Austrian city breaks offer more than just guidebook sights. Gourmet Graz, romantic Salzburg and invigorating Innsbruck provide new experiences at just the right pace.
City specialA day of fresh air in the mountains, an afternoon lost in modern art and architecture, a moment of wonder at opera in the most surprising of settings. And, with plenty of time for unexpected discoveries, Austria is one summer holiday destination that you'd return to in a second.
Where's your happy place?Vorarlberg, Austria’s westernmost province, is striking for its many structures with timber construction. The architecture is simple, natural and sustainable, traditional and cosmopolitan all at once – like the people who live here. Join us on a tour of Vorarlberg’s building culture and mentality.
An Architectural Round Trip of VorarlbergWhether in the historic city centre, at a traditional wine tavern or on the other side of the Danube: Vienna is full of architectural highlights. Here, contemporary and historic buildings coexist in a strikingly innovative way.
An Architectural Round Trip of ViennaWhile the architecture of a region obviously shapes its surroundings, the opposite is just as true. It is thus little wonder that Styria, which boasts such a varied landscape, is incredibly diverse in terms of its buildings too.
An Architectural Round Trip of StyriaWolfgang Amadeus Mozart- one of the greatest composer of all times. He created his own distinctive style with blending traditional and contemporary together.
MoreAt first it sounds improbable: Vorarlberg - a small, mostly rural state in the middle of the Alps - has become one of Europe's leading regions for modern art and architecture.
Quite AstoundingThere are several exhibitions in Vienna spotlighting the life and works of one of the most prominent composers of the classical period. Some of these exhibitions are staged at original Haydn venues. The Haydn House is a "must-see" for all Joseph Haydn fans which contains Haydn’s original rooms.
Vienna: ExhibitionsNowadays many museums attract visitors not only with interesting exhibitions, but also because of their cutting-edge architecture.The Kunsthaus Graz opened its doors in 2003, the architectural pièce de résistance of Graz’s year as European Capital of Culture. The building, designed by Peter Cook and Colin Fournier, has since become an attraction for art lovers.
Kunsthaus GrazA new work is added every year, forming its own dialogue with the baroque heritage of the Mozart city, Modern Art in Salzburg, and the juxtaposition always creates lively debate.
More on Modern Art in SalzburgA crazy village and a museum for inventions that nobody needs..... quirky rather than certifiable. The museum exhibits 'inventions that make everyday life.'
More on the NonseumThe Leopold Museum in the Viennese MuseumsQuartier presents Austrian paintings of the 19th and 20th century, including the world’s biggest Schiele collection in its spacious, light-flooded rooms.
Visit WebsiteThe Albertina accommodates one of the largest and most precious graphic art collections in the world. Today, it comprises nearly 50,000 drawings and one million prints dating from all major epochs: from Late Gothic to contemporary art.
Find out more about Albertina - ViennaThanks to the acquisitions by and the patronage of the House of Habsburg, the Museum of fine Arts in Vienna has an unrivalled collection of old masters, including a vast selection of works by Pieter Bruegel the Elder.
Work of the MastersToday, it is one of Austria’s most photographed structures and a leading centre for contemporary art. But when it opened in 1898, the Secession - Vienna touched off a scandal.
Scandalous and SuperbThis Baroque masterpiece houses is one of Europe's most important museums, the Gallery Belvedere Vienna. In the Upper Belvedere the world's largest collection of paintings by Gustav Klimt is on display, alongside works by Egon Schiele and Oskar Kokoschka.
One of Vienna's HighlightsLocated in the gigantic black basalt cube, the MUMOK Museum of Modern Art, in the courtyard of the Viennese MuseumsQuartier, view a vast collection of major 20th century artists - from Picasso to Pollock - as well as changing contempoary exhibitions.
MUMOK WebsiteThe building Kunsthaus Graz, designed by Peter Cook and Colin Fournier, has an organic shape with a skin made of iridescent blue acrylic panels. One of the most unusual museums you'll ever visit. It has become an attraction for art lovers and the culturally minded from all over the world.
The Friendly AlienSalzburg is not only devoted to the traditional. A lively art and culture scene with a plethora of galleries and event venues embraces the avant-garde, the unconventional and the future-oriented.
Top Salzburg VenuesSalzburg's dramatic museum of modern and contemporary art, the Museum der Moderne, sits atop the sheer cliff face of the Mönchsberg, 60 meters above Salzburg’s historic old town.
High on ArtTake a trip a few miles north of Vienna to visit the Essl Collection in Klosterneuburg, the important collection of Austrian painting dating back to 1945. It is one of Austria's most comprehensive collections of post-war art works.
The CollectionFrom Vienna, drive along the Danube westward towards Lower Austria. Just past the city of Krems, you’ll encounter the idyllic, terraced vineyards of the Wachau valley. Walking along a path through these ancient Weingärten may lead you to Langenlois, with the richest, most intensely flavored wines of the region.
Visit LangenloisAustria’s capital is famous for its cultural events, imperial sights, coffee houses, cosy wine taverns, and the very special Viennese charm.
Find out more about ViennaHectic city life is a distant memory in Tirol's Alpbachtal. 7 nights in a 3-star hotel with Alpbachtal Seenland Card, giving access to mountain lifts, guided walks and more.
The mountains are calling with this 7-night Zell am See-Kaprun offer, including summer card, 2 guided mountain tours and admission to Peakworld 3000.
3 or 4 nights in delightful Montafon, free Montafon Silvretta Card for cable cars, pools and museums, plus a highlight mountain breakfast in a restaurant of your choice.
See Mozart's ‘The Magic Flute’ on the floating stage of Lake Constance. Includes 2 nights in a 3* or 4* hotel, welcome drink, festival ticket and local discount card.
