Who didn't hear of the magnificent places to visit in Austria? Vienna, the blue Danube River, and the Alps with their picturesque villages make from Austria the dream of every traveler. A small country in the heart of Europe, Austria has played a major role in the history and culture of Europe.

Today, it is still a cultural and economic hub. Its 19th-century glory is well preserved and its countryside traditions and festivals are a very popular tourist attraction. 
And the mountains... Oh, the mountains are perfect in Austria.

From December to March, Austrian roads are full of snow lovers. Families, adventurous snowboarders, skiing enthusiasts, they all go on pilgrimage to the white heaven. Peaks over 3,000 m, glaciers, hundreds of kilometers of slopes, and one of the best winter sports infrastructures in Europe are the Austrian insurance for a great holiday.

Vienna, the capital of Austria

Let’s start the list of places to visit in Austria with its splendid and famous capital. Vienna was for many years the meeting point of Europe intellectuals. Great minds came here to study, to meet other great minds, and to put together their plans to make a better world.

So Vienna had to be beautiful, well designed, and different from any other European capital. It was and it still is. The city center was built to please the eye. World's best architects worked here, in a contest for the most beautiful building. Museums and art galleries are everywhere. Any cathedral or church is a masterpiece.

What to visit in Vienna? Well, everything.

Start with the old town, explore every cafe (including Café Central with its famous guest list), visit Hofburg (the former imperial palace), check out the Opera's schedule (and maybe, just maybe, you'll find available tickets), pray in St. Stephen Cathedral (magnificent Romanesque and Gothic cathedral from the 14th century) and climb the South tower (136 m high) for the most outstanding panorama over the city. 

Read more: Learn about Austrian people!

Vienna is a good home for music. Mozart is almost in any concert program, on the streets, in churches and restaurants, on chocolate candies. Mozart is the leitmotif of Vienna. You can listen to classical music concerts in churches, palaces, and parks.

Vienna is a miracle of music and they do preserve this magic very well. A walk on the Danube River will be a special treat. And a Schnitzel a way to really understand the high standards of Vienna!

Salzburg

Mozart has also a home in Salzburg. Actually, Salzburg is his birthplace, but more than this Salzburg has some of the most famous baroque architecture in the world. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it has several palaces to show you, like any other place on the list of places to visit in Austria.

Schloss Hellbrunn is a day trip. Fountains, parks (where you can enjoy a picnic), and the palace itself were built as places for pleasure. Hohensalzburg Fortress is served by a funicular and organizes concerts and events. Museums are all over in Salzburg, including a toy museum and Mozart's memorial house. Salzburg is a real fairytale city.

To complete the picture, Swarovski crystals are made here.

Innsbruck

Surrounded by mountains, Innsbruck is a must on the list of places to visit in Austria. It has its own palace, Schloss Ambra, built in Renaissance style for Archduke Ferdinand II of Tirol. It has an armor collection as well as art collections, and the clearest Austrian style.

But even if a walk in the old town of Innsbruck is a pleasure, in this town you come for the mountains and sports. Home of two winter Olympics, Innsbruck is a popular destination for skiing and snowboarding. The funicular climbs up to the 2,256m right from the city center and the city has a museum dedicated to alpinism.

If this doesn't convince you that this city is dedicated to the mountains around it, just take a look up from the central square. The peaks covered in snow are inviting you to have the time of your life.

Innsbruck has no less than five Christmas markets and a Christmas tree decorated with Swarovski crystals, a tradition for schnapps, and it is called “the capital of the Alps”.

In one word, perfect!

Tirol

Innsbruck may be perfect, but it is also defining for an entire region: Tirol. Goethe said in 1829: “Here I have finally found a place of quiet, a place of peace, the like of which I could have only wished for.” Tirol is indeed a place for the spirit.

Situated in the heart of the Alps, with more than 500 peaks over 3,000 m and more than 600 glaciers, with the nature in all its glory and welcoming people, Tirol is a blessing. In winter, more than 80 ski resorts are waiting for you. In summer, hiking, cycling with 10 speed bikes, mountain biking, or just walking are the attractions of this region.

Folk music and small villages complete the picture. Tirol is a place you really want to see before you die.

Austria is a mix of imperial history, great culture, legends of music, impressive architecture, and nature at its best. Small and concentrated, this country invites you with every breath to discover beauty, to be amazed, to be conquered. There are not just places to visit in Austria, everything must be admired and respected.