Austria Travel Guide

Loading...

Fodor's Vienna & the Best of Austria: with Salzburg & Skiing in the Alps
For over 80 years, Fodor's Travel has been a trusted resource offering expert travel...

View Details

A "blast from the past" is how one recent visitor described her journey through Austria. It remains, she explained, a place where children laugh at marionette shows in the parks, couples linger for hours over pastries at gilt-ceiling cafés, and Lipizzan stallions dance to Mozart minuets—in other words, Austria is a country that has not forgotten the elegance of a time gone by.

Fodor's Vienna & the Best of Austria: with Salzburg & Skiing in the Alps
For over 80 years, Fodor's Travel has been a trusted resource offering expert travel...

View Details

FODOR'S FINEST

The Best Hotels in Europe

Hotel Imperial Vienna, Austria

Find a Hotel

FODOR'S FINEST

The Best Hotels in Europe

Hotel Imperial Vienna, Austria

Find a Hotel

FODOR'S FINEST

The Best Hotels in Europe

Hotel Imperial Vienna, Austria

Top Destinations

Filter By:

Vienna

One of the great European capitals, Vienna was for centuries the stomping ground for the Habsburg rulers of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The...

Innsbruck, Tirol, and Vorarlberg

The provinces of Tyrol and Vorarlberg make up the western tip of Austria with Innsbruck, the capital of Tyrol, as the natural, historic, and...

Vienna Woods, Lake Neusiedler, and the Danube River

A trip along the Austrian Danube unfolds like a treasured picture book. Roman ruins (some dating to Emperor Claudius), remains of medieval castles...

Salzburg

Art lovers call Salzburg the Golden City of High Baroque; historians refer to it as the Florence of the North or the German Rome; and music...

Carinthia and Graz

While lesser-known than the mountainous terrain of Tyrol or the culture-rich cities of Vienna and Salzburg, the southern provinces of Carinthia...

Innsbruck

The capital of Tyrol is one of the most beautiful towns of its size anywhere in the world, owing much of its charm and fame to its unique location...

Eastern Alps

The whole Eastern Alps region is dramatic countryside, with breathtaking scenery and great winter sports opportunities. Here majestic peaks...

Linz

The capital of Upper Austria—set where the Traun River flows into the Danube—is a fascinating mix of the old and new. On the one hand, Austria...

Bregenz

Lying along the southeastern shore of the Bodensee (Lake Constance) with the majestic Pfänder as its backdrop, Bregenz is where Vorarlbergers...

Salzkammergut

Remember the exquisite opening scenes of The Sound of Music ? Castles reflected in water, mountains veiled by a scattering of downy clouds...

Graz

Austria's second-largest city, Graz is graceful, welcoming, and far from the usual tourist routes. Instead of visitors, it's the large university...

Klagenfurt

Klagenfurt became the provincial capital in 1518, so most of the delightful sites here date from the 16th century or later. However, a group...

Zell am See

This lovely lakeside town got its name from the monks' cells of a monastery founded here in about 790. It has excellent skiing and is busy throughout...

Kitzbuhel

Kitzbühel is indisputably one of Austria's most fashionable winter resorts, although the town boasts a busy summer season as well. "Kitz" offers...

Krems

Krems marks the beginning (when traveling upstream) of the Wachau section of the Danube. The town is closely tied to Austrian history; here...

Bad Ischl

Many travelers used to think of Bad Ischl primarily as the town where Zauner's pastry shop is located, to which connoisseurs drove miles for...

Hallstatt

As if rising from Swan Lake itself, the town of Hallstatt is the subject of thousands of travel posters. "The world's prettiest lakeside village...

Bad Gastein

Though it traces its roots all the way back to the 15th century, this resort, one of Europe's leading spas, gained renown only in the 19th century...

St. Anton am Arlberg

St. Anton is known as a cult destination for good skiers and boarders from around the world because of its extensive slopes full of character...

Lech

Just down (literally) the road from Zürs, Lech is a fully-fledged community—and one of the most fashionable in the Alps. But there are more...

Solden

Sölden is a skier's paradise, home to the only lift system in Austria to boast skiing on three mountains more than 9,800 feet high. Its latest...

