Around 25 million people travel to Austria every year for medical, cultural, active and ecological tours. Want to know what to see in Austria? Pay attention to the sights of Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Linz, Graz.
Holiday season in Austria
Rest in Austria is best in May-July, December-March and September. Swimming conditions are offered by Carinthia (where the water temperature is + 24-26˚C all summer) and the Salzkammergut Lake District (in July-August the water warms up to + 22-23˚C).
The ski season (for skiers - the Arlberg mountain range, the Ötztal and Zillertal valleys) in the country falls on December-March, but in some places you can ski until May, and in February Westendorf invites everyone to visit the winter festival Jump and Freeze.
It is important not to miss the ball season, which starts on New Year's Eve and lasts until Easter.
Top 15 places of interest in Austria
St. Stephen's Cathedral
St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna
St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna is famous for its impressive stained glass windows, a 136-meter spire, pointed vaults and a mosaic roof, North and South towers (both towers are equipped with platforms for viewing picturesque views of the Austrian capital). The cathedral contains icons, works of art of world renown, church utensils, as well as the catacombs and the family burial vault of the Habsburgs.
Access to St. Stephen's Cathedral (a ticket with an audio guide costs 17.90 euros) is open daily from 6-7 am to 10 pm.
Hohenwerfen castle
Between Salzburg and Hohenwerfen Castle, over 900 years old - 40 km. Tourists, entering the castle through any of the 4 gates, will be able to admire the drawbridges, stone walls, the Clock Tower and Falturm Tower, the statue of the Virgin Mary with the Child of the 15th century, an ancient chapel, an underground chapel of the 17th century, exhibits of the armory rooms and the Falconry Museum and also to see the mountains, the valley and the Salzach river from here.
From Salzburg to Hohenwerfen Castle (a ticket costs 12 euros) there is an S-Bahn train (the journey will take 45 minutes), after which you will have to overcome the 155-meter height on foot in 15 minutes (an alternative option is an elevator, which will cost 15, 50 Euro).
Mirabell Palace
Mirabell Palace, Salzburg
The Mirabell Palace in Salzburg is famous for the main staircase, which is decorated with figures of angels, the church and the Marble Hall (today it is used for marriage ceremonies), gardens with a fountain (its decoration is Susanna's sculpture), stone lions, flower beds of unusual shapes, a garden theater … Today, the Mirabell Palace is a venue for congresses, concerts and awards ceremonies.
Castle Leopoldskron
Leopoldskron Castle (Rococo style) in Salzburg was the seat of the archbishop and is now a hotel. The castle is equipped with parks, lawns, a small lake. Despite the fact that Leopoldskron Castle is owned by a private person, you can visit it on the open day (last Saturday in November), or book a hotel room (its location is one of the outbuildings; a standard single room will cost at least 127 euros). In this case, guests will be able to visit all the castle premises (there they will see stucco, paintings, paintings of the 19th century), including the old library of Max Reinhard. In May-June, performances are staged here, mainly based on Shakespearean dramas.
Schönbrunn Palace
Of the 1,441 rooms of the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, only 40 of them are accessible to tourists. In the Hall of Mirrors, you will be able to admire the altar, which depicts the Holy Virgin Mary and crystal mirrors, in the Small Gallery - marble busts of Maria Carolina and Marie Antoinette, in the Great Hall of the Rose - a clock, a portrait of Maria Theresa, Asian floor vases in white and blue, in the room Roesselzimmer - paintings depicting hunting scenes, in the Ceremonial Hall - walls painted with scenes of great battles and paintings of the 18th century, in the Nussholz-Zimmer room - a gilded wood chandelier, in Franz Joseph's bedroom - a portrait of the Kaiser on the eve of his death and toiletries Franz Joseph. The local cafe is interesting for holding a daily strudel show with a tasting of this dessert.
The ticket price is 13, 30-16, 40 euros.
Krimml waterfall
Krimml waterfall
Three cascades of the Krimml Falls, with a total height of 380 m, are “fed” by the Krimler-Ache River (originates from a three-kilometer glacier), and are located in the Hohe Tauern National Park (the entrance to the park costs 15 euros). The area surrounding the waterfall is interesting for the luminous moss growing here (it reflects the light falling on it). Rare moss grows here due to the high humidity. It is worth noting that the waterfall freezes over in winter.
Ice Cave Eisriesenwelt
The Eisriesenwelt Ice Cave, 407 m deep and 42 km long, is located near Werfen. The closest mountain shelter to the cave is Dr.-Friedrich-Oedl-Haus. Tourists get to it by cable car (2500 people use its services every day). In the cave (for its exploration, visitors are supplied with carbide lamps), everyone will be able to admire the ice figures illuminated by magnesium light. Access to the cave is open from early May to late October (ticket price - 22 euros).
