, and the city itself is full of admirable art and architecture. Visitors often take a cable car to the top of Mt. Pfander, where they can take advantage of the many hiking trails or enjoy a meal with a view at the mountaintop restaurant. The city also hosts the famous Bregenz Festival during the months of July and August, which is well worth attending for the opera, the orchestra, and other cultural events.

Despite its small size, Eisenstadt has a rich history and is the former home of the famous 18th-century musician and composer Joseph Haydn. Esterhazy Castle is one of the city's main landmarks, and it boasts one of the most beautiful concert halls in the world. The historic old town offers a pedestrian-only area filled with stores, cafes, and restaurants, and there are more than enough museums in the downtown core to keep history buffs entertained. The area surrounding Eisenstadt is a well-known wine-growing region; it's worth making a day trip here to see the vineyards and sample the delicious food.

A leafy green university town with connections to big names like Erwin Schrödinger and Nikola Tesla, Graz is the second-largest city in Austria. The beautiful old town is the heart and soul of the city, and thanks to its Renaissance courtyards and baroque palaces, it has been named a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. A forested hill known as the Schlossberg sits in the center of town; visitors can reach the top by foot, by cable car, or by glass elevator. The hill is home to the city's symbolic clock tower and offers panoramic views of the city.

Starting at the base of the highest mountain in Austria, the Grossglockner High Alpine Road leads right into the heart of the Hohe Tauern National Park. The road winds past alpine meadows, thundering waterfalls, imposing cliffs, and snow fields that remain frozen even in the middle of summer; thiry-six carefully engineered bends provide excellent lookout points over the most scenic spots. Visitors will eventually end up at the large Pasterze Glacier, where it's possible to take a 30-minute stroll to the glacier or join a guided tour. Once at the glacier, visitors can choose to either turn around or continue to Salzburg.

Sometimes known as the "three-state mountain," Hoher Dachstein is situated at the border of Upper Austria, Styria, and Salzburg and is the second-highest mountain in the Northern Limestone Alps. At 2,995 meters high, the top of the mountain offers panoramic views over the peaks of the Alps that extend as far as the Czech Republic and Slovenia. The mountain is very popular with rock climbers, but there are plenty of things for non-climbers to do as well, including the suspension bridge, the Skywalk viewing platform, the enchanting Ice Palace, and the breathtaking Stairway to Nothingness, which ends on a vertigo-inducing glass platform.