Heiligenblut

One of the most photographed places in the country, Heiligenblut remains one of Austria's most picturesque Alpine villages. With the majestic...

Eisenstadt

Burgenland's provincial capital, Eisenstadt, is a really small town. Nevertheless, it has an illustrious history and enough sights to keep you...

Baden

The Weinstrasse brings you to the serenely elegant spa town of Baden. Since antiquity, Baden's sulfuric thermal baths have attracted both the...

St. Wolfgang

The town has everything: swimming and hiking in summer, cross-country skiing in winter, and natural feasts for the eye at every turn. Here you...

Friesach

The oldest settlement in Carinthia, romantic Friesach is great for wandering. The town is peppered with red-roofed buildings encircled by an...

Ischgl and Galtur

Ischgl, the best-known resort in the Paznaun Valley, has become as renowned for its party scene as for its excellent skiing—it links with the...

Rust

Picturesque Rust, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site, is easily the most popular village on the lake for the colorful pastel facades of its...

Hall in Tyrol

A few minutes by road east of Innsbruck is what many say is the most beautiful town in Tyrol—ancient Hall, wonderfully preserved and with a...

Carnuntum and Hainburg an der Donau

Until a few years ago, the village of Carnuntum was a yawning backwater on the Austrian plain and, along with its slightly larger neighbor,...

Durnstein

If a beauty contest were held among the towns along the Wachau Danube, chances are Dürnstein would be the winner—as you'll see when you arrive...

St. Johann im Pongau

St. Johann has developed into a full-fledged year-round resort, with its own small local ski area and a more extensive ski network starting...

Werfen

The small size of Werfen, adorned with 16th-century buildings and a lovely Baroque church, belies its importance, for it's the base for exploring...

Landeck

Landeck is a popular place to pause while traveling from Tyrol into Switzerland and Italy. ...

Melk

One of the most impressive sights in all of Austria, the abbey of Melk is best approached in mid- to late afternoon, when the setting sun ignites...

Schruns-Tschagguns

Author Ernest Hemingway spent many winters at the Schruns–Tschagguns skiing area in the Montafon Valley. Today neither of the towns—across the...

Filzmoos

One of the most romantic villages in Austria, Filzmoos is still something of a well-kept secret. Though skiing in the nearby Dachstein mountains...

Zurs

The chosen resort of the rich and fashionable on this side of the Arlberg, Zürs is little more than a collection of large and seriously plush...

Zell am Ziller

Zell is the main town of the Zillertal, one of the many beautiful Alpine valleys of the Tyrol, and a real working community rather than just...

Klosterneuburg

The quiet, moderate-size town of Klosterneuburg, on the south/west (Vienna) side of the Danube, feels much farther from the big city than just...

Steyr

...

Neusiedl am See

At the north end of the lake for which it is named is a pleasant resort town with good facilities. Direct hourly commuter trains from Vienna...

Fuschlsee

Nothing powered by more than a trolling motor is allowed on the crystalline waters of the peaceful alpine Lake Fuschl, and the emperor's Schloss...

Gosau am Dachstein

Lovers of scenic beauty should not leave the Hallstatt region without taking in Gosau am Dachstein, considered the most beautiful spot in Austria...

Gurk

Gurk is located in central Carinthia in the Gurk Valley, surrounded by high mountain meadows and magnificent forests. The actual center of the...

Marchegg

This tiny corner of the lower Weinviertel is known as the Marchfeld, for the fields stretching east to the March River that form the border...

Stuben

Traveling from Feldkirch to the Arlberg Pass you'll come to the village of Stuben, poised right above the 14-km (8.6-mile) -long Arlberg Tunnel...

Barnbach

...

St. Florian

...

Hochosterwitz

Like the impenetrable fortress it is, Burg Hochosterwitz looms over the surrounding countryside. This medieval building sits at 564 feet high...

Mayerling

Scenic Route 210 takes you through the quiet Helenental valley west of Baden to Mayerling—the scene of a tragedy that is still passionately...

Stubing bei Graz

...

Korneuburg

Aside from Burg Kreuzenstein, a castle a short distance outside the town, Korneuburg has a few attractions, including sections of a town wall...

