Vienna
Austria’s capital offers a unique blend of imperial traditions and stunning modern architecture. It is famous for its cultural events, imperial sights, coffee houses, cozy wine taverns, and the very special Viennese charm.
 Vienna’s history dates back to the first post-Christian century when the Romans established the military camp Vindobona. Today’s cityscape is characterized by the abundance of baroque buildings created mostly under the rule of Empress Maria Theresia and Emperor Franz Joseph who was largely responsible for the monumental architecture round the Ringstraße.
Schloss Schönbrunn, the former imperial summer residence, is one of most popular sights. The sumptuous palace with the beautifully tended formal gardens, the Gloriette monument, the Palm House and the zoo attract hordes of visitors each year. The huge Hofburg (Imperial Palace) was the base of the Habsburgs for over six centuries, and is an impressive repository of culture and heritage.
The splendid baroque Belvedere palace today houses the Österreichische Galerie (Austrian Gallery) displaying the largest collection of works by Klimt and Kokoschka as well as famous paintings by Schiele. Vienna’s prime landmarks are the gothic Stephansdom (St. Stephen’s Cathedral), the Giant Ferris Wheel in the Prater, Vienna’s old recreational park, and the Spanish Riding School with their world-famous Lipizzan.
Looking at Vienna
Vienna has more museums and galleries of international reputation than you can shake a stick at: Kunsthistorischen Museum with the world’s largest collection of Bruegel paintings, MuseumsQuartier with Leopold Museum (Schiele!), Museum Moderner Kunst (Museum of Modern Art), Architekturzentrum (Architectural Center) and Kunsthalle rank among the cities most important cultural venues. Albertina is home to the world’s largest collection of graphic arts and prints (60,000 drawings, 1 million prints), and Liechtenstein Museum presents selected masterpieces from the Princely Collections in Vaduz.
Vienna owes much of its international fame to the many celebrated composer who lived and worked here including Strauß, Mozart, Beethoven and Haydn. The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra is one the world’s best, the Staatsoper one of the world’s leading opera houses, the Vienna Boys’ Choir one the world’s most famous. In the last years Vienna has also established itself as a great musical metropolis.
In Vienna old coffee houses and rustic wine taverns stand alongside with top modern restaurants and shops, time-honored events alternate with internationally acclaimed extravaganzas (Life Ball) to create a unique and very special ambiance. Another special feature of Vienna are its many greenspace and recreational areas such as the Wienerwald, the Prater and the Donauinsel.
Salsburg
Salsburg, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, is dominated by churches, castles and palaces. The picturesque old town is a UNESCO world heritage sight.
 Festung Hohensalzburg, the landmark of Salzburg, is Central Europe’s largest intact fortress and offers fantastic views of the city. Visit the Princely Residence, a magnificent early baroque edifice with splendid halls and a gallery featuring European paintings dating between the 16th and 19th century. The nearby vast Salzburg Dom is without doubt the main attraction of the old town. Inside there is the Romanesque font where Mozart was baptized.
Take time out to visit Mozarts Geburtshaus, the place where the genial composer was born on January 27, 1756. The house is located in Getreidegasse, Salzburg’s most attractive and most visited shopping street with its high and narrow houses and romantic courtyards. Another highlight is Schloss Mirabell with its splendid gardens built by the baroque master builder Lukas von Hildebrandt.
At the foot of Mönchsberg you will find the so-called Festival District with the two famous festival halls (architect: Clemens Holzmeister; 1956-1960) and the Felsenreitschule, a baroque masterpiece designed by Fischer von Erlach in 1693. South of the center of Salzburg’s old town is the popular Schloss Hellbrunn with the world-famous Wasserspiele section containing many ingenious trick fountains and water-powered figures.
Some 4000 cultural events combine to make Salzburg one of the most important cultural metropolises. The acclaimed Salzburger Festspiele, founded in 1920, is the high point in Salzburg’s culture calendar and includes concerts, opera and theater performances.
Innsbruck
Past and Future meet in the heart of the Alps: Innsbruck’s world-famous sights, which testify to the province’s great past, stand alongside post-modern international architecture to create a fascinating blend.
 The Imperial Palace, Ambras Palace, Ottoburg and the Wilten Basilica all tell of Innsbruck’s eventful past and its great figures including Philippine Welser, the secret wife of Archduke Ferdinand I, Andreas Hofer, the Tirolean freedom fighter, and last but not least Emperor Maximilian I, who built many of the monuments that survive today, e.g. the Golden Roof and his tomb at the Imperial Church.
With Dominique Perrault’s Rathausgalerie and Zaha Hadid’s Bergisel Ski Jump two outstanding new landmarks were added to Innsbruck’s modern cityscape. The diverse attractions of the city – ranging from the famous Dance Summer to the Innsbruck Festival Week – coupled with the beautiful scenery make Innsbruck a destination that offers something for everyone.
