If your soul belongs to the old regions, surely Austria will be the right name on your travel list. A Central European country where there are ancient buildings and a unique culture, Mother Nature has specially bestowed a charming landscape. Massive palaces such as Belvedere Palace, Vienna Hofburg or Schönbrunn will be great places for lovers of the royal lifestyle. Riding at the Spanish Racecourse or skiing at Kitzbühel and Kitzbüheler Horn are for the thrill-seekers. Strolling the Grossglockner Road to Franz-Josefs-Höhe with its majestic mountain views is also a great act of relaxation. Here are the Top 10 attractions you should not miss when traveling in Austria.
1 Belvedere Palace, Vienna
Belvedere Palace, Vienna (Image: internet)
One of the most visited palaces in Austria - and one that should definitely be on your Vienna travel itinerary - is the spectacular Belvedere Palace (Schloss Belvedere). Often referred to simply as "The Belvedere", this important historic site is divided into two main parts: the Upper (Oberes) and Lower (Unteres) Palaces.
If you only have time to explore one, make it the Upper Palace. Here you'll find the largest part of the attraction's impressive artwork collection, as well as the chance to see one of the country's best-preserved architectural gems . Highlights include the main hall Sala Terrena, notable for its statues and stucco vaulted ceilings; Carlone Hall, with frescoes on the ceiling; The two-story marble hall, with many sculptures and paintings; and the impressive Ceremonial Stairs.
Highlights include the Marble Gallery, with its collection of statues; Grotesque hall with numerous beautiful murals; and a second Marble Great Hall, which is known for its attractive ceiling frescoes.
If you're here for the day (you should plan!), the Palace boasts a great cafe and restaurant, three shops, and a great Christmas Market for those traveling during the off-season months. winter.
2 Vienna Hofburg: Austria's Imperial Palace
Vienna Hofburg: Imperial Palace of Austria (Image: internet)
The spectacular Hofburg Palace in Vienna was for centuries the seat of the Austrian monarchy, the mighty Habsburgs. The President now conducts state business in the very rooms that once belonged to Emperor Joseph II. Nearly every Austrian ruler since 1275 ordered additions or alterations, resulting in a variety of architectural influences, including Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, and Classicism.
Along with many attractive squares and gardens, the entire 59-acre Hofburg complex includes 19 courtyards and 2,600 rooms. Highlights of a visit include the Royal Silver Collection and a range of catering services that give a taste of the lavish royal banquets that once took place here.
Also worth seeing are the Sisi Museum, which focuses on the life and times of Empress Elisabeth, and the Royal Apartments, a series of 19 rooms once occupied by Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife.
3 Salzburg Altstadt, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Salzburg Altstadt (Image: internet)
Home to the Prince Archbishops, Salzburg has been a spiritual center since the earliest days of Christianity in Europe. Benedictine Abbey of St. Peter, in the heart of Altstadt (Old Town) founded by St. Rupert in AD 690 and was the residence of the Archbishops until the early 1100s.
The Prince Archbishops hired some of the finest artists and architects of their time to build and decorate their churches, mansions and monasteries, and despite these works Having been "updated" to the tastes of subsequent centuries, the Medieval and Baroque buildings combine to form a beautiful old town to explore.
The highlight is St Peter's Abbey and its church, which, along with its pretty cemetery and crypt, are instantly recognizable as a filming location for The Sound of Music.
Nearby is the cathedral, and wandering among its colorful Baroque houses you'll find charming squares and attractions including Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's birthplace, now a museum. Above the beautiful spiers and soaring spiers of Salzburg's Hohensalzburg castle, you can reach it by funicular.
4 Spanish Equestrian School, Vienna
Spanish Equestrian School, Vienna (Image: internet)
The Spanish equestrian school dates back to Emperor Maximilian II, who was responsible for introducing the famous Lipizzaner horses into Austria in 1562.
Today, it is one of the only places that still practice the classic equestrian style favored by the aristocracy. Watching the famous equestrian shows in the Baroque Winter Equestrian School - held here since the time of Charles VI - is one of the top things to do in Vienna.
Built in 1735, the magnificent hall was designed for the nobility to show off their equestrian skills. Tickets to see these stunning animals perform ballet are highly sought after, so book your tickets online as much in advance as possible.
5 Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna
Located on the outskirts of Vienna, the Baroque Schönbrunn Palace was completed in the early 1700s (Image: internet)
Located on the outskirts of Vienna, the Baroque Schönbrunn Palace was completed in the early 1700s and later converted into a summer residence by Empress Maria Theresa.
Highlights of a tour through the palace's 40 rooms open to the public are the Royal apartments, the Grand Gallery with its ornate ceiling paintings, the Room of the Million, and Maria's beauty salon. Theresa with carved and gilded rosewood panels. You'll also see the spectacular Hall of Mirrors, with its mirrors framed in Rococo gold. Behind the 1,441-room palace is a 500-acre park and garden, also in the 18th-century Baroque style.
Your visit to Schönbrunn should include the many attractions that span these grounds: the formal gardens; a maze; Palm House filled with tropical and exotic plants and butterflies; an Alpine garden with a farm; Europe's oldest zoo; and the Classic Gloriette, a large marble structure perched on a hill above the gardens.
