Holidays in Austria, Europe
Under the rule of the mighty Habsburgs, Austria was the dominant political force in Central Europe.
Today it may be politically reconciled to being a minor player in the European Union but it has few peers as a year-round holiday destination, with plenty of winter sports facilities in the Alps.Some of the most impressive and overblown architecture in Europe and an unrivalled musical tradition.
Vienna is the mother lode of all things cultural. The grandiose city was the showpiece of the all-conquering Habsburg dynasty, which controlled much of Europe for over 600 years.
Despite the ravages of time, its cultural gems endure: monumental edifices line the city centre, world-class museums with historical and artistic treasures, and internationally established orchestras perform in lavish concert halls.
Austria, and Vienna in particular, has a reputation for being a little on the expensive side. There's no doubt that to enjoy the country to its full you need to allow an above average daily budget, but it is not as expensive as it used to be.
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| Vienna |
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| Vienna is the glorious legacy of the Habsburg dynasty, which controlled much of Europe for over 600 years. Although it is full of architectural gems and has an impressive musical ancestry. Tradition, culture and vitality now make a heady combination that even listening to the Blue Danube several times over cannot seem to ruin!. |
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| Salzburg |
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| Austria's home town of Baroque, and the birthplace of the talented composer Mozart, is picturesquely sheltered by surrounding mountains and straddles the Salzach River near the border with Germany. The Salzburg that everyone knows and loves was largely built by three bishop-princes in the late-16th and early-17th century, which is what gives the city its Italian flavour and its skyline punctuated by countless medieval spires, domes, belfries and turrets. The old town, on the south bank of the river, is a Baroque masterpiece of churches, plazas, courtyards and fountains, oozing so much charm. Museums, houses, squares - most have a "Mozart" link to them. |
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| St Anton |
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| The Arlberg region comprises several linked resorts and is considered to have some of the best skiing in Austria. St Anton is the largest of these resorts and has good, medium-to-advanced runs as well as nursery slopes on Gampen and Kapall. St Anton is on the main railway route from Bregenz to Innsbruck. |
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| Eisreisenwelt Caves |
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| Set at an elevation of 1640m, the Eisriesenwelt Caves are the largest accessible ice caves in the world. They comprise more than 40km of explored passageways and 30,000 cubic m of ice. 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 died, his ashes were placed in an urn in the cathedral cave. Be sure to wear warm clothes because the passageways are so close and cold that you feel like you are trapped in an icebox! The caves are open between May and early October and are located near Werfen. |
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| Grossglockner Road |
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| For a fantastic 50km mountain tour, hire a car and head for the Grossglockner Road. The road was built between 1930 and 1935, but the course it follows has been an important trading route between Germany and Italy since the Middle Ages. Most of the exciting parts are in the Hohe Tauern National Park where there are dramatic views of numerous unpronounceable peaks, including the mighty Grossglockner which looms across the vast Pasterze Glacier and looks every centimetre of its 3797m. The Grossglockner Road requires a toll and is open to traffic between May and November. Start the journey in Zell am See and end in Heiligenblut. |
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