Whether you’ve packed your skis or just your guide to the best cafés and pastries, you’ll be delighted you came to Austria. The scenery is unrivalled, the architecture awe-inspiring – and everywhere you look is cultural heritage. Whether you’re staying in just one city or planning a road trip along the Danube, here are some great ideas to get you started.
The virtues of Vienna
It’s easy to see why many people start their visit to Austria in Vienna. It’s home to palaces seemingly made from gingerbread (make time to see the Schloss Schonbrunn and Schloss Belvedere) museums full of timeless art and cafes where you could idle away whole days.
Order a slice of Sacher Torte at the Café Sacher and you’ll be indulging in a tradition that’s nearly 200 years old. But it’s not the only show in town – the old café culture has been revived with some new arrivals too. If you prefer a glimpse into the past, head to Café Central, where painter Gustav Klimt used to go. Or try the Sperlhof, which was opened in 1923 as a meeting place for Jewish artists, but is now the place to go for a coffee and a board game, with hundreds of varieties stacked in towers that threaten to topple.
Alpine adventure
The Alps hum with ski resorts both simple and stylish, with some heading straight to the piste while others take in the welcoming atmosphere and views. Innsbruck has hosted the Winter Olympics twice, and has every snowbound activity you could wish for, but also offers plenty to non-thrillseekers – including a horse-drawn carriage tour of Seefeld.
While you can’t access the peaks in your rental car, you can experience them in funiculars and cable cars. In flatter areas, you’ll find cross-country skiers getting exercise without tackling the slopes. A must-see destination at Solden in the Tyrol is the Ice Q restaurant, a stunning modernist building where key scenes from the James Bond movie Spectre were filmed. Even at 3,048 meters above sea level there’s a choice of restaurants – you can either dine in the Bistro or the Gourmet. At the latter, expect roasted pike-perch fillet or suckling pig confit.
Go for Graz
There’s much more to Austria than skiing or Sacher Torte. The country’s second city, Graz, has a sublime old town, gothic buildings and remarkable modern art displays. Visit Central Station to see the incredible Peter Kogler interior, then head to the shocking blue Kunsthaus Museum, also known as the ‘Friendly Alien’.
Innsbruck for insiders
Charming Innsbruck isn’t just a place to visit for winter skiing, there’s plenty to do in summer too, when the green Alpine pastures really come alive. The 15th century Hofburg Palace is a riot of rococo style, decorated by Empress Maria Theresa, who was Marie Antoinette’s mother. Check out the Giant’s Hall, a stately room adorned with frescoes.
Austria is a vision of grand old Europe – a wonderful place to visit at Christmas when the markets capture the spirit of the season perfectly, and a place thriving with music and culture all year round. Car rental in Austria lets you connect the dots between the cities, before heading on to an unforgettable adventure in the Alps.