Heiligenkreuz

...

Vienna

One of the great European capitals, Vienna was for centuries the stomping ground for the Habsburg rulers of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The...

Innsbruck, Tirol, and Vorarlberg

The provinces of Tyrol and Vorarlberg make up the western tip of Austria with Innsbruck, the capital of Tyrol, as the natural, historic, and...

Vienna Woods, Lake Neusiedler, and the Danube River

A trip along the Austrian Danube unfolds like a treasured picture book. Roman ruins (some dating to Emperor Claudius), remains of medieval castles...

Salzburg

Art lovers call Salzburg the Golden City of High Baroque; historians refer to it as the Florence of the North or the German Rome; and music...

Carinthia and Graz

While lesser-known than the mountainous terrain of Tyrol or the culture-rich cities of Vienna and Salzburg, the southern provinces of Carinthia...

Innsbruck

The capital of Tyrol is one of the most beautiful towns of its size anywhere in the world, owing much of its charm and fame to its unique location...

Eastern Alps

The whole Eastern Alps region is dramatic countryside, with breathtaking scenery and great winter sports opportunities. Here majestic peaks...

Linz

The capital of Upper Austria—set where the Traun River flows into the Danube—is a fascinating mix of the old and new. On the one hand, Austria...

Bregenz

Lying along the southeastern shore of the Bodensee (Lake Constance) with the majestic Pfänder as its backdrop, Bregenz is where Vorarlbergers...

Salzkammergut

Remember the exquisite opening scenes of The Sound of Music ? Castles reflected in water, mountains veiled by a scattering of downy clouds...

Graz

Austria's second-largest city, Graz is graceful, welcoming, and far from the usual tourist routes. Instead of visitors, it's the large university...

Klagenfurt

Klagenfurt became the provincial capital in 1518, so most of the delightful sites here date from the 16th century or later. However, a group...

Zell am See

This lovely lakeside town got its name from the monks' cells of a monastery founded here in about 790. It has excellent skiing and is busy throughout...

Kitzbuhel

Kitzbühel is indisputably one of Austria's most fashionable winter resorts, although the town boasts a busy summer season as well. "Kitz" offers...

Krems

Krems marks the beginning (when traveling upstream) of the Wachau section of the Danube. The town is closely tied to Austrian history; here...

Bad Ischl

Many travelers used to think of Bad Ischl primarily as the town where Zauner's pastry shop is located, to which connoisseurs drove miles for...

Hallstatt

As if rising from Swan Lake itself, the town of Hallstatt is the subject of thousands of travel posters. "The world's prettiest lakeside village...

Bad Gastein

Though it traces its roots all the way back to the 15th century, this resort, one of Europe's leading spas, gained renown only in the 19th century...

St. Anton am Arlberg

St. Anton is known as a cult destination for good skiers and boarders from around the world because of its extensive slopes full of character...

Lech

Just down (literally) the road from Zürs, Lech is a fully-fledged community—and one of the most fashionable in the Alps. But there are more...

Solden

Sölden is a skier's paradise, home to the only lift system in Austria to boast skiing on three mountains more than 9,800 feet high. Its latest...

Heiligenblut

One of the most photographed places in the country, Heiligenblut remains one of Austria's most picturesque Alpine villages. With the majestic...

Eisenstadt

Burgenland's provincial capital, Eisenstadt, is a really small town. Nevertheless, it has an illustrious history and enough sights to keep you...

Baden

The Weinstrasse brings you to the serenely elegant spa town of Baden. Since antiquity, Baden's sulfuric thermal baths have attracted both the...

St. Wolfgang

The town has everything: swimming and hiking in summer, cross-country skiing in winter, and natural feasts for the eye at every turn. Here you...

Friesach

The oldest settlement in Carinthia, romantic Friesach is great for wandering. The town is peppered with red-roofed buildings encircled by an...

Ischgl and Galtur

Ischgl, the best-known resort in the Paznaun Valley, has become as renowned for its party scene as for its excellent skiing—it links with the...

Rust

Picturesque Rust, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site, is easily the most popular village on the lake for the colorful pastel facades of its...

