Music, art and story-book scenery: Austria takes the sacher torte.
The Alps are not only tempting for skiers and mountaineers, but also provide a perfect backdrop for paragliding, hang-gliding and ballooning. Those with a taste for water will love Austria's lakes, which are a picturesque place to try waterskiing, sailing and windsurfing. The less energetic can enjoy a slow sail down the Danube.
Built in the 17th century by bishop Markus Sittikus, this castle is mainly known for its ingenious trick fountains and water-powered figures. When the tour guides set them off, expect to get wet! Admission includes a tour of the baroque palace. Other parts of the garden (without fountains) are open year-round and free to visit.
Fürstenweg 37
(4km (2.4mi) south of Salzburg)
www.hellbrunn.at tel info 0662 82 03 720
bus 55 from Salzburg
| full | Euro 7.50 |
| concession | Euro 5.50 |
The world's largest accessible ice caves are in the mountains near Salzburg. These Eisriesenwelt Höhle (Giant Ice Caves) house elaborate and beautiful ice formations. Take warm clothes because - surprise, surprise - it gets cold inside. The tour lasts 75 minutes, so you need to be reasonably fit.
(south of Salzburg)
www.eisriesenwelt.at tel info 06468 5646
train from Salzburg to Werfen, then mini-bus to caves car park, then cable car or walk
| full | Euro 8.00 |
| concession | Euro 7.00 |
High up on a hill, where it commands a marvellous view of a curve of Danube River, is the ruined castle of Künringerburg, where King Richard I (the Lionheart) was imprisoned from 1192 to 1193 for the heinous crime of insulting Leopold V.
(Wachau, Lower Austria)
tel info 02711 200
walking from Dürnstein for 15 minutes
| free |
This park covers over 1786 sq km (690 sq mi), making it Europe's biggest. At the heart of this protected oasis of flora and fauna (including marmots and some rare ibexes) lies the 3797m (12,454ft) Grossglockner, Austria's highest mountain. The highway through the park, the Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse, is one of the world's most scenic.
Hwy 107
(includes parts of Salzburg, the Tyrol and Carinthia federal provinces)
tel info 04875 5112
car
| full | free |
These triple-level falls are an inspiring sight and attract hordes of visitors in summer. In winter, the slopes above Krimml village become a ski area, and the falls a static lump of ice. The falls' combined height is 380m (1246ft), over three main sections connected by a twisting river and rapids. The trail alongside them is steep in parts, but rewarding.
Hwy 168 (becomes Hwy165)
(55km west of Zell am See)
tel info 06564 72 39
bus from Zell am See
| free |
Grandiose Vienna was the showpiece of the all-conquering Habsburg Dynasty. Monumental edifices line the city centre, world-class museums burst with treasures, white stallions strut their way down mirrored halls, and renowned orchestras and angelic choirboys perform in lavish concert halls.
Vienna has plenty of lower-brow pleasures too - walks in the woods, splish-splashing high jinks on the river, indulgent evenings in its renowned wine taverns, bar-hopping till dawn. If you can't find something to please you in this generous, opulent, open-armed city, you're ready for the grave.
Cultureheads of every stripe will swoon over Vienna, but music lovers in particular will be in ecstasy. This is the city that nurtured the works of Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn, Schubert, Brahms and Mahler, among others. This heritage has an almost physical presence, and music is still a driving force in today's city.
Set at an elevation of 1640m (5380ft), these caves are the largest accessible ice caves in the world with more than 40km (25mi) of explored passageways. Entry to the caves is regulated and a 75-minute tour takes in several immense caverns containing elaborate ice formations and frozen waterfalls.
The caves were first entered in 1879, but it was one Alexander von Mork who pioneered the most extensive exploration: when he signed off, his ashes were placed in an urn in the 'cathedral' cave. Be sure to wear warm clothes when you visit because the passageways are as close as you'll ever come to feeling you've been trapped in your Westinghouse icebox. The caves are open between May and early October and are located near Werfen. You can get there by train from Salzburg (50 minutes) or via Hwy 10. Allow 3-4 hours for the whole visit, which includes getting to the caves from Werfen.
Salzburg's Altstadt (old town), on the south bank of the river, is a Baroque fiesta of churches, plazas, courtyards and fountains, oozing the waves of charm 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 Salzburg that everyone knows and loves was largely built by three bishop-princes between the late-16th and early-17th centuries, which is what gives the city its Italian flavour and its skyline punctuated by countless medieval spires, domes, belfries and turrets.
The cycle of music festivals is unceasing. In January, New Year concerts consist of lavish balls in Vienna. February brings Fasching (Shrovetide carnival) which celebrates the return of spring with masked processions and dances. Corpus Christi (the second Thursday after Whitsun) is heralded with more carnivals, some held on lakes in the Salzkammergut. The Wiener Festwochen (from May to mid-June) has a wide-ranging programme of arts and is considered the highlight of the year. Midsummer Night's celebrations on 21 June light up the sky with magnificent bonfires. The Salzburger Festspiele takes place in late July and August and includes plenty of music by the city's favourite son, Mozart. National Day on 26 October involves lots of patriotic flag-waving. St Nicholas Day, on 5 to 6 December, marks the beginning of the Christmas season.
This large, authoritative tome is one to read before you go: it's way too heavy to tote around.
This book examines the impact of Austrian intellectuals on Western culture.
Brooke-Shepherd's history of Austria is heavily slanted toward WWII and its aftermath.
This novel is set in a spooky version of Vienna.
In this book, gatherers at the Salzburg festival in the 1930s tell each other tales.
These essays are a good introduction to Austrian culture, although perhaps a little academic for some.
2004 Nobel Laureate for Literature prize winning author's seminal work of fiction.
A massive, bursting, vivid text of poetic imagination in the (hard to read) tradition of epic European novels.
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