Heiligenkreuz Abbey
Heiligenkreuz Abbey
Heiligenkreuz Abbey is located a couple of kilometers from Baden. The abbey has a church of the 12-13th centuries (the architecture combines the Gothic and Romanesque styles, and its bell tower is a reflection of the Baroque style; the main church relics are the relics of Otto of Freisingen and a piece of the Holy Cross), the Holy Trinity column (its carving is the work of the master Giuliani from Venice), The Meeting Room (is the resting place of famous personalities of Lower Austria), the monastery library (it is a repository of 50,000 volumes).
The abbey is free to visit, but it's best to join an organized group of sightseers.
Castle in Graz
The castle is located in Graz next to the Cathedral of St. Egidius. The castle is interesting for its Gothic gates, sgraffito façade murals, Renaissance arcades, a spiral staircase (it is distinguished by fan steps with the inscription Aeiou), some of the interior rooms preserved, two courtyards (the northern courtyard is famous for the “gallery of fame” with busts of Styrian figures of science and art).
The castle is open from 07:30 to 8pm (admission is free).
Villa Lehara
Villa Lehár is located in Bad Ischl. The three-storey villa of Lehar is an example of the classicism style, and as bequeathed by the composer Franz Lehar himself, it has been turned into a museum, where everything is preserved, as during his lifetime. Here you can admire paintings, clocks, antique furniture, sculptures.
The villa is open to tourists from 10 am to 5 pm (Monday is a day off in May-September, and Tuesday is in July-August). The entrance fee is 4, 90 euros.
Dachstein
Dachstein
The Dachstein mountain range is famous for its fossils and caves, as well as downhill skiing trails (a ski pass in the region will cost 50 euros / day). Climbers and lovers of beautiful natural attractions conquer the 3000-meter peak (from the Sky Walk observation deck, equipped with a glass floor, you will be able to admire the Austrian Alps).
Special attention should be paid to:
- Mammoth Cave: 1 km of the 60 km route is open to tourists. Here everyone will be able to explore the rocky halls and admire the light and music installations (the 3D light model of the cave is subject to inspection);
- Ice Cave: equipped with an ice ball with a diameter of 9 m, as well as the “Parsifal Dome”, “King Arthur's Dome” and other halls;
- Koppenbrüller cave (famous for its underground river).
Liechtenstein Gorge
From Salzburg to the Liechtenstein Gorge, 4 km long - 50 km. This gorge cannot be called safe, therefore it was opened for tourists only at the end of the 19th century, and even now access to it is possible only during the day. In the Liechtenstein Gorge (restaurants and souvenir shops are open at the entrance), a stone path has been laid for travelers so that they can see 300-meter rocks and a 150-meter waterfall while moving along it.
The cost of an adult ticket is 6 euros, a child ticket is 4 euros, and a family ticket (2 adults + 2 children) is 14 euros.
Archaeological Park Karnuntum
Earlier on the site of the archaeological park Carnuntum was the eponymous Roman camp of the 1st century AD. Objects in the form of villas and foundations of houses, canals, basements, thermal baths, the ruins of a gladiatorial arena are subject to inspection … Some of the exhibits are kept in a museum in Bad Deutsch-Alteburg (the total ticket price of 17 euros includes a visit to this museum).
Karnuntum Park is located 43 km from Vienna. A direct train goes there (you need to get off at the Petronell-Carnuntum station).
House "Golden Roof"
The five-storey house with a golden roof and an upper balcony, which is decorated with ancient frescoes, a balustrade and stucco moldings, is a landmark of Innsbruck. Today, there is a museum there, where everyone comes to see the exhibits that give an idea of how Emperor Maximilian I and the entire Habsburg dynasty lived. And also here marriages are registered (a special institution has been opened) and the Secretariat of the International Alpine Convention is located.
Buses No. 4127, NL13 and 4125 go to the “Golden Roof” house, and you can visit it from 10 am to 5 pm for 4 euros (the price of a child ticket is 2 euros).
Minimundus
Minimundus
The Minimundus Park is located in Klagenfurt on the shores of Lake Wörthersee. Visitors to Minimundus Park become a participant in a one-day kind of a round-the-world trip, because here they can admire reduced copies (150 miniatures on a scale of 1:25 are exhibited here) of the Sydney Theater, the Taj Mahal, the Statue of Liberty, the Eiffel Tower. Here you can also see technical models, in particular, trains passing 5,000 km a day in the park. Younger guests can spend time on the playground, while adults can attend summer evening concerts.
An adult ticket costs 13 euros, and a child ticket (6-15 years old) costs 8 euros. Visiting hours: from 9 am to 6-9 pm.