A carriage museum in the former Winter Riding School displays dozens of historic state coaches and snowmobiles. The entire palace and garden complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
6 Melk Benedictine Monastery
Melk Benedictine Monastery (Image: internet)
Melk Abbey is one of the most famous monastic sites in the world, and its spectacular buildings are arranged around seven courtyards. The most striking part of this massive 325-meter-long complex is the west end and the two-story church jutting out over a row of semicircular terraces.
Perched high on a rocky outcrop above the town of Melk and overlooking the Danube, the monastery has many other great reasons to spend a few hours touring it. These include the tomb of Saint Coloman of Stockerau; what remains of Austria's first ruling family; The Babenbergs; and the amazing 196-meter-long Royal Corridor with portraits of the rulers of Austria, including one of Queen Maria Theresa.
Along the way, you'll also see the Royal Chambers with displays relating to the monastery's history, along with statues and paintings.
7 Hallstatt và Dachstein Salzkammergut
Hallstatt (Image: internet)
Hallstatt is undoubtedly one of the picturesque little towns in Austria, if not Europe. It's also a good place to explore the spectacular Dachstein Salzkammergut region, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The beautiful Baroque architecture is testament to Hallstatt's wealth, drawing on a long history of salt production going back to prehistoric times.
You can also visit the underground salt lake in the nearby Hörnerwerk Cave, or explore Dachstein Cave, one of Europe's most impressive cave networks, some 1,174 meters deep. Highlights include the Giant Ice Cave, with sub-zero temperatures in summer, and the giant caves with stunning frozen waterfalls, and the Mammoth Cave, with its giant tubular galleries formed by an ancient underground river.
Above ground, visitors can admire the amazing 5 Fingers observatory, an incredible metal structure suspended from a 400-meter-long absolute drop with superb views of the surrounding Alps.
8 Skiing at Kitzbühel and Kitzbüheler Horn
Kitzbüheler Horn (Image: internet)
One of the best places to ski in Austria, the popular resort town of Kitzbühel captivates snow lovers with its 170 kilometers of ski runs and slopes dotted with small mountain huts where they can stop feet to enjoy traditional Alpine snacks and hot drinks.
Although it is the site of the annual Hahnenkamm, the toughest of all downhill ski races, Kitzbühel has plenty of terrain for all skill levels in three ski areas and The smallest of these, Bichlalm, is dedicated to those who enjoy skiing.
But Kitzbühel isn't just for skiers. With frescoed walls and houses, and a backdrop of the snow-capped Alps, the town is as beautiful as the villages in the Alps.
The 1,998-meter-high Kitzbüheler Horn attracts skiers in the winter, is a favorite among hikers in the summer, and you can also reach the summit by cable car via Pletzeralm. It is considered one of the best viewing points in Tyrol: south from Radstädter Tauern to the Ötztal Alps; to the north, nearby Kaisergebirge; to the west, the Lechtal Alps; and to the east, Hochkönig.
To the south of the Kitzbüheler Horn rises the 1,772-meter-high Hornköpfli, also reachable by cable. In addition to the amazing views, at the top of the mountain you will find the Gipfelhaus, a unique mountaintop house; a chapel; a restaurant; and an Alpine garden.
9 Burg Hochosterwitz in the Middle Ages
Burg Hochosterwitz in the Middle Ages (Image: internet)
On the east side of St. Veit, on a cliff about 160 meters above the valley, stands Burg Hochosterwitz, Austria's most important medieval castle. After a tumultuous history, the castle was first mentioned in AD 860 - having been captured by Khevenhüllers, and expanded in 1570 in the face of Turkish invaders. Never captured by the enemy, the castle has remained with the Khevenhüller family ever since.
The steep path leading to the castle, Burgweg, winds through 14 defensive gates to a beautiful domed courtyard, where you'll find a small chapel with wall and ceiling paintings from 1570 and a church at the end. southwest of the castle with a high altar dating from 1729.
10 Grossglockner Road to Franz-Josefs-Höhe
Grossglockner Road to Franz-Josefs-Höhe (Image: internet)
Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse from Bruck, in Pinzgau, to Heiligenblut, at the foot of Grossglockner, built between 1930 and 1935. Following the route of an old Roman road, it is one of the most magnificent mountain roads in Europe. .
Although its importance as a route through the Alps has declined, it remains a splendid motorway through the Hohe Tauern, Austria's highest massif and one of the country's standout attractions. . Running for 22 kilometers through the mountains at an altitude of more than 2,000 meters, the road consists of a long chain that leads to the tunnel at the top of Hochtor at 2,506 meters and then down into the valley in the distance.
The road is the entrance to the massive Hohe Tauern mountain range, where Franz-Josefs-Höhe is famous throughout Europe for his breathtaking views. Named after a visit by Kaiser Franz-Josef in 1856, this superb vantage point sits 2,422 meters above sea level and offers superb views of the surrounding country. Prominent in the scene is Grossglockner, which at 3,798 meters is Austria's highest mountain.
Be sure to stop by the visitor center for detailed displays relating to the region's history, as well as exhibits focusing on the glacier and its general tourist information.