Hall in Tyrol

A few minutes by road east of Innsbruck is what many say is the most beautiful town in Tyrol—ancient Hall, wonderfully preserved and with a...

Carnuntum and Hainburg an der Donau

Until a few years ago, the village of Carnuntum was a yawning backwater on the Austrian plain and, along with its slightly larger neighbor,...

Durnstein

If a beauty contest were held among the towns along the Wachau Danube, chances are Dürnstein would be the winner—as you'll see when you arrive...

St. Johann im Pongau

St. Johann has developed into a full-fledged year-round resort, with its own small local ski area and a more extensive ski network starting...

Werfen

The small size of Werfen, adorned with 16th-century buildings and a lovely Baroque church, belies its importance, for it's the base for exploring...

Landeck

Landeck is a popular place to pause while traveling from Tyrol into Switzerland and Italy. ...

Melk

One of the most impressive sights in all of Austria, the abbey of Melk is best approached in mid- to late afternoon, when the setting sun ignites...

Schruns-Tschagguns

Author Ernest Hemingway spent many winters at the Schruns–Tschagguns skiing area in the Montafon Valley. Today neither of the towns—across the...

Filzmoos

One of the most romantic villages in Austria, Filzmoos is still something of a well-kept secret. Though skiing in the nearby Dachstein mountains...

Zurs

The chosen resort of the rich and fashionable on this side of the Arlberg, Zürs is little more than a collection of large and seriously plush...

Zell am Ziller

Zell is the main town of the Zillertal, one of the many beautiful Alpine valleys of the Tyrol, and a real working community rather than just...

Klosterneuburg

The quiet, moderate-size town of Klosterneuburg, on the south/west (Vienna) side of the Danube, feels much farther from the big city than just...

Steyr

...

Neusiedl am See

At the north end of the lake for which it is named is a pleasant resort town with good facilities. Direct hourly commuter trains from Vienna...

Fuschlsee

Nothing powered by more than a trolling motor is allowed on the crystalline waters of the peaceful alpine Lake Fuschl, and the emperor's Schloss...

Gosau am Dachstein

Lovers of scenic beauty should not leave the Hallstatt region without taking in Gosau am Dachstein, considered the most beautiful spot in Austria...

Gurk

Gurk is located in central Carinthia in the Gurk Valley, surrounded by high mountain meadows and magnificent forests. The actual center of the...

Marchegg

This tiny corner of the lower Weinviertel is known as the Marchfeld, for the fields stretching east to the March River that form the border...

Stuben

Traveling from Feldkirch to the Arlberg Pass you'll come to the village of Stuben, poised right above the 14-km (8.6-mile) -long Arlberg Tunnel...

Barnbach

...

St. Florian

...

Hochosterwitz

Like the impenetrable fortress it is, Burg Hochosterwitz looms over the surrounding countryside. This medieval building sits at 564 feet high...

Mayerling

Scenic Route 210 takes you through the quiet Helenental valley west of Baden to Mayerling—the scene of a tragedy that is still passionately...

Stubing bei Graz

...

Korneuburg

Aside from Burg Kreuzenstein, a castle a short distance outside the town, Korneuburg has a few attractions, including sections of a town wall...

Heiligenkreuz

...

Vienna

One of the great European capitals, Vienna was for centuries the stomping ground for the Habsburg rulers of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The...

Salzburg

Art lovers call Salzburg the Golden City of High Baroque; historians refer to it as the Florence of the North or the German Rome; and music...

Innsbruck

The capital of Tyrol is one of the most beautiful towns of its size anywhere in the world, owing much of its charm and fame to its unique location...

Linz

The capital of Upper Austria—set where the Traun River flows into the Danube—is a fascinating mix of the old and new. On the one hand, Austria...

Bregenz

Lying along the southeastern shore of the Bodensee (Lake Constance) with the majestic Pfänder as its backdrop, Bregenz is where Vorarlbergers...

Graz

Austria's second-largest city, Graz is graceful, welcoming, and far from the usual tourist routes. Instead of visitors, it's the large university...

Klagenfurt

Klagenfurt became the provincial capital in 1518, so most of the delightful sites here date from the 16th century or later. However, a group...

