Austria Highlights
Vienna
Vienna's compact historic centre is a treasure trove of secular and sacred gems, from the famous cafés and grand Habsburg palaces to the magnificent Gothic Stephansdom, the focal point of the inner city. Situated on the edge of the Old City, Vienna's huge new Museumsquartier brings together a number of major cultural institutions, including the Leopold Museum, which has the world's largest collection of works by Egon Schiele. There is also room here for everything from film festivals and modern dance performances to artists' studios and a children's creative space.
Schloss Schönbrunn
Empress Maria Theresa hoped this majestic palace on the outskirts of Vienna would rival Versailles in its grandeur. The child prodigy Mozart played in the Hall of Mirrors for the imperial family, and Guglielmi's ceiling frescoes glorify the houses of Habsburg and Lorraine in the Grosse Galerie.
Dürnstein in the Wachau
The Wachau is a land of apricot blossoms, ruined castles, rolling vineyards and, of course, the mighty Danube. Dürnstein itself was made famous by the legend of King of England Richard the Lionheart, who was captured by Leopold V at the end of the 12th century and imprisoned here. The town's baroque church tower is one of the most photographed sights in Austria.
Melk Abbey
The Benedictine Abbey of Melk (known in German as Stift Melk), standing high above the Danube River, is among Austria's most prized Baroque treasures. Especially impressive are the ceiling frescoes by J.M. Rottmayr in the abbey church, a breathtaking depiction of the life, death and ascension of St Benedict. With over 85,000 ancient hand-copied books and illuminated manuscripts, the abbey library is one of the finest in the world, and is said to have inspired Umberto Eco to write his medieval thriller The Name of the Rose.
Stift Admont
Austria's oldest male monastic institution, the Benedictine monastery was founded in 1074 and was for centuries the artistic and cultural centre of the Enns valley. The library, a fine example of Baroque architecture, contains more than 150,000 volumes, making it the largest and most valuable monastery library in the world.
The Salzkammergut
The Salzkammergut is famous for its lakes, which provide unequalled possibilities for summertime recreation. There are 76 of them altogether, strung out like a necklace of pearls, each possessing its own inimitable charm. There are lakes for bathing in, yachting centres, apparently bottomless gleaming "emeralds" and secluded, romantic retreats.
Salzburg
A town blessed with fine churches, squares, ornamental fountains plus a vibrant, cosmopolitan atmosphere. The Salzburg Festival pays annual tribute to local hero Wolgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-91), born in the house at Getreidegasse 9 on 27 January 1756.
Innsbruck
The capital of Tyrol has a breathtaking location among peaks that tower more than 2,000 metres above the town. Its late-Gothic centre has been preserved largely intact, including the famous Goldenes Dachl (Golden Roof), and the Hofkirche, completed in 1563. Innsbruck is also the base for the national hiking club and other major trail associations, which offer an astonishing range of well-organised programmes for visitors.