Exploring Austria at Your Own Pace: Between Mountains and C

About the destination: Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria. It is a beautiful romantic city and famous for its coffee culture and cafes, classical music and concert halls, historical buildings, horse-drawn carriages, and its charming streets. There is a rich cultural diversity in Vienna, and its location at the very heart of Europe makes it also an excellent starting point for travelling around Europe. Vienna an impressing city to visit, the city is dominated by the Ringstrasse, a four kilometer long boulevard which encircles the center of the city. The city is filled with modern conveniences and attractions but blanketed as well with reminders of a great historical and cultural heritage. Excellent museums, palaces, gardens, architectural triumphs, remnants of ancient inhabitants, statuary, and grand cafes blend with trendy shops, excellent restaurants, accessible musical venues, modern museums and sculpture, and upscale hotels to make Vienna a very attractive. The extensive pedestrianized streets of the old city are a delight, lined by beautiful old buildings, populated by the young and old, filled with local shops, boutiques and cafes, and with the unexpected around every turn. The center city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Vienna is history and music, poetry and culture, modernism and tradition, nostalgia and grandeur.

About the destination: Lying on both sides of the famous Danube, the city of Linz is Austria's third largest city and a busy Danube port. Not only is the city one of Austria's most important industrial centre, it is also a city full of history, art, technological advances and many cultural gems. The city's roots stretch back to before the time of the Romans. Within the city, the attractive historic part of town has preserved its mostly Baroque appearance and Biedermeier facades, and as a result, it's a perfect place to just meander through the many side streets and explore the huge Hauptplatz, the city’s main square, which is the largest enclosed square in Austria. In the centre of the square is the trinity column, carved in white marble and built in 1723. The architecture of the buildings that surround the square reflect the Renaissance, Baroque, and Rocco periods. The Rathus on the right side of the square was built in 1513. The large church on the square is the Alter Dom, the old cathedral, built for the Jesuits in 1669. On the north side of the square is the Mozarthaus where Mozart wrote the "Linz symphony" in 1783. Also great is just relaxing at one of the many cafés! Outside the city centre, you find many things to see as well. The area surrounding Linz has many historic sites, excellent trails for hiking and biking, and countless towns with cultural treasures of their own. As the capital of the Upper Austrian province, it serves as an administrative centre. While an administrative centre and industrious city may not sound like the ideal places to visit, Linz makes up for it greatly by being at the forefront of new art and new technology as well as preserving its historical wealth. It is truly a lovely city on the Danube and well worth a visit.

About the destination: Salzburg, birthplace of Mozart, lies at the border of Austria and Germany. The Salzach River separated Salzburg’s old and new towns. The old town is impressive and concentrated. It centres around the broad Residenzplatz, and is largely a pedestrian zone. The relatively new town centres around Mirabellplatz and Markartplatz. Salzburg’s impressive hills rise straight out of the old town. The most conspicuous hilltop fortification is the Hohensalzburg, build over the centuries on an ancient Celtic and Roman site, and now the largest fully preserved medieval castle in Europe. For splendour of another sort visit the Schloss Mirabell and its Gardens, located right next to the Salzach River and the Mozarteum University of Music and Arts. The castle was built by an archbishop for his beloved courtesan. You can wander around extravagant rose and flower gardens and marvel at the stone dwarves in the Zwerglgarten. To learn about Mozart and his life, go to his Geburtshaus, Mozart's birth house. The street itself is worth a look, the guild signs and painted wall decorations are much as they were at the time Mozart’s birth. The house exhibits pictures, letters, and stage sets for the various operas Mozart wrote. Protected by forested mountains, Salzburg is a city of enchantment whose voice is expressed in some of the world’s most sublime music, composed by favourite son, Mozart. The age that produced the unrivalled musical genius of Mozart also built the beautiful castles and churches of Salzburg, and spawned a love of music that lives on today in Salzburg’s countless concert series and annual summer festival.

