Austria Travel Guide
Austria recaptures the spirit of a bygone era: Ornate palaces, imperial monuments and echoes of Mozart' s music abound - all remind travelers of life as it once was.
Stephansdom
A must-see for any visitor to Vienna is the Stephansdom which is located right in its centre. Walking around Stephansdom early in the morning certainly has its merits. With still nearly no one around, it gives the perfect opportunity to watch this place coming to life. There are the horses and their fiacres, the horsedrivers trying to make their horses look at their best and cleaning the stones in the street with water whenever one of the horses has got rid of his excretions.
Wachau Valley
The Wachau (German pronunciation: [va?xa?]) is an Austrian valley with a landscape of high visibility formed by the Danube river. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations of Lower Austria, located midway between the towns of Melk and Krems. It is 30 km in length and was already settled in prehistoric times. A well-known place and tourist attraction is Dürnstein, where King Richard the Lion-Heart of England was held captive by Duke Leopold V.
Neuschwanstein Castle
The Neuschwanstein Castle is one most visited castles in Germany and one of the most popular tourist destination in Europe.
Innsbruck
Innsbruck is the capital city of the federal state of Tyrol in western Austria. It is located in the Inn Valley at the junction with the Wipptal (Sill River), which provides access to the Brenner Pass, some 30 kilometers (19 mi) south of Innsbruck. Located in the broad valley between high mountains, the Nordkette (Hafelekar, 2,334 meters (7,657 ft)) in the north, Patscherkofel (2,246 meters (7,369 ft)) and Serles (2,718 meters (8,917 ft)) in the south, it is an internationally renowned winter sports centre, and hosted the 1964 and 1976 Winter Olympics and the 1984 and 1988 Winter Paralympics. It is to host the 1st Winter Youth Olympics in 2012. The word bruck comes from the German word Brücke meaning "bridge" which leads to "the bridge over the Inn".
Salzburg
Salzburg means "salt castle", referring to its massive fortress and the white gold from the mountains in the South. It is the capital of a federal province of Austria with the same name. Its approximately 150,000 residents make it the fourth biggest Austrian city. Beyond that, it is Austria?s most beautiful spot - as we as residents will arguably claim.
Hellbrunn Palace
Hellbrunn Palace (German: Schloss Hellbrunn) is an early Baroque villa of palatial size, near Morzg, a southern district of the city of Salzburg, Austria. It was built in 1613-19 by Markus Sittikus von Hohenems, Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg, and named for the "clear spring" that supplied it. Hellbrunn was only meant for use as a day residence in summer, as the Archbishop usually returned to Salzburg in the evening. Therefore, there is no bedroom in Hellbrunn.
Trick Fountains
The trick fountain gardens of Hellbrunn Palace were built by masons from Salzburg and Italy, the best craftsmen of their time, under the guidance of Santino Solari. The most famous features are the Neptunfountain by H. C. Asper, built in the early 17th century and the so-called Roman Theatre with a marble table with seats that are part of a hidden fountain.
Hohensalzburg Fortress
Fortress Hohensalzburg is a real eye-catcher peaking out high above the baroque towers of the city. The castle in Salzburg is an unmistakable landmark providing the city’s world famous silhouette. Even from afar the visitor is able to appreciate the might of this edifice. Up close the history contained in these powerful walls is almost tangible.
Mozart’s Birthplace
It wouldn?t be Salzburg if Mozart-sites were not pimped out to the tourism industry twice: there are two Mozart memorial museums in Salzburg, one in the birthplace of the genius, the other in his former living place. Both are worth a visit, but be careful that you don?t suffer a Mozart over-kill on your Salzburg visit!
St. Michael’s Basilica
It can be easy to overlook Michaelskirche (St. Michael's Church), a pink church in the heavily-touristed area of Residenzplatz and Waagplatz, but be sure to stop by for a quick visit – this small church is the oldest church in Salzburg.
Hallstatt
Halstatt is set on piles in one of the Gosau lakes, the Halstättersee. An intricate system of intersecting timber ramps, butresses and ascending terraces like hanging gardens creates an air of mystery, the eerie beauty of mirage, a village lost in the middle-mist of fable. The mountain flanks rise sheer from the lake, leaving no room for a road.
Obertraun
Obertraun, Upper Austria is a village in the Salzkammergut, a region in Austria. It is located near the Hallstätter See (Hallstatt Lake) and Hoher Dachstein. Obertraun is a great place to go on holiday. There are many thing to do there. In the winter you can go skiing or snowboarding and in the summer you can go mountain biking, swimming, kayaking. The list goes on. For a summer holiday the best time to go is from the middle of July til September. For a winter holiday it the best time to go is December til February.
Dachstein Giant Ice Cave
The Dachstein Cave World and its three natural show caves rank among the most significant natural monuments of Austria.
Bone House & Church
Lack of space and the need to recycle graves are usually given as the main reason for the existence of the bone house in Hallstatt. However, research has shown that of over 30,000 known deaths and burials, just over 2,100 skulls were documented. Even allowing for bureaucratic laxness, it seems moving skulls to the bone house could not have been an automatic process.
Emperor’s Villa
A Roman estate with a splendid palace decorated with mosaics and wall paintings used to be in the east of the village (100 - 400 after Christ). It is one of the largest Pannonian estates of its kind.
Pummerin
Walking around Stephansdom early in the morning certainly has its merits. With still nearly no one around, it gives the perfect opportunity to watch this place coming to life. There are the horses and their fiacres, the horsedrivers trying to make their horses look at their best and cleaning the stones in the street with water whenever one of the horses has got rid of his excretions.
Wilder Kaiser region
The Wilder Kaiser region lives up to its name with pristine nature, plenty of wildlife and, for those with a sharp eye, perhaps even the treat of wild blueberries and sweet alpine raspberries along the way!