Zell am See

This lovely lakeside town got its name from the monks' cells of a monastery founded here in about 790. It has excellent skiing and is busy throughout...

Kitzbuhel

Kitzbühel is indisputably one of Austria's most fashionable winter resorts, although the town boasts a busy summer season as well. "Kitz" offers...

Bad Ischl

Many travelers used to think of Bad Ischl primarily as the town where Zauner's pastry shop is located, to which connoisseurs drove miles for...

Krems

Krems marks the beginning (when traveling upstream) of the Wachau section of the Danube. The town is closely tied to Austrian history; here...

Hallstatt

As if rising from Swan Lake itself, the town of Hallstatt is the subject of thousands of travel posters. "The world's prettiest lakeside village...

Bad Gastein

Though it traces its roots all the way back to the 15th century, this resort, one of Europe's leading spas, gained renown only in the 19th century...

St. Anton am Arlberg

St. Anton is known as a cult destination for good skiers and boarders from around the world because of its extensive slopes full of character...

Lech

Just down (literally) the road from Zürs, Lech is a fully-fledged community—and one of the most fashionable in the Alps. But there are more...

Eisenstadt

Burgenland's provincial capital, Eisenstadt, is a really small town. Nevertheless, it has an illustrious history and enough sights to keep you...

Solden

Sölden is a skier's paradise, home to the only lift system in Austria to boast skiing on three mountains more than 9,800 feet high. Its latest...

Heiligenblut

One of the most photographed places in the country, Heiligenblut remains one of Austria's most picturesque Alpine villages. With the majestic...

Ischgl and Galtur

Ischgl, the best-known resort in the Paznaun Valley, has become as renowned for its party scene as for its excellent skiing—it links with the...

Baden

The Weinstrasse brings you to the serenely elegant spa town of Baden. Since antiquity, Baden's sulfuric thermal baths have attracted both the...

St. Wolfgang

The town has everything: swimming and hiking in summer, cross-country skiing in winter, and natural feasts for the eye at every turn. Here you...

Friesach

The oldest settlement in Carinthia, romantic Friesach is great for wandering. The town is peppered with red-roofed buildings encircled by an...

Hall in Tyrol

A few minutes by road east of Innsbruck is what many say is the most beautiful town in Tyrol—ancient Hall, wonderfully preserved and with a...

Rust

Picturesque Rust, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site, is easily the most popular village on the lake for the colorful pastel facades of its...

Carnuntum and Hainburg an der Donau

Until a few years ago, the village of Carnuntum was a yawning backwater on the Austrian plain and, along with its slightly larger neighbor,...

Durnstein

If a beauty contest were held among the towns along the Wachau Danube, chances are Dürnstein would be the winner—as you'll see when you arrive...

Melk

One of the most impressive sights in all of Austria, the abbey of Melk is best approached in mid- to late afternoon, when the setting sun ignites...

St. Johann im Pongau

St. Johann has developed into a full-fledged year-round resort, with its own small local ski area and a more extensive ski network starting...

Werfen

The small size of Werfen, adorned with 16th-century buildings and a lovely Baroque church, belies its importance, for it's the base for exploring...

Landeck

Landeck is a popular place to pause while traveling from Tyrol into Switzerland and Italy. ...

Filzmoos

One of the most romantic villages in Austria, Filzmoos is still something of a well-kept secret. Though skiing in the nearby Dachstein mountains...

Zell am Ziller

Zell is the main town of the Zillertal, one of the many beautiful Alpine valleys of the Tyrol, and a real working community rather than just...

Klosterneuburg

The quiet, moderate-size town of Klosterneuburg, on the south/west (Vienna) side of the Danube, feels much farther from the big city than just...

Schruns-Tschagguns

Author Ernest Hemingway spent many winters at the Schruns–Tschagguns skiing area in the Montafon Valley. Today neither of the towns—across the...

Zurs

The chosen resort of the rich and fashionable on this side of the Arlberg, Zürs is little more than a collection of large and seriously plush...

Fuschlsee

Nothing powered by more than a trolling motor is allowed on the crystalline waters of the peaceful alpine Lake Fuschl, and the emperor's Schloss...

