The analysis of Austria through the eyes of Sigmund Freud speaks of a culture which has conservatism, with the grandiose of bureaucracy that has shaken up the pages of history.
Typically, Viennese people living in the capital Vienna have unique leaning to art and music over the centuries. And you can witness that in different scale all across the country… The legacy of Roman empire and the impact of German invasion during World War are all etched on the architectures & sculptures. Austria’s rich history has a mix of both modern and old legacies.
Austria is a society of polite people, and when you visit you can say ‘Guten Tag’ or ‘Gruss Gott’ in a restaurant, shop or a café. When you are being introduced to someone new, don’t forget to shake hands even if it’s an informal setting. Austrians expect you to show courtesy so, do introduce yourself with your full name.
If you are a male, dress up with a jacket and tie when going to a fine dining restaurant, theatre or opera. You cannot jaywalk through traffic lights or be fined, or strip at the beaches in Austria (except only in beaches with FKK sign). Conversation openers like Herr for men, Frau for women using full name are in practice.
The Austrian German is the official spoken language, which is also used for announcements, in websites, publications and education. Though there are vocabulary differences, it is spoken by 88% of population, followed by Turkish language, Serbian, Croatian, and English a meagre 0.73%.
Religions practised in Austria includes 58% of Catholic, while there exists minor percentages of Eastern Orthodox, Protestantism, Islam etc, around 25% consists of Hindus, Sikhs, Jews and people with no religion.
Vienna attracts artists, students, professionals from all over the world, and lifestyle is relaxed in coffee houses, restaurants and bars making it one of the leading cultural metropolis in Europe.
With 98% literacy, fifth largest in terms of EU standard of living by country, 10th in terms of purchasing power, Austria offers a mix of modern and traditional culture. There are a lot of traditional festivals which you as a traveller would certainly enjoy.
If you are a western music aficionado then several festivals all across the year will beckon you to visit Austria. The most prominent of them are ‘Vienna Festival’ in Vienna during May-June, ‘Salzburg Festival’ in July and August. Musical traditions in Austrian folk music (‘Schrammelmusik’) would be incomplete without the use of violin, accordions, guitar and clarinet.
Vienna Philharmonic is one of the finest orchestras in the world, while Salzburg, Graz hold annual music festivals. The music fest Schubertiade is held in Schwarzenberg over several months, Bruckner Fest in Linz, Festival of Early music in Innsbruck etc and they attract huge audience too. So in Austria, the land of Master composers, you can listen to Mozart, Haydn, Beethovan, Schubert, Brahms, Schonberg from the classical period in any theatre.
Austria is a delight for this genre of music, and the tourists can be seen picking up CDs of Mozart – The Magic Flute, Schubert – The Trout Quintet, as the top selling items. The country can be linked to ‘Blue Danube’ the famous piece by Strauss in western classical orchestra. Later contemporary and Jazz music flourished as music evolved.
Through centuries Austria remained the cultural capital of Europe and tuned the world in western classical music.
For many couples, getting married in Austria is a dream. For €1000, it offers registration and romantic venue with a choice of locations in Vienna. Much of such services here revolve around the architectures which has Roman influence (15BC to 500AD), Gothic (1250 to 16th century), Renaissance (post 16th century), Baroque and Rococo (1650 to 1730) and Neoclassicism of 18th century.
While modern architecture is visible, Austria presents a progressive architectural spread all over the country, which is a visual treat for the architecture enthusiasts. For Painting and Sculpture, the country also attracts international tourists in art, as different styles and forms have emerged.
Austria also offers everything even for a great family vacation… lakes, picturesque valleys, snow capped mountains, cycling tracks, great festivals, range of delectable cuisine, great accommodations of all types, excellent train & bus connections… you name it.
Austria is definitely cheaper than the surrounding countries (England, France, Italy, Switzerland), and can be a budget traveller’s ideal destination… around €9-12 for lunch, mid-range accommodations at €60-90 per night, €20 upwards for an evening meal with beverages.
Backpackers can manage with around €100 per day and students can avail discounted entry fees in museums and other places. On the higher side of the budget, a figure of around €250-350 per day is a realistic expenditure.
In sports, especially the winter sports, the country leads in ice hockey, handball tennis. Soccer is extremely popular and draws the largest of the Austrian spectators. Skiing is like a national hobby. Innsbruck has held Winter Olympics in ’64 and ’76. World Cup ski competitions are held here as well.
Places to visit
The main cities in Austria are Viena, Innsbruck, Salzburg, Graz, Eisenstadt, Klagenfurt, Linz, St. Polten, Bregenz… each of these cities presents a different perspective of Austrian history, culture and lifestyle.
In order to truly experience Austria with its distinct culture and lifestyle across the provincial capitals, it would ideally take 3-4 weeks and then you can experience several stunning mountainous landscapes, wonderful cities and lakes across the Austrian heartlands.