Innsbruck is scenically squeezed between two impressive mountain chains. An absolute “must” on every visit to Innsbruck is a gondola ride up Seegrube (2000m) from where you enjoy spectacular views of the Inn valley and the surrounding mountains.
Innsbruck, host of the Olympic Winter Games in 1964 and 1976, has become a major winter sports center. Popular activities include skiing, snowboarding, ski mountaineering, snowshoeing, and skating. In the summer the region also boasts a whole host of outdoor sports such as cycling, mountain biking, paragliding, and, of course, hiking and walking in areas of great natural charm such as the Karwendel Alpine Park or Zirbenweg trail on Patscherkofel.
Tirol
Guests know that holidays in Tirol are a time to remember. The quality of the slopes, the infrastructure, the variety of cultural offers and events and the creative leisure ideas make the stay in Tirol a lasting experience.
Skiing Pleasures Tirol lies in the heart of the Alps. From St. Anton in the west to
Kitzbühel in the east, from Seefeld in the north to Sölden in the south.
More than 4,000km of perfectly groomed slopes await all friends of winter
sports. More than 1,150 lifts take all skiers to an altitude of 3,400m
which ensures sunshine skiing until late spring.
Powder, Fun & Action
Tirol´s top spots are known all around the world. Events like the
Nokia Air & Style in Seefeld, where the best boarders of the world
compete against each other or the legendary snowboard opening at the
Kaunertal glacier ensure great fun & action. 29 certified top spots in
Tirol wait to be discovered by you - ranging from free rides down powder
stashes to free style in the half pipes of the snowboard park.
Healthy with Nature
Glide through the snow-covered forest or get to know your limits on
the skating track. The mountains in Tirol can be very steep, but the
snow-covered fields and alpine meadows are a true eldorado for all lovers
of cross-country skiing. 18 tourist boards have been praized for their
immaculately groomed tracks. More than 5,000km of tracks await you in
Tirol! Be there!!!
Family Vacation
Tirolean family resorts and children´s hotels boast a variety of
family-tailored offers. While children explore the surroundings with
expert caretakers, parents can relax in the heart of the Tirolean
mountains. 150 ski kindergartens and 180 ski schools take care of your
first steps on snow.
Winter Hiking
For all lovers of nature snow-shoeing in the untouched winter
landscape is just the right thing. Guided by Tirolean ski instructors
you´ll experience a new dimension of winter sports. It´s so healthy and
wonderfully relaxing. Or just go for a long winter hike: 3,000km of
cleared winter hiking paths await you.
Wellness in the Mountains
Winter sports and wellness is an ideal combination - try one of the
many wellness hotels in Tirol. After an active day of skiing relax in the
bathtub enjoying various scents and oils. Or try a massage by American
shamans who´ll try to soothe all your sore muscles. All this and much more
will make for an unforgettable holiday here in Tirol.
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Baden
BADEN, a town and watering-place of Austria, in lower Austria, 17 m. S. of Vienna by rail. Pop. (1900) 12,447. It is beautifully situated at the mouth of the romantic Helenenthal, on the banks of the Schwechat river, and has become the principal summer resort of the inhabitants of the neighbouring capital. It possesses a new Kurhaus, fifteen bathing- establishments, a parish church in late Gothic style, and a town-hall, which contains interesting archives. The warm baths, which gave name to the town, are thirteen in number, with a temperature of from 72° F. to 97° F., and contain, as chief ingredient, sulphate of lime. They rise for the most part at the foot of the Calvarienberg (1070 ft.), which is composed of dolomitic limestone, and are mostly used for bathing purposes. Several members of the Austrian imperial family have made Baden their summer residence and have built here beautiful villas. There are about 20,000 visitors annually.
Baden possesses several parks and is surrounded by lovely and interesting spots, of which the most frequented is the picturesque valley of the Helenenthal, which is traversed by the Schwechat. Not far from Baden, the valley is crossed by the magnificent aqueduct of the Vienna waterworks. At the entrance to the valley, on the right bank of the river, lie the ruins of the 12th-century castle of Rauheneck, and at its foot stands the Château Weilburg, built in 1820-1825 by Archduke Charles, the victor of Aspern. On the left bank, just opposite, stands the ruined castle of Rauhenstein, dating also from the 12th century. About 4 m. up the valley is Mayerling, a hunting-lodge, where the crown prince Rudolph of Austria was found dead in 1889. Farther up is Alland, whence a road leads to the old and well-preserved abbey of Heiligenkreuz. It possesses a church, in Romanesque style, dating from the 11th century, with fine cloisters and the tombs of several members of the Babenberg family. The highest point in the neighbourhood of Baden is the peak of the Hoher Lindkogel (2825 ft.), popularly called the Eiserne Thor, which is ascended in about three hours. |
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