Austria attractions

Perched in the foothills of the Alps just south of Innsbruck, the 16th-century Ambras Palace (Schloss Ambras) was the onetime residence of Archduke Ferdinand II. Today, the striking Renaissance palace and impeccably manicured gardens play host to one of Innsbruck’s most impressive museums and portrait galleries.

Trace the history of European furniture design over three centuries at the Imperial Furniture Collection (Hofmobiliendepot), one of the largest collections of furniture in the world. Part of Hofburg Palace’s complex of museums, this treasure trove holds pieces ranging from imperial thrones to Biedermeier chairs in its galleries.

Delve into Vienna’s 150-year-old public transport history at the Remise Transport Museum (Verkehrsmuseum Remise), stuffed with vintage transport vehicles such as a steam train and double-decker bus. Located in a former tram depot, the museum includes themed exhibits highlighting everything from horse-drawn trams to the modern metro.

Joseph Haydn spent the last 12 years of his life in Gumpendorf, now a suburb of Vienna, where he composed the majority of his late work—including The Seasons. Today the house he lived in has been converted into a museum dedicated to his life and music, which displays treasures such as his piano and first-editions scores.

This striking Art Deco building in central Vienna is home to one of the best private art collections in Europe, focused on avant-garde 20th-century artists. Marvel at 10,000 masterpieces by the likes of Picasso, Kandinsky, and Magritte and browse photography galleries to spot iconic shots by Diane Arbus, Man Ray, and Henri Cartier-Bresson.

Music lovers inspired to hear Mozart performed in Vienna find few venues that compare to the intimate Sala Terrena, at the House of the Teutonic Order (Deutschordenshaus). The ornate room has Venetian-style frescoes and seats only about 50 guests, making it a truly special place to hear the Austrian composer's works.

Climbing 60 meters (197 feet) in just 30 seconds, this elevator makes getting to the Mönchsberg Plateau and the Mönchsberg branch of the city's Modern Art Museum a breeze. Even if you don't plan to visit the museum, it's worth taking the ride up to the viewing terrace, a great place to photograph Salzburg's skyline.

The Museum of Military History (Heeresgeschichtliches Museum is the oldest museum in Vienna and one of the most important military history museums in the world. Its five sections trace the history of the Habsburg empire and Austria with a collection of weaponry, medals, military uniforms, flags, and artwork depicting battles.

Located where Vienna’s most famous composer lived for seven years, and composed the iconic Blue Danube waltz, the Johann Strauss Museum (Johann Strauss Wohnung) showcases Strauss’ instruments—most notably an Amati violin—plus memorabilia and personal effects related to his career as a conductor and composer.

Established in 1492, Salzburg’s Stiegl Brewery (Stiegl Brauwelt is Austria’s largest private brewery and one of the city’s most popular attractions. Beer-lovers—and anyone interested in Salzburg’s beer culture—come to immerse themselves in the world of Stiegl, one of the country’s most popular beer brands.

Hallstatt is beloved for its lakeside location and charming streets, but there’s more to this village than meets the eye. It boasts a rich history traced through prehistoric tombs, Celtic statues, Roman relics, and salt mine finds, which are all showcased in the Hallstatt Museum. Step inside to be rewarded with a peek into Hallstatt’s storied past.

The pastel-hued façade of Vienna’s Old Town Hall (Altes Rathaus) may pale in comparison to the dramatic neo-gothic towers of the modern City Hall, but it remains a charming reminder of medieval Vienna. Today the building is home to the intriguing Museum of the Austrian Resistance Movement documenting the resistance against the Nazis.

The historic heart of Graz, the second-largest city in Austria, Graz Old Town (Grazer Aldstadt) offers red-roofed baroque homes, exuberant fountains, and a castle-topped mount, set around a rushing river. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the area is home to museums, state buildings, the cathedral, the Clock Tower, and the Glockenspiel performing clock.

Standing defiantly on the Rosalien hills, Forchtenstein Castle has a formidable air that helped deter the Ottoman Turks during wars in the 16th and 18th centuries. But the castle’s imposing exterior gives way to elaborate interiors steeped in history; frescoes, wartime plunders, armory, and artwork are among the curiosities that draw visitors across its drawbridge.

Stretching out in front of Vienna’s massive city hall, Rathausplatz is one of the most important public squares in the city. This paved expanse is ringed by the shaded Rathauspark, a popular spot for walking and relaxing all year round, and is a popular venue for major seasonal events like the winter Christkindlmarkt (Christmas market) and the summer Film Festival.

