Medallia’s and Kantar’s partnership with Virgin Atlantic has been awarded the “Best Use of Customer Insight” accolade.
09.05.2024 - 15:23 / lonelyplanet.com
Imagine Austria and your mind might well drift to the lavish palaces and coffeehouses of Vienna, the snow-white peaks of the Tyrolean Alps, the river romance of the Danube and Mozart symphonies ringing out in the baroque concert halls of Salzburg.
And if this is your first visit, you’ll undoubtedly want to see all the whole darned lot and more besides. But there is far more to this pocked-sized, landlocked country than at first meets the eye.
Whether you are heading gleefully high into the glaciated mountains of Hohe Tauern National Park, tuning into the latest tech wizardry in future-focused Graz, hiding away in the little-visited wilds of the Bregenzerwald, or tripping along the vineyard-draped wine roads of southern Styria, which have more than a whisper of Tuscany about them, Austria richly rewards those who dare to deviate from the well-trodden track.
Here's our take on the best places to visit in Austria.
Sitting smugly on the shores of a bluest-blue lake and buttressed by lofty peaks, Zell am See is a knockout. The cheerful Alpine resort has sensational wilderness on its doorstep, including the glacier-capped 3203m (10,509ft) Kitzsteinhorn, where you can embark on a glacier trail, kick back on a snow beach, spend the night in an igloo, and ski well into summer. It’s also perfect for dipping into the ravishing mountains of Hohe Tauern National Park.
The resort has a real outdoor buzz in summer, with people rocking up to swim, boat, windsurf and stand-up paddleboard on the lake, cycle around or paraglide above it. If you’re a hiker, you’re in for a treat, too: a cable-car zips up to Schmittenhöhe to hook onto the 17-km (10.5-mile), moderately challenging Pinzgauer Spaziergang, one of Austria’s most memorable day hikes, with exhilarating views of the country’s highest peak, 3798m (12,461ft) Grossglockner. The resort also makes a terrific springboard for the Grossglockner High Alpine Road, a head-spinning, helter-skelter drive, with on-high views of waterfalls, lakes, glaciers and a sea of snowy Alps.
Planning tip: Dodge the peak-season crowds by visiting as soon as the snow begins to melt from the highest summits in late May or in autumn before the flakes fall.
Time your visit to Austria just right with our seasonal guide
Few cities move so effortlessly between past and present as Vienna, where Hapsburg emperors ruled the roost for 600 years. The pomp and splendor can be almost overwhelming, as you waltz through vast, exuberantly gilded palaces like the Hofburg and Schönbrunn, tour Klimt-filled galleries like the Upper Belvedere, stroll grand baroque streets, and saunter past follies and Greek gods in landscaped gardens that gaze down upon the city with a kindly eye.
The music of Mozart, Beethoven
Medallia’s and Kantar’s partnership with Virgin Atlantic has been awarded the “Best Use of Customer Insight” accolade.
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There's nothing like hitting the highway in Austria.
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