Gosau am Dachstein

Lovers of scenic beauty should not leave the Hallstatt region without taking in Gosau am Dachstein, considered the most beautiful spot in Austria...

Steyr

...

Neusiedl am See

At the north end of the lake for which it is named is a pleasant resort town with good facilities. Direct hourly commuter trains from Vienna...

Barnbach

...

Gurk

Gurk is located in central Carinthia in the Gurk Valley, surrounded by high mountain meadows and magnificent forests. The actual center of the...

Marchegg

This tiny corner of the lower Weinviertel is known as the Marchfeld, for the fields stretching east to the March River that form the border...

Stuben

Traveling from Feldkirch to the Arlberg Pass you'll come to the village of Stuben, poised right above the 14-km (8.6-mile) -long Arlberg Tunnel...

St. Florian

...

Hochosterwitz

Like the impenetrable fortress it is, Burg Hochosterwitz looms over the surrounding countryside. This medieval building sits at 564 feet high...

Mayerling

Scenic Route 210 takes you through the quiet Helenental valley west of Baden to Mayerling—the scene of a tragedy that is still passionately...

Stubing bei Graz

...

Korneuburg

Aside from Burg Kreuzenstein, a castle a short distance outside the town, Korneuburg has a few attractions, including sections of a town wall...

Heiligenkreuz

...

Vienna

One of the great European capitals, Vienna was for centuries the stomping ground for the Habsburg rulers of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The...

Salzburg

Art lovers call Salzburg the Golden City of High Baroque; historians refer to it as the Florence of the North or the German Rome; and music...

Innsbruck

The capital of Tyrol is one of the most beautiful towns of its size anywhere in the world, owing much of its charm and fame to its unique location...

Linz

The capital of Upper Austria—set where the Traun River flows into the Danube—is a fascinating mix of the old and new. On the one hand, Austria...

Bregenz

Lying along the southeastern shore of the Bodensee (Lake Constance) with the majestic Pfänder as its backdrop, Bregenz is where Vorarlbergers...

Graz

Austria's second-largest city, Graz is graceful, welcoming, and far from the usual tourist routes. Instead of visitors, it's the large university...

Klagenfurt

Klagenfurt became the provincial capital in 1518, so most of the delightful sites here date from the 16th century or later. However, a group...

Zell am See

This lovely lakeside town got its name from the monks' cells of a monastery founded here in about 790. It has excellent skiing and is busy throughout...

Kitzbuhel

Kitzbühel is indisputably one of Austria's most fashionable winter resorts, although the town boasts a busy summer season as well. "Kitz" offers...

Bad Ischl

Many travelers used to think of Bad Ischl primarily as the town where Zauner's pastry shop is located, to which connoisseurs drove miles for...

Krems

Krems marks the beginning (when traveling upstream) of the Wachau section of the Danube. The town is closely tied to Austrian history; here...

Hallstatt

As if rising from Swan Lake itself, the town of Hallstatt is the subject of thousands of travel posters. "The world's prettiest lakeside village...

Bad Gastein

Though it traces its roots all the way back to the 15th century, this resort, one of Europe's leading spas, gained renown only in the 19th century...

St. Anton am Arlberg

St. Anton is known as a cult destination for good skiers and boarders from around the world because of its extensive slopes full of character...

Lech

Just down (literally) the road from Zürs, Lech is a fully-fledged community—and one of the most fashionable in the Alps. But there are more...

Eisenstadt

Burgenland's provincial capital, Eisenstadt, is a really small town. Nevertheless, it has an illustrious history and enough sights to keep you...

Solden

Sölden is a skier's paradise, home to the only lift system in Austria to boast skiing on three mountains more than 9,800 feet high. Its latest...

Heiligenblut

One of the most photographed places in the country, Heiligenblut remains one of Austria's most picturesque Alpine villages. With the majestic...

Ischgl and Galtur

Ischgl, the best-known resort in the Paznaun Valley, has become as renowned for its party scene as for its excellent skiing—it links with the...

Baden

The Weinstrasse brings you to the serenely elegant spa town of Baden. Since antiquity, Baden's sulfuric thermal baths have attracted both the...