One of Vienna’s most spectacular public parks, the Baroque-style Augarten is home to a former imperial palace and several excellent museums, including the Augarten Porcelain Museum. The park’s sweeping grounds cover about 10 acres (52.2 hectares), with formal flowerbeds, tree-lined walking paths, vast meadows, and restaurants.

Following the Danube River for about 1,800 miles (2,900 kilometers, the flat and easygoing Danube Cycle Path (Donauradweg in German is one of Europe’s top leisure cycling routes. The most popular stretch runs between Passau (Germany and Budapest (Hungary via Vienna (Austria and Bratislava (Slovakia.

Making Viennese history engaging for visitors of all ages, Time Travel Vienna is a 5-D show that uses animatronics and multi-media special effects to take you on a jaunt through time. Learn about the city’s ancient Roman beginnings, years under the Habsburg dynasty, and WWII occupation—ending with a simulator ride to Vienna’s top sights.

Part of the Natural History Museum Vienna, the Collection of Anatomical Pathology is an offbeat museum that covers medical history and pathology, and gives a glimpse into an era when mental illness was treated very differently. The weird, wonderful, and macabre exhibits are showcased in the Narrenturm (the Fool’s Tower or Mad House), a tower used until the mid-19th century to house Vienna’s mentally ill.

Setting off from the village of Bruck, the 30-mile (48-kilometer Grossglockner High Alpine Road is considered one of the most exciting mountain drives in the world. The route zigzags through 36 hairpin bends while climbing 8,215 feet (2,504 meters past alpine meadows and forests and alongside waterfalls and the Pasterze Glacier.

The historic spa town of St. Wolfgang im Salzkammergut is considered one of the prettiest villages in Austria’s Salzkammergut (Lake District. It is perched on the northern shore of the Wolfgangsee lake and is backed by the alpine foothills of Mount Schafberg, making it a paradise for hikers in the summer and skiers in the winter.

Framing the northern horizon of Innsbruck, the jagged peaks of the North Chain (Nordkette) range are a natural playground for hikers, climbers, and adventurers. The central Hafelekar Mountain (Hafelekarspitze), accessible by cable car, is the gateway to the mountains, with views that expand over the Innsbruck valley and the surrounding Austrian Alps.

On the sunny slopes of the Hungerburg plateau, surrounded by snow-capped Alpine peaks, the Alpine Zoo Innsbruck (Alpenzoo Innsbruck) is a unique wildlife reserve with a spectacular setting. Devoted to protecting native Tyrolean wildlife, the zoo is home to more than 2,000 animals, with over 150 different Alpine species represented.

Found roughly half an hour from Vienna among the Vienna Woods, Heiligenkreuz Abbey is the oldest continuously inhabited Cistercian monastery in the world. Established in 1133 by St. Leopold III, this living monastery features ornate architecture and sees monks performing Gregorian chants at the abbey five times a day.

Just south of Salzburg in Austria’s Hohe Tauern National Park, the 10,508-foot (3,203-meter) Kitzsteinhorn mountain and glacier dominates the Zell am See and Kaprun region. With glacier snow until summer and spectacular scenery all year, the Kitzsteinhorn is a magnet for skiers, hikers, outdoor enthusiasts, and sightseers.

Situated on Mönchsberg, one of Salzburg’s five towering hills, this branch of the Museum of Modern Art is notable for both its design and its collections. Opened in 2004, the white marble-clad museum features temporary and permanent exhibitions spread over four floors. The Mönchsberg branch also attracts visitors with its acclaimed restaurant, M32, which offers great city views.

Standing proud on the edge of the Schlossberg hill and park, the Graz Clock Tower (Grazer Uhrturm) is a city icon. Between a neat triangular roof and a wooden gallery that once served as a place for volunteers to watch for fire, its four faces tell the time in an unusual fashion: The long hand marks hours and the shorthand minutes.

One of the top archaeological sites in Austria, the Archaeological Park Carnuntum (Römerstadt Carnuntum) contains the remains of the ancient Roman city of Carnuntum as well as painstaking replicas of fourth-century Roman houses. Learn about the legacy of the Roman empire in central Europe by exploring the reconstructed villa and baths, excavated amphitheater, and excellent museum.

Gaining a reputation as “the” cultural hotspot in Graz, the Joanneum Quarter links the city’s historic museum buildings and library from a modern plaza created in the city’s old town in 2011. Escalators sweep visitors up from the plaza to different museums that showcase art, history, science, and literature.

Silent Night (Stille Nacht in German is one of the world’s favorite Christmas carols. And priest Joseph Mohr and organist Franz Xaver Gruber composed it in Oberndorf bei Salzburg, a little town near Salzburg. The Silent Night Chapel (Stille Nacht Kapelle, built on the spot where the magic happened, commemorates their work.