Austria
Austria is the country where classical music was born, where emperors built palaces of impossible grandeur, and where the Alps provide a backdrop so perfect it feels like a painting. Vienna, the capital, is one of the most elegant and culturally rich cities in Europe, a place where coffeehouses have been serving melange and Sachertorte since the 18th century and where you can hear a world class opera performance on any given Tuesday night. Salzburg, Mozart’s birthplace, is a baroque jewel set against mountain scenery made famous by The Sound of Music. And beyond the cities, the Austrian Alps offer hiking, skiing, and village life that makes Switzerland look crowded.
Where to Go
Vienna is a city that rewards slow exploration. Schonbrunn Palace, the summer residence of the Habsburgs, is a vast complex with 1,441 rooms, manicured gardens, a maze, and the world’s oldest zoo. The Hofburg Palace in the city center houses the Imperial Apartments, the Spanish Riding School (where Lipizzaner stallions perform classical dressage), and the Sisi Museum dedicated to the beloved Empress Elisabeth.
The Vienna State Opera is one of the most important opera houses in the world, and attending a performance here is a cultural highlight. Standing room tickets are available for just a few euros if you arrive early. The MuseumsQuartier, one of the largest cultural complexes in the world, houses modern and contemporary art alongside baroque architecture.
The Viennese coffeehouse is a UNESCO listed cultural tradition. Sitting in Cafe Central, where Freud and Trotsky once debated, or Cafe Sacher, home of the original Sachertorte, with a newspaper and a melange (Viennese coffee), is as much a part of visiting Vienna as any museum.
Salzburg sits at the Austrian and German border, surrounded by mountains with the Salzach River running through its center. The Altstadt (old town) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with baroque churches, narrow shopping streets, and Mozart’s birthplace at Getreidegasse 9. Hohensalzburg Fortress, perched on the hilltop above the city, is one of the largest intact medieval castles in Europe and offers sweeping views.
Hallstatt, a tiny lakeside village about an hour from Salzburg, is one of the most photographed villages in Austria. Its setting, with pastel colored houses reflected in the lake against a wall of mountains, is storybook perfect. The Salzkammergut lake district surrounding it offers swimming, hiking, and boating in a landscape of alpine lakes and forests.
Innsbruck in the Tyrolean Alps is the gateway to some of the best skiing and hiking in Europe. The Nordkette cable car takes you from the city center to over 7,000 feet in 20 minutes, with views stretching across the entire Inn Valley.
Where to Stay
Hotel Sacher Vienna, home of the original Sachertorte, is the most iconic hotel in the city, sitting directly opposite the State Opera. The Park Hyatt Vienna occupies a former bank building and combines contemporary luxury with historic architecture. In Salzburg, Hotel Goldener Hirsch is a 600 year old property on Getreidegasse with old world charm. Schloss Fuschl, a Luxury Collection Resort on a lake outside Salzburg, is a converted 15th century hunting lodge with stunning alpine lake views.
Food and Drink
Austrian food is comfort cooking elevated to an art form. Wiener Schnitzel, a thin veal cutlet breaded and fried golden, is the national dish and is best enjoyed at a traditional Beisl (Viennese tavern) like Figlmuller, which has been serving it since 1905. Tafelspitz, boiled beef with apple horseradish, was Emperor Franz Joseph’s favorite dish. Kasnocken (cheese spaetzle) and Tiroler Grostl (a hearty pan of potatoes, meat, and eggs) are alpine staples.
Austrian wine, particularly Gruner Veltliner (a crisp white), is excellent and underappreciated internationally. The Heuriger wine taverns on the outskirts of Vienna, where winemakers serve their own new vintage alongside cold buffets, are a quintessential Viennese experience.
Let Us Plan Your Austria Trip
Austria is compact, well connected by train, and combines beautifully with neighboring countries for a Central European itinerary. We will help you build a trip that balances the imperial grandeur of Vienna with the alpine beauty of Salzburg and the mountains, and we will make sure you book the opera tickets and coffeehouse tables that make Austria unforgettable.
