|
Top Things To See
Baroque elegance
Soak up Vienna‘s (www.info.wien.at) baroque elegance, notably in the elegant First District (the Innerstadt), and enjoy the baroque splendour of Salzburg (www.salzburg.info): the Altstadt (old city) features the Hohensalzburg fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Other sights include the Peterskirche (St Peter's Abbey, with cemetery and catacombs), the Domkirche (intended to rival St Peter's in Rome) and the Alter Markt (old market square). World-class art Wonder at the works of Hieronymous Bosch and more in the internationally renowned Akademie der bildenden Künste, and scores of other galleries in Vienna. The city also has more than 50 museums, including the Natural History Museum, the Museum of Modern Art and the Museumsquartier. Famous Ferris Wheel While in Vienna, see the Ferris Wheel (Riesenrad) in the Prater amusement park, immortalised in the film The Third Man. Also worth a visit are St Stephen's Cathedral, the Chapel of the Hofburg, the Parliament and the Votive Church. Graz Explore Graz (www.graztourism.at) on foot. Must-sees include the Landesmuseum Johanneum, encompassing the Alte Galerie's gothic paintings, the Neue Galerie in the Herbenstrein Palace, the Cathedral, the Mausoleum of Emperor Ferdinand II, the old quarter, the Schlossberg (Castle Hill) with its Uhrtrum (clock tower), and the Glockenturm (bell tower). Striking stallions See the famous Lipizzaner stallions perform finely executed dressage manoeuvres to Viennese classical music in the Hofburg in Vienna, or at a stud farm in Piber, where they are looked after, trained and ridden. Crystal-clear lakes Take in the awesome panorama of some of Austria's beautiful lakes: they include Wörthersee, Wolfgangsee, Traunsee, Hallstättersee and Mondsee, one of the warmest lakes in the Salzkammergut; Carinthia's lakes reach temperatures of around 28°C (82°F) and have won several awards for their water quality. Donau-Auen National Park The last protected patch of European rainforest is a floodplain area of wilderness that nurtures a diversity of plants and animals. Mozart's birthplace Pay homage to Salzburg's most famous son, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. His birthplace (Mozart Geburtshaus) is in the Getreidegasse, also the city's main shopping street, while the family residence (Mozart Wohnhaus) is on the market square. Both are now museums. Ice caves Witness the magical Eisriesenwelt in Werfen: ice caves, featuring wonderful ice sculptures all year round. These caverns are buried deep beneath the mountain wall that flanks the valley south of Salzburg. Tirol Explore the Tirol, Austria's most mountainous province, with forests, pastures, valleys, mountain lakes, alpine villages, churches and castles. Capital Innsbruck has numerous historical buildings including a 12th-century castle. For spectacular views, take the funicular to Hungerburg and then the cable car to Hafelekar at 2,334m (5,928ft). See Contact Addresses for further tourist information. |
