Situated in central Europe, Austria is a non-coastal country surrounded by the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy and Switzerland. Austria offers some of the most extraordinary destinations on the Continent.
Vienna
The capital Vienna is an architectural gem and a centre of music from the medieval times. Nestled throughout the city are the elegant art-nouveau buildings of turn-of-the century architects Otto Wagner and Adolf Loos. Monumental edifices line the city centre, world-class museums burst with treasures, notorious orchestras and angelic choirboys perform in lavish concert halls, and white stallions parade their way down mirrored halls.
Before traveling to Vienna, try to reserve tickets to the main attractions in advance, as ticket requests from outside of the country are given priority. We suggest the Vienna State Opera, the Spanish Riding School with its famous Lipizzaner stallions, and the Vienna Boys Choir, which is predominantly moving. If tickets for the State Opera aren’t available try, the Volksoper, which features operettas, musicals, and ballets. If all else fails, the Gothic Rathaus (city hall) hosts a well-liked Christmas market in the winter and free concerts in the summer.
Vienna has an abundance of lower-brow delights too - splish-splashing high jinks on the river, walks in the woods, indulgent evenings in its well-known wine taverns and some enjoyable bar-hopping till dawn. Across the river from the old city is Prater Park, an enjoyable emusement park that dates from the 18th century. The parks main tourist attraction is Riesenrad. The giant Ferris wheel seen in the film The Third Man (the film plays every summer in one of the theaters on ring), and the foolish statues scattered around the park , one of which shows a gigantic baby takings his miniature father for a walk
Salzburg
Immeasurable spires, Italian ambience and all the Mozart you can handle. Salzburgs Altstadt (old town), on the south bank of the river, is a Baroque fiesta of churches, plazas, courtyards and fountains, oozing the waves of charisma that you would expect from this Mozart Mecca. Museums, houses, squares, chocolate bars and liqueurs are all part of one giant homage to Wolfgang.
The most excellent way to kick off a day in Salzburg is with a klein Brauner (black coffee with a dash of milk) and a slap-up breakfast at one of the citys limitless cafes. Then some sightseeing - important items include the gorgeous Mirabellgarten , the citys fabulously extravagant cathedral, and the dizzying climb up to the Festung Hohensalzburg, the impregnable hilltop fortress that dominates the Salzburg skyline. If you imagine the views from the Hohensalzburg are extraordinary, just wait until you step out onto the patio of the museums clifftop cafe. Then its back down to ground level for a promenade around the boutiques of the Getreidegasse (the oldest street in Salzburg, and still a top place for some retail therapy) before heading off to a biergarten for an evening brew or three; there are several scattered around the city, but the tourist favorite is the Augustiner Bräustübl, where the beer is brewed by Augustinian monks and served in ceramic mugs. As night falls, a romantic sunset cruise along the river Salsach can be taken or a spin around the city from the back of a horse-drawn carriage.
If you cant find something to please you in this captivating, magnificent destination, youre ready for the grave.