Visit Austria
Start in Vienna with coffee, cake and imperial architecture, then head west until city streets give way to lakes, valleys and the Alps. Austria packs a lot into a relatively small country: Vienna brings palaces, museums and opera; Salzburg combines Baroque streets with Mozart and mountain scenery; Innsbruck sits directly beneath the peaks; and the Salzkammergut is a landscape of lakes, Alpine villages and steep limestone mountains. Its history is visible almost everywhere. Vienna developed from Roman and medieval roots into the centre of the Habsburg Empire, while Salzburg’s historic centre preserves a distinctive Baroque cityscape shaped by its position between northern and southern Europe. Hallstatt and the wider Salzkammergut add another layer entirely: salt mining there reaches back into prehistoric times, and the archaeological culture associated with Hallstatt gave its name to an entire period of European Iron Age history. A week gives you enough time to combine Vienna with Salzburg or an Alpine region; ten days or more lets you see several sides of the country without rushing. Summer suits hiking, lakes and mountain roads, while winter shifts the focus towards skiing and snow-covered Alpine towns. Austria’s rail network makes a multi-stop trip practical, so resist the temptation to treat Vienna as the whole country. Add this to your list and combine grand cities with a few days among the mountains and lakes.