Austria is a land-locked  German speaking country in Central Europe bordering Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west, Germany Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east and Slovenia and Italy to the south. Austria, along with neighboring Switzerland, is the winter sports capital of Europe. However, it is just as popular for summer tourists who visit its historic cities and villages and hike in the magnificent scenery of the Alps.
Vienna’s jewel-box palaces and Mozart melodies, sparkling Alps and problems like Maria naturally still have their place in Austria’s heart. But venture further for experiences that defy expectations: from slinging on a backpack to stride through the Tennengebirge’s lunar landscape to slurping cider with grizzled farmers in Mostviertel orchards, from catapulting down the jaw-dropping Harakiri in Mayrhofen to bathing in Salzkammergut’s tingly lakes. Visit historic spa towns like Bad Ischl or discover cities such as Linz, where a newfound street cred is adding a twist to Austria’s tale. So cast aside the well-thumbed picture-book, as the real story is even more enchanting…
Austria flaunts its heritage in exuberant fashion. Vienna’s
bombastic Habsburg palaces and Salzburg’s baroque splendour are worthy, but dig
deeper and you’ll unearth Stone Age settlements, Roman archaeological sites at Carnuntum
and medieval festivals. In the country where Mozart composed and Strauss taught
the world to twirl, you won’t need to search hard for culture – it waltzes
right up to you.
Salzburg
A shrine to
Mozart’s melodies? A Sound of Music stage? A Disneyfied city with
scrumptious cakes, sugar-coated mountains and one helluva fortress? Yep,
Salzburg is undeniably touristy and theatrical, yet still it’s a composition
that takes some beating: from Festung Hohensalzburg atop Mönchsberg to the
baroque splendour of Residenzplatz and the slender spires that crowd the
skyline.
This is a city where kitsch and class walk hand in hand. If Maria is just itching to get out, take her on a warble-as-you-pedal tour of the sights; if Wolfgang is more your cup of tea, join the well-heeled crowd at Schloss Mirabell to hear the maestro’s symphonies. Whether it’s to be a shopping spree on Getreidegasse to find lederhosen that fit, or a horse-drawn carriage ride through the cobbled centre, in Salzburg embracing the clichés is positively encouraged. And why not? It’s fun.
When the overload of Mozart and Miss Andrews gets too much to handle, Salzburg’s lesser-known corners offer blissful respite. The contemporary contours of Museum der Moderne, the chilled bars lining the right bank and the solitude of Kapuzinerberg are the perfect remedy for an overkill of the obvious. Sitting on the banks of the fast-flowing Salzach as the sun sinks over the city, it becomes clear that this place still rocks. Even without Amadeus.