There are many amazing lakes in Austria – Lake Constance (in Vorarlberg) is 63km long and borders with Austria, Germany and Switzerland. Lake Neusiedler See (in Neusiedler See region) has an area of 315 km²and a part of it borders with Hungary, Attersee lake is the largest in Salzkammergut region of Austria where there are several other lakes like Lake Mondsee, Lake Hallstattersee, Lake Wolfgangsee and Lake Traunsee. And the list goes on.
There are six forested regions in Austria: Waldviertel, Styria, The Böhmerwald, Bregenzerwald, Silberregion Karwendel, Lungau apart from the National parks like Nationalpark Donau-Auen, Nationalpark Thayaltal, Nationalpark Kalkalpen. Around 48% of Austria is forested, with 48 nature parks and 3 biosphere parks.
There is guaranteed snow in December onward in the ski areas like Kaunertal glacier, Pitztal glacier, Glacier skiing Sölden, Kitzsteinhorn, Dachstein glacier, Ischgl, Obergurgl-Hochgurgl, Kühtai. There are options for accommodations on the Ski Slope as well as Lakeside accommodations that are close to the nature, and they are all delightfully scenic.
You can also make a trip to Austria on a short itinerary, visit cities and watch lovely landscapes, parks, museums and historic buildings (Vienna to Innsbruck via Salzburg is a great route for a short trip).
Vienna, the capital city is all about magnificent Baroque architectures, grand palaces of middle age, great food, music concerts, opera performances and more. Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna (also known as Museum of Fine Arts) is a Jewel of the world where you can see the works of maestros like Michelangelo, Rubens, Rembrandt, Dürer and Raphael. Read: About Vienna city and its tourism
Salzburg is another city which full of Baroque architectures. This is the city which holds world famous ‘Salzburg Music Festival’ every year. Mozart’s Birthplace, a museum in Salzburg is a mecca for the lovers of classical music. Read: About Salzburg city and its tourism
Innsbruck city is surrounded by the Alps and steeped in rich history of Habsburg dynasty. This was the power centre of Emperor Maxmillan-I and the entire city is dotted with palaces, churches and museums reflecting Baroque and Rococo architectures. Other than scenic vistas and great opportunities to explore history, Innsbruck is a well known for spending active holidays in the Alps a well as for winter sports. Read: About Innsbruck Tourism.
Österreichisches Freilichtsmuseum Stübing in Graz is one of the largest open air museums featuring over 100 historic buildings nestled in a landscape of forest, farms and meadows.
If you want to take the roads less travelled, then you can visit the gouged valleys, passes in the remotest of Austria that crisscross through towns, national parks, waterfalls etc. You need to get good hiking boots and swim wears as it is a country of mountains and lakes.
Austria is ideal for family holidays, Nordic walking, ski and snowboards and walking holidays as it offers the best of all. You have a choice to stay in a hotel, apartment, guesthouse, farmhouse or even a hut/hostel.
There are also excellent opportunities to explore Austria on a bicycle trip… one such route is to start from Schwarzsee bei Kitzbühel, then Bergisel Ski Jump in Innsbruck, Münzturm in Hall, Crystal Worlds in Wattens, Kufstein Fortress and Seisenberg Gorge.
A group of cyclists who we met on the way were already cycling through various landscapes with rivers and lakes, a new passion in youth, starting from Danube, through River Mur, Kamp-Thaya-March bicycle trail, Drau cycle path, and Walk of Modern Art in Salzburg.
‘Salzkammergut cycle way’ presents over 13 lakes in the route. If you want to engage in road cycling in Tirol, Nordkette in the Tirolean Alps, then try a 60km popular circuit from Innsbruck via Absam – Gnadenwald – Fritzens – Wattens – Tulfes – Sistrans and Igls back to Innsbruck.
Shopping
There are plenty of colourful flee and farmers markets that set up in various cities of Austria. This is where you can watch vendors from different villages selling fresh farm produces. Naschmarkt in Vienna is one such farmers’ market which you must visit… fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and the market scene with local buyers looking for their choices is a scene you would like to capture in your camera. Schrannenmarkt is a similar street market in Salzburg. Potter’s Market in Hall (Tirol) is where you can find amazing handmade pottery items.
Chocolates in Austria are second to none in the world… they look seriously mouthwatering and taste as great. Some of the must buys include the famous Mozart chocolate balls, Zotter chocolates and Manner Schnitten hazelnut wafers. Another great edible souvenir that you can consider is Styrian pumpkin seed oil… outstanding taste & aroma.
Austria is known for its mile long shopping streets… the longest of all is Mariahilfer Strasse in Vienna… you get plethora of brands and large number of departmental stores here along with numerous cafes. Landstraße in Linz is the second longest in Austria. While it’s excellent for high-end speciality shopping, it’s equally good for budget buys.
