Austria may be small but it's also packed with variety, from grand Hapsburg
palaces to mountain-framed alpine-green pastures. Stick to the cities to sip
cream-smothered Viennese coffees in chandelier-lit cafes or trawl contemporary art
galleries in fast developing Linz. Head for the great outdoors for lively
après-ski chalets or ski down Tyrol's snowy Alps.
Background
From Graz to Linz on the River Danube, Austrian cities share a love of coffee houses,
otherwise known as temples to sinful Sachertorte chocolate cake and sacred
Gemütlichkeit, literally cosiness. Trace the winding River
Danube to Austria's cultural centre and capital city, Vienna, or
visit Mozart's Birthplace in Salzburg, backdrop to legendary film The
Sound of Music. Head west to the Vorarlberg and Tyrol regions
to snuggle in wooden alpine chalets and nibble on farm-fresh cheese. You'll
find glacial wilderness in the Hohe Tauern National Park, east of the Brenner
Pass.
Urban
Admire 21st-century art in Vienna's vast MuseumsQuartier
collection of museums. Or try local speciality Sachertorte cake with apricot
jam filling in an elegant 19th-century coffee house. Then take a night-time stroll
along the twinkling Ringstrasse boulevard that wraps itself around
Vienna's centre. For new perspectives climb
Innsbruck's futuristic Bergisel ski jump or
Graz's medieval clock tower, looming above a jumble of
red-roofed townhouses. Head north to Linz, the pulse of modern-day Austria
with cutting-edge art galleries and a vibrant nightlife scene.
Rural
The Eastern Alps steal the limelight in the Tyrol, Vorarlberg
and Salzburgerland areas. Head here for summertime rambles through meadows
dotted with tiny white edelweiss flowers. In the winter, set up camp in a popular
ski resort like Kitzbühel or Mayrhofen. Gaze up at
Austria's highest mountain, the Grossglockner (12460 feet) or hear
the thundering crash of 1246-foot-high Krimml Falls waterfall in Hohe
Tauern National Park. Moving east the scenery shifts to rolling woodland,
vineyards and shady apple orchards in Upper and Lower Austria. Share
Most cider with down-to-earth locals in rustic Heurigen wine
taverns.
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