About the destination: Innsbruck, provincial capital of Tyrol and fifth largest city in Austria, is the country’s centre of winter activities and occasionally of the world’s alpine interest, having hosted the Winter Olympic Games twice. The Nordkette cable car and an extensive network of mountain paths radiate from Innsbruck, making the stunning surrounding Alps equally accessible for winter skiers and summer hikers. The Altstad is the centre of Innsbruck, and the Goldenes Dachl, Golden Roof, is both the centre of the Altstad and the city’s emblem. The building from the 15th century, is a mixture of Gothic and Baroque, and of course has a golden roof. The frescoes in the interior show scenes from the aristocrat's life of that time. All of the decorations on the current structure are carefully executed replicas. The original reliefs are on permanent display in the Tyrolean State Museum, also known as the Tiroler Landesmuseum. Housed in the building is the Golden Roof Museum which has an exhibition about Emperor Maximilian I and his times, as well as the history of Innsbruck's emblem. Lovers of the Gothic art shouldn’t miss the Tiroler Landesmuseum, its collection includes beautifully coloured, delicately etched stained glass windows, a few altars and paintings and an array of modern works. Maria-Theresien Strasse is Innsbruck's main street and a wonderful place to stroll around or sit at one of the side cafes and watch people go by. At one end there is the Triumphal arch which leads to the old town. Maria-Theresien Strasse is a lovely pedestrian area, with pavement cafés, Baroque architecture, restaurants, and views of the stunning mountains. Innsbruck offers a fairly unique winter holiday proposition, mixing gorgeous mountain scenery with architectural grandeur, and big city buzz with hundreds of shops, restaurants and funky bars.

About the destination: Hallstatt, Upper Austria, is a village in the Salzkammergut, a region in Austria. It is located near the Hallstätter See. Hallstatt is known for its production of salt, dating back to prehistoric times, and gave its name to the Hallstatt culture, a culture often linked to Celtic, Proto-Celtic, and pre-Illyrian peoples. MAIN TOURIST ATTRACTIONS • Cultural Heritage Museum. A small but interesting museum displaying 7000 years of Hallstatt history. • Beinhaus. Due to the extremely limited space in the cemetery, burials are only temporary. • The town. Simply enjoy the peace and quiet of the town.

About the destination: Graz, Austria's second biggest city, is a pretty Central European town where various architectural styles and artistic movements have blended since the Middle Ages. Partly surrounded by the Alps, at the ford of the river Mur, with the Schlossberg, the castle hill, in the centre, Graz is a perfectly located city. The hike up the Schlossberg takes less than 30 minutes and rewards walkers with excellent views. At the top there is an open-air theatre, a small military museum and the bell tower which dates from 1588. Graz's Hauptplatz is a wonderful square where you can find Graz's town hall, a bustling market and a lovely fountain. There are many ornate buildings next to the square. Graz's position as European Capital of Culture in 2003 brought contrast between the very old and the ultra-modern to the city’s architecture. Two examples of great modern design are the Kunsthaus, a futuristic exhibition centre located on the banks of the River Mur dubbed the "Friendly Alien", and the Mur Insel, an artificial island on the Mur River made of metal and glass. Grazers love to hang out at any time, meet friends and chat in the cosy ambience of the many city cafes. Nice and sunny days will fill the streets with people. Every cafe and pastry shop has a small street terrace, especially those located in a city squares. The large student population helps propel the nightlife and vibrant arts scene, creating a pleasant, active and liveable city.

About the destination: Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria. It is a beautiful romantic city and famous for its coffee culture and cafes, classical music and concert halls, historical buildings, horse-drawn carriages, and its charming streets. There is a rich cultural diversity in Vienna, and its location at the very heart of Europe makes it also an excellent starting point for travelling around Europe. Vienna an impressing city to visit, the city is dominated by the Ringstrasse, a four kilometer long boulevard which encircles the center of the city. The city is filled with modern conveniences and attractions but blanketed as well with reminders of a great historical and cultural heritage. Excellent museums, palaces, gardens, architectural triumphs, remnants of ancient inhabitants, statuary, and grand cafes blend with trendy shops, excellent restaurants, accessible musical venues, modern museums and sculpture, and upscale hotels to make Vienna a very attractive. The extensive pedestrianized streets of the old city are a delight, lined by beautiful old buildings, populated by the young and old, filled with local shops, boutiques and cafes, and with the unexpected around every turn. The center city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Vienna is history and music, poetry and culture, modernism and tradition, nostalgia and grandeur.