There are countless highlights that await culture lovers visiting Vorarlberg. Lake Constance provides a perfect backdrop for the arts whilst the region of the Bregenzerwald is famous for its contemporary architecture.
Regional HighlightsExperience the living museum of the Alpbach Valley Tirol where life has remained the same for centuries. Or visit the foodie's veritable promised land of Zillertal, renowned for its cuisine and natural ingredients.
Regional HighlightsAustria is your desination for city breaks with a twist: Salzburg presents its Baroque face, Graz is a real paradise for foodies and Innsbruck couples sightseeing with outdoor adventure.
Regional HighlightsAs one of the leading figures of fin-de-siècle Vienna, Gustav Klimt created a body of works that made him what he is today: the most famous Austrian painter in the entire world.
More about Gustav KlimtEqually controversial and successful in his day, Gustav Klimt was one of the central figures of fin-de-siècle Vienna, the epoch that marked the beginning of Modernism.
The Great KlimtsIn 1907 Gustav Klimt began work on The Kiss, the most famous work of his entire oeuvre, as well as the culmination of the European Jugendstil movement.
The Kiss or The Triumph of LoveThere are stories about most artists that move or amuse generation upon generation of followers. Have fun reading our selection of Gustav Klimt anecdotes.
A True CharacterWith the exception of his early works, Gustav Klimt painted portraits only of women. These paintings, along with his drawings, show him to be one of the greatest masters of eroticism in the history of art.
“…because I fear and respect true love.”Jugendstil was one of the greatest international phenomena in the history of art and culture, which at the beginning of Modernism was aimed at the renewal of the entrenched, paralyzed art of the time.
Find out MoreEach year over 300,000 Sound of Music fans visit Salzburg. The story, songs and traditional attire worn by the von Trapp Family are responsible for the tireless hype, now brought together in a unique exhibition.
A dirndl and lederhosen legendIn Austria a number of regions have got together to create themed routes that invite you to explore rural history with gastronomic delights all along the way.
Wining, Dining and CultureTyrol’s largest open-air museum is situated in Kramsach near Lake Reintal. On site you will find a sawmill, flour mill, blacksmith, threshing floor and two chapels. Particularly charming is the old school, bringing back days long forgotten. The whole museum is brought to life by animals and colourful farmer's gardens.
Read More2013 is all about music in Upper Austria and its capital Linz as it opens the doors to Europe's most modern opera house, the new Musiktheater am Volksgarten.
Music is in the airThe combination of a protective wall and an exhibition space makes the Alpinarium Galtür and its architecture unique in all of Europe.
More on the Alpinarium GaltürThe Montafon Museums have long since ceased to be just a “wet weather programme for bored guests”. They now offer an insight into the history, culture and cultivated landscape of Montafon. Guided tours of the museums or to special cultural-historical features are possible at any time on request.
Read MoreArnulf Rainer’s hometown of Baden pays tribute to this versatile and busy painter with a museum devoted to his work – and housed in a former bath that is a gem of 19th-century architecture.
More on the Arnulf Rainer MuseumMarvelling like a child is rare these days, but one cannot help it when standing in the interior of a huge crystal, watching light refracted in hundreds of mirrored surfaces. The imposing Crystal Dome is the showpiece of the “Swarovski Crystal Worlds”.
More on Swarovski Crystal WorldsTreat yourself to a 2-night stay at a 4* hotel in Salzburg with brewery visit, beer and dinner, plus a city tour and 24-hour Salzburg Card.
Make it an extra long weekend in Graz and stay 3 nights but pay for 2. Your package includes a 24-hour pass to the Universal Museum Joanneum.
Let Linz entice you to a weekend away with 2 nights' accommodation and breakfast, plus a 3-day Linz-Card for free public transport and entrance to all museums.
7 nights half-board in 3* accommodation and Wildschönau Card giving free access to cable cars, guided walks, lidos, kids' clubs and more.
He was the speaker and organizer of the Jugendstil art movement and promoter of young, up-and-coming talent. He created some of the most famous Art Nouveau paintings worldwide and gave Vienna plenty of reasons to celebrate his 150th Birthday in 2012.
Find out more about Gustav KlimtFall for Vienna's Imperial palaces, opulent Jugendstil cafés and the MuseumQuartier's cultural riches. Mozart runs through Salzburg's baroque veins. Peer above red-tiled rooftops and gables in Graz's Old Town, up to pointy alpine peaks from Innsbruck's maze of narrow streets, and seek out Roman-rooted Linz on the Danube's banks.
Austria's CitiesCelebrate Gustav Klimt's 150th Birthday in Vienna, choose from over 200 festivals, or visit one of the world's most important museum collections. Experience the diversity of Austria's art and culture.
Galleries, Festivals and MoreAustria and culture are an inseparable unit, and the cultural programme is accordingly packed to the brim. Here is a selection of this year's top events that should undoubtedly not be missed when visiting Austria.
Mysteriously hidden in the wild and romantic landscape of the Feistritzklamm is one of Austria’s most famous castles: Castle Herberstein
More on Castle HerbersteinThe largest open-air museum in Lower Austria is an entire village, where 80 historical buildings were disassembled from all over the Weinviertl and rebuilt again true to their original construction at Niedersulz.
More information on the Open Air MuseumAustria today offers some of the world's most important and stunning collections. To tour the countless museums and galleries is to pass from Old Masters to contemporary art.
Visit Great Austrian MuseumsVienna is well known for it's music and culture, for the coffee houses, the Opera and the Imperial history which the city still showcases everywhere. Vienna’s cultural appeal is, in fact, what draws an ever larger number of gay and lesbian travelers to the city.
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