St. Wolfgang

The town has everything: swimming and hiking in summer, cross-country skiing in winter, and natural feasts for the eye at every turn. Here you...

Friesach

The oldest settlement in Carinthia, romantic Friesach is great for wandering. The town is peppered with red-roofed buildings encircled by an...

Hall in Tyrol

A few minutes by road east of Innsbruck is what many say is the most beautiful town in Tyrol—ancient Hall, wonderfully preserved and with a...

Rust

Picturesque Rust, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site, is easily the most popular village on the lake for the colorful pastel facades of its...

Carnuntum and Hainburg an der Donau

Until a few years ago, the village of Carnuntum was a yawning backwater on the Austrian plain and, along with its slightly larger neighbor,...

Durnstein

If a beauty contest were held among the towns along the Wachau Danube, chances are Dürnstein would be the winner—as you'll see when you arrive...

Melk

One of the most impressive sights in all of Austria, the abbey of Melk is best approached in mid- to late afternoon, when the setting sun ignites...

St. Johann im Pongau

St. Johann has developed into a full-fledged year-round resort, with its own small local ski area and a more extensive ski network starting...

Werfen

The small size of Werfen, adorned with 16th-century buildings and a lovely Baroque church, belies its importance, for it's the base for exploring...

Landeck

Landeck is a popular place to pause while traveling from Tyrol into Switzerland and Italy. ...

Filzmoos

One of the most romantic villages in Austria, Filzmoos is still something of a well-kept secret. Though skiing in the nearby Dachstein mountains...

Zell am Ziller

Zell is the main town of the Zillertal, one of the many beautiful Alpine valleys of the Tyrol, and a real working community rather than just...

Klosterneuburg

The quiet, moderate-size town of Klosterneuburg, on the south/west (Vienna) side of the Danube, feels much farther from the big city than just...

Schruns-Tschagguns

Author Ernest Hemingway spent many winters at the Schruns–Tschagguns skiing area in the Montafon Valley. Today neither of the towns—across the...

Zurs

The chosen resort of the rich and fashionable on this side of the Arlberg, Zürs is little more than a collection of large and seriously plush...

Fuschlsee

Nothing powered by more than a trolling motor is allowed on the crystalline waters of the peaceful alpine Lake Fuschl, and the emperor's Schloss...

Gosau am Dachstein

Lovers of scenic beauty should not leave the Hallstatt region without taking in Gosau am Dachstein, considered the most beautiful spot in Austria...

Steyr

...

Neusiedl am See

At the north end of the lake for which it is named is a pleasant resort town with good facilities. Direct hourly commuter trains from Vienna...

Barnbach

...

Gurk

Gurk is located in central Carinthia in the Gurk Valley, surrounded by high mountain meadows and magnificent forests. The actual center of the...

Marchegg

This tiny corner of the lower Weinviertel is known as the Marchfeld, for the fields stretching east to the March River that form the border...

Stuben

Traveling from Feldkirch to the Arlberg Pass you'll come to the village of Stuben, poised right above the 14-km (8.6-mile) -long Arlberg Tunnel...

St. Florian

...

Hochosterwitz

Like the impenetrable fortress it is, Burg Hochosterwitz looms over the surrounding countryside. This medieval building sits at 564 feet high...

Mayerling

Scenic Route 210 takes you through the quiet Helenental valley west of Baden to Mayerling—the scene of a tragedy that is still passionately...

Stubing bei Graz

...

Korneuburg

Aside from Burg Kreuzenstein, a castle a short distance outside the town, Korneuburg has a few attractions, including sections of a town wall...

Heiligenkreuz

...

Innsbruck, Tirol, and Vorarlberg

The provinces of Tyrol and Vorarlberg make up the western tip of Austria with Innsbruck, the capital of Tyrol, as the natural, historic, and...

Vienna Woods, Lake Neusiedler, and the Danube River

A trip along the Austrian Danube unfolds like a treasured picture book. Roman ruins (some dating to Emperor Claudius), remains of medieval castles...

