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Sightseeing & Travelling in Austria
The following sightseeing guides with general travel advice and
city
guides move through Austria province by province. They are still a bit
superficial, but I am currently working on more detailed reviews of Austria's
attractions. Wherever possible, I have added links to official local and national tourism councils. Vienna Sightseeing: Attractions of the Capital
Vienna is the capital of Austria, but also the biggest city of the nation (with a population of almost 2 millions). Due to its past as a capital of a vast empire, it is packed with sightseeing attractions, things to do and places to go to. All that makes Vienna a “European grade A capital”...more Salzburg: City & ProvinceSalzburg is a fairly recent “acquisition” of Austria: until 1816, it was an independent principality ruled by powerful Prince Archbishops. The first of them, St. Rupert, had founded Salzburg on the ruins of the lost Roman city Iuvavum. Originally under the control of Bavarian lords, Salzburg gained independence in the Middle Ages and gradually increased its wealth...more Innsbruck & Tyrol: Hiking & Skiing in the Alps
Tyrol is among Austria’s most touristy areas, because this is where many of the big ski resorts are. The high-society’s choice is Kitzbühel, which is also famous for its ski races. St Anton is famous for more serious skiing. The Tyrolians have a strong sense of regional identity, which is expressed in many distinct features: their accent, cuisine and life-style...more Wachau & Lower Austria: Wine & DineThe Wachau follows the Danube for 33 kilometres from Melk to Krems and reaches into the side-valleys of the Wachauer Gräben. The region is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site, stuffed with stunning baroque architecture, atmospheric towns, vineyards and orchards. Austria’s second-oldest piece of art (of course, a naked woman) originates from the Wachau...more ::Wachau & Lower Austria Sightseeing Map Burgenland: Guide to Hungary's Legacy
The Burgenland is Austria’s most Eastern province and joined the Republic only in 1921. Before that, the Burgenland was under Hungarian administration and called “Western Hungary” or “Vierburgenland” (meaning “four castle land”). The name refers to the high number of defence buildings that were erected against Magyar and Turkish threats...more Linz & Upper Austria: Historic Heartlands of Austria“In Linz beginnt’s” (Everything starts in Linz) is the slogan of this refreshingly modern city. The Upper Austrian’s came up with this slogan in order to get rid of the line “In Linz, da stinkt’s” (It stinks in Linz) – for decades, this referred to the city’s industrial heritage and the concerned pollution...more ::Upper Austria Sightseeing Map Graz & Styria: Spas & Cosy Hills of the South
If you want to explore rural Styria, I suggest combining excursions into the hills and vineyards with a bit of history and visits to one of the province’s seven spas. If you want to do proper sightseeing, stop by the small market town of Leoben for a walk and then move on to Graz. The capital of Styria and is located on the Southern outskirts of the Alps, a very pleasant landscape of smaller hills...more Klagenfurt & Carinthia: Hiking & Water SportsThe rural province of Klagenfurt has two seasons: It is popular in the winter for skiing and in the summer for its scenic lakes and mountaineering opportunities. The population of Carinthia is primarily of Slavonic descent; nevertheless it has a reputation for being particularly rightwing and in not very good terms with its Slovenian minority or Slovenia itself...more Salzkammergut: A "Must See" of Austria
The Salzkammergut is not a federal province, but an area shared between Salzburg and more so Upper Austria and Styria. It is famous for its scenery, picturesque villages and many lakes. It also has a very distinct culture, expressed in architecture, customs (including the traditional clothing) and cuisine. It is among Austria’s top-tourist attractions...more ::Salzkammergut Sightseeing Map Bregenz & Vorarlberg: semi-Swiss Mountains & TownsThe tiny province in the very West of Austria is the only region in the country with an Alemannic population. This makes their accent (among other things) barely understandable to the rest of the country. An Austrian cartoonist once said that the people of Vorarlberg unite the bad habits of Austrians, Swabians and Swiss...more Sightseeing ThemesMonasteries: Vorarlberg & Tyrol - Salzburg - Upper Austria - Lower Austria & Vienna - Carinthia - Styria Most-visited Places to Go - National Parks - World Cultural Heritage Sites - Spas - Folk Museums - Top-Sights Vienna - Small Towns Movies on Austria: See video clips of Places to go |