And of course, who doesn’t know about the world’s top maker of premium crystal jewellery, watches, figurines etc… the Swarovski Crystal whose original store is located at Innsbruck and the museum at Wattens.
Cuisine
You should try a few local cuisines to appreciate what Austria offers to the food lovers. The traditional Wiener Schnitzel (which should be accompanied by potato salad and red curry sauce) is perhaps the most popular of all and can be found in restaurants all across the country. It’s a fried cutlet of veal (although there are variations with pork, chicken etc too) and delicious.
The traditional Tafelspitz is another dish which you should try… a large chunk of beef is boiled in vegetable broth and served with root vegetables & bread dumplings.
If you are not too hung up on carb diets, try out the Austrian Dumplings (Knödel) which can be made of either potato or bread, served in white sauce and often accompanied with roasted pork.. There is a sweet version too which is filled with fruits.
Another great locals’ favourite is Nockerl… little cheese balls fried with eggs and served with herbs like chives… you can find this commonly at countryside restaurants.
To finish off your meal with an authentic Austrian dessert, go for the famous Apple Strudel… wafers served with apples in vanilla sauce.
How to reach Austria
The easiest way to reach Austria is by train or bus from anywhere in Europe. The country has signed up to reduce carbon footprint. Euroline buses travel through Vienna, and offers a comfortable mode of travelling to 14 stops in Austria including Graz, Linz, Salzburg, Klagenfurt, Innsbruck etc. There are options of advance booking which you can do online for one way and return journey.
Bus passes are available for 15 days or 30 days which you can utilise for stopovers in designated cities, while there is Flexipass as well. French (TGV) and German Intercity express (ICE) offer you Liegewagen (couchette) or Schlafwagen (sleepers, more expensive ones) to reach Austria. Munich to Salzberg is one and half hours, while Budapest to Graz is seven hours. You can also opt for ‘Park and Ride’ in over 200 Austrian train stations to continue your journey
Getting Around (Local Transports)
Postbus network is a good reliable mode of transport for getting around Austria. It departs just outside the railway stations. Minimum fare is 8 Euro reaching up to 25 Euro for a three and half hour journey – the bus network connects Graz, Klagenfurt, Lienz, Salzburg, Zell am See, Mariaazell, Kitzbuhel.
Trams are present in Graz, Linz, Vienna and are environment friendly, while taxis are metered with a flat fee and charges added per kilometre. Only Vienna has metro rail system – it starts at 5am and continues till midnight.
Trains are comfortable and many stations have foreign currency exchange counters. Ankunft stands for arrivals, Abfahrt for departures, and Bahnsteig for platforms. The main station in Vienna is ‘Hauptbahnhof Hbf’.
There are several types of trains that operate – Eurocity (EC), Intercity (IC), intercity express (ICE) and EuroNight (EN). Note that trains showing Schnellzug (i.e. express trains) are fastest while Eilzug (passenger trains) are slower that stop at smaller stations.
You can opt for Vorteilscard, an annual train pass (but it requires a photo, passport) if you plan to extend your travel beyond two-three months in Austria. You can drive a rental car in Austria provided you have a license and third party insurance and you are 19 or older. Rural petrol pumps remain closed on Sundays.
There are plenty of domestic airlines that operate within Austria – ‘Austrian airlines’, ‘Tyrolean Airways’, ‘Austrian Arrow’, ‘Welcome Air’ etc fly to all major Austrian destinations. River Danube connects upper and lower Austria and ‘DDSG Blue Danube’ offers ferry services.
Read: Local transports in Vienna and how to get around easily.
Best time to visit
Austria as a whole experiences central European climatic zone for its Alps range (short summers, longer winters). Eastern part of Austria however experiences lower rains, hotter summers and milder winters. There are distinct seasons… spring and autumn are the change-over seasons. If you are a sports enthusiast particularly in winter games, this is the country to go.
Austria is actually great to visit at any time of the year, however it depends on your orientation of travel philosophy, and what you want to do (mountain biking, hiking, lake swimming, skiing, joining a music festival etc).
While it is the paradise for Western classical enthusiasts, majority of these music festivals happen between months of May and October. Warm months are from April to October and prices of hotels peak during July-August along with the temperature. June to September would be the ideal time for a lazy traveller who intends to visit only cities.
In mid December you can see winter sports in full swing, and cities are empty while ski resorts are fully occupied and packed with adventurers. Winter sports extends till March and all of these winter accommodations close down in late April again reopening in last week of November.
Read: Important weather conditions in Vienna, Innsbruck, Salzburg of Austria
A travel addict. Still celebrating the day when he quit his high-profile corporate job to pursue his passion for travel writing.