Carinthia and Graz

While lesser-known than the mountainous terrain of Tyrol or the culture-rich cities of Vienna and Salzburg, the southern provinces of Carinthia...

Eastern Alps

The whole Eastern Alps region is dramatic countryside, with breathtaking scenery and great winter sports opportunities. Here majestic peaks...

Salzkammergut

Remember the exquisite opening scenes of The Sound of Music ? Castles reflected in water, mountains veiled by a scattering of downy clouds...

Grossglockner Highway

One of the best-known roads in the Alps, the Hochalpenstrasse—rising to more than 8,000 feet and containing 36 hairpin bends, with spectacular...

Innsbruck, Tirol, and Vorarlberg

The provinces of Tyrol and Vorarlberg make up the western tip of Austria with Innsbruck, the capital of Tyrol, as the natural, historic, and...

Vienna Woods, Lake Neusiedler, and the Danube River

A trip along the Austrian Danube unfolds like a treasured picture book. Roman ruins (some dating to Emperor Claudius), remains of medieval castles...

Carinthia and Graz

While lesser-known than the mountainous terrain of Tyrol or the culture-rich cities of Vienna and Salzburg, the southern provinces of Carinthia...

Eastern Alps

The whole Eastern Alps region is dramatic countryside, with breathtaking scenery and great winter sports opportunities. Here majestic peaks...

Salzkammergut

Remember the exquisite opening scenes of The Sound of Music ? Castles reflected in water, mountains veiled by a scattering of downy clouds...

Grossglockner Highway

One of the best-known roads in the Alps, the Hochalpenstrasse—rising to more than 8,000 feet and containing 36 hairpin bends, with spectacular...

See All Destinations Hide All Destinations

Top Experiences

with a pool

Recent Forum Posts

M
Driving the Alps: Swiss, Austria, Italy and France
Mikicook1566 started May 31, 2023 |Last reply 9 hrs ago View Post 39 replies 1512 views View Post
M
1 week in Alps: Austria vs Switzerland
Michelledorland9457 started Apr 30, 2023 |Last reply May 28, 2023 View Post 15 replies 785 views View Post
J
Vignette/Toll/Parking, Disabled Parking in Switzerland, Germany, Austria and Italy
Jpjax started May 16, 2023 |Last reply May 28, 2023 View Post 8 replies 560 views View Post
J
Seeking suggestions for our 2+ weeks in Bravaria/West Austria/Switzerland
Jpjax started May 7, 2023 |Last reply May 12, 2023 View Post 23 replies 884 views View Post

Austria

FODOR'S FINEST

The Best Hotels in Europe

Find a Hotel

FODOR'S FINEST

The Best Hotels in Europe

Find a Hotel

FODOR'S FINEST

The Best Hotels in Europe

Top Destinations

Top Destinations

Vienna

Innsbruck, Tirol, and Vorarlberg

Vienna Woods, Lake Neusiedler, and the Danube River

Salzburg

Carinthia and Graz

Innsbruck

Eastern Alps

Linz

Bregenz

Salzkammergut

Graz

Klagenfurt

Zell am See

Kitzbuhel

Krems

Bad Ischl

Hallstatt

Bad Gastein

St. Anton am Arlberg

Lech

Solden

Heiligenblut

Eisenstadt

Baden

St. Wolfgang

Friesach

Ischgl and Galtur

Rust

Hall in Tyrol

Carnuntum and Hainburg an der Donau

Durnstein

St. Johann im Pongau

Werfen

Landeck

Melk

Schruns-Tschagguns

Filzmoos

Zurs

Zell am Ziller

Klosterneuburg

Steyr

Neusiedl am See

Fuschlsee

Gosau am Dachstein

Gurk

Marchegg

Stuben

Barnbach

St. Florian

Hochosterwitz

Mayerling

Stubing bei Graz

Korneuburg

Heiligenkreuz

Vienna

Innsbruck, Tirol, and Vorarlberg

Vienna Woods, Lake Neusiedler, and the Danube River

Salzburg

Carinthia and Graz

Innsbruck

Eastern Alps

Linz

Bregenz

Salzkammergut

Graz

Klagenfurt

Zell am See

Kitzbuhel

Austria

TRAVEL GUIDE