Austria lies where eastern and western Europe meet. The alpine country is famous for its gorgeous mountain landscape and picturesque buildings, which are the legacy of its imperial past. Travelling in Austria can therefore also mean travelling the mountain roads and crossing numerous mountain passes to enter small charming villages and big impressive cities. The most famous far and wide, however, are the Austrian ski resorts. Travelling to Austria is something special and below you can find the list of the most beautiful places in this alpine country, as well as a few excellent travel tips for exploring.
Vienna, Austria’s largest city, is simply worth visiting. There are numerous sights waiting to be explored, from palaces to small streets. All this is a stage for Viennese culture that unfolds before your very own eyes. The Schönbrunn Palace, the former residence of the emperors, is one of the major landmarks in Vienna. You can visit the palace on a special tour, which is part of GetYourGuide Originals. This means you’ll get a refund if you’re not satisfied with the tour. You’ll be guided by a local who knows the history of the palace inside out. They’ll show you the interior and the astounding gardens. The blue Danube flows through Vienna, so you can take a boat tour, which will take you to both the historical and modern part of the city. You’ll sail down a canal and past important buildings, such as the Uniqa Tower, the Donauturm and the famous Ringturm. I also recommend exploring the Belvedere Palace, which houses Austria’s most important works of art, from the middle ages to the present. You can read more about what else to see during your visit to Vienna in the next article.
Innsbruck lies at the heart of a dramatic alpine landscape, the driving force of Austrian tourism. Explore the old town that is full of old stories and charming cafés. The city centre is home to the Hofburg Palace, a true gem. The Renaissance Ambras Castle can be found not far from the city. The castle houses the famous Spanish Chamber, where many concerts take place. Another major attraction is the Hofkirche, home to a wonderful Renaissance tomb of the emperor Maximilian I. You can take the Nordkette cable car and ascend to Austria’s largest nature park, which definitely doesn’t disappoint with its beautiful views. This is where you’ll find famous ski resorts and the Bergisel Ski Jump.
You can also explore crystals in all their shapes at Swarovski Crystal Worlds in Wattens. Millions of crystals of various sizes will unfold before you. It’s also home to Crystal Cloud, which consists of 80,000 crystals. The café and restaurant next to the gardens offer a wonderful view of the surrounding landscape. You can visit the largest Swarowski shop in the world to top it all off.
As a residence of prince-bishops, Salzburg was a religious centre since the early days of Christianity in Europe. The bishops brought the greatest artists and architects of those times to Salzburg, so they would build churches, residences and monasteries. Today, Salzburg is one of Austria’s most beautiful places.
Buy the Salzburg Card, which brings you free admission to all the museums in the city and its surroundings. You also get to use the public transport for free, which also includes the Untersberg cable car and an impressive Panorama City Tour boat trip. The card also comes with discounts on numerous other activities, such as concerts and theatre performances. I recommend taking a walk through the romantic old town with all the shops, narrow medieval streets and arcade courtyards, which are fun to explore. You can start exploring the old town in the Residenzplatz where you’ll also find a baroque palace. You should also visit St. Peter’s Abbey, an impressive burial ground surrounded on three sides by arcades and family tombs dating back to the 17th century. Climb to the Hohensalzburg Fortress high up above the city. Enjoy the gorgeous city panorama and the view of the surroundings. Then you can explore the 900-year-old fortress. The Princes’ Chambers are beautiful and they’re part of one of the best-preserved secular gothic buildings. The city is also known as the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Austria is famous for its wonderful villages that hide high in the mountains or dot the coastlines of lakes. Hallstatt is definitely one of them. It has a great location, being nestled between Lake Hallstatt and the majestic Dachstein massif. When there, it feels as if the houses simply stick to the mountains. The village is known for its salt production. Salt extraction began here as early as prehistoric times. Hallstatt, together with its surroundings, is protected by UNESCO.
It’s worth visiting the village on a day trip from Salzburg. It’s a wonderful trip that takes you through numerous small villages that will reveal to you the soul of the mountain world. After arriving in Hallstatt, climb high up above the village and all the way to the Skywalk viewing platform. After that, you can explore the world’s oldest salt mines. The biggest attraction is the Beinhaus ossuary, which offers an interesting insight into everyday life. On your way back to Salzburg, you can also visit Lake Gosau where you can enjoy the view of the Dachstein mountains.
The village of Hallstatt is popular with Instagrammers, which led to an influx of tourists who stopped there for an hour and then moved on. The village therefore decided to promote slow tourism.
The Melk Abbey is one of the most famous Benedictine monasteries in the world. The current baroque building dates back to early 18th century. It spreads across seven courtyards. The central part of the complex is a library that holds 16,000 volumes. The building is decorated by Paul Troger’s fresco. The Italian writer Umberto Eco drew inspiration for his novel The Name of the Rose in this room. The abbey is also home to the tombs of Coloman of Stockerau and the remains of multiple members of the Babenberg family, Austria’s first ruling dynasty. The Melk Abbey is a symbol of the Wachau valley and its steep terraced vineyards with a view of the Danube. The valley is where the best Austrian white wines are produced.
The mountain road at the foothills of Austria’s highest mountain will take you from Bruck to Heiligenblut. It was built between 1930 and 1935 on an ancient Roman trail. It’s one of the most magnificent mountain roads in Europe. If you travel it, it will take you through majestic parts of the High Tauern, past a glacier that’s retreating fast. You definitely have to visit the Franz Joseph lodge at an altitude of 2,422 metres, which offers an incredible view of the surroundings. You can learn more about the region’s history at the visitor centre. The Grossglockner towers above the entire road with its prominent shape. The peak reaches 3,798 metres high.
The small Tyrolean village of Arlberg is a true Austrian alpine sports centre. It’s especially popular in winter when a giant ski resort opens, with 305 kilometres of slopes. In the village’s museum, you can learn a lot about the development of ski tourism in the region. The village is surrounded by snowy hills and steep walls that simply make you want to go on a trip. It’s very beautiful there in the Christmas time.
When in Austria, you can also visit the wonderful castles. In Carinthia, the magnificent Hochosterwitz Castle stretches across a rock that juts out of the ground and rises 160 metres high. It’s the most important medieval castle in Austria. It was first mentioned in 860, and it was expanded in 1570 due to the Turkish invasions. The steep, though accessible road that leads to the castle winds through 14 defence gates, all the way to the wonderful arcade courtyard where a chapel with wall and ceiling paintings from 1570 stands. A 15-minute drive from the castle, Klagenfurt lies on the large Lake Wörth. I recommend staying at the hostel close to the lake and the university. You can fill up your stomach there, as the hostel offers lunch and dinner. HI members get 10% off bookings.
Austria’s international ski resorts, pristine blue waters of Lake Zell and picturesque Salzuburg mountains make Zell am See one of the most beautiful must-visit places in Austria. Cycling along the dreamy lake or swimming in its blue waters are just two of the special experiences in the region. There are also many hiking trails and small villages with interesting churches waiting to be discovered. The Romanesque Saint Hippolytus Church has a typical tower that was added in the 15th century. Ski enthusiasts can enjoy at the famous Kaprun Ski Resort, which is located nearby.
The spectacular World of the Ice Giants, which is located at the western edge of the Tennen Mountains, is the largest ice cave system in the world. The caves were carved out by an underground river in the Tertiary. They were discovered in 1879 and opened to the public in 1912. They measure more than 42 kilometres in length. The massive Posselt Hall lies underground with impressive ice formations, such as the Hymir Castle, and glazed frost. Stone steps lead to ice gates, a spectacular 1,775-metre-tall ice wall and the Ice Palace. Guided tours take two hours, so you better take enough time to explore the caves. They’re open from 1 May to 26 October each year.
To conclude the article, here’s one more tip: our members get 10% off all the described attractions that can be booked at GetYourGuide. You also get 20% off a Lonely Planet guide book purchase. There are many different guide books and maps available for Austria. And if you’re worried about safety while travelling, I recommend the World Nomads travel insurance. You pay the basic insurance, which depends on where you’re travelling and for how long. It covers admission into hospital, an early flight back home, the costs due to stolen passports or luggage, and much more. HI members get 5% off.
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