Austria

Austria packs a great deal into a small space. In the east, Vienna is all grand boulevards, palaces and concert halls, with the Habsburg legacy on almost every corner. Head west and the land rises into the Alps, where Innsbruck sits in a valley ringed by peaks and Salzburg, Mozart’s birthplace, spreads along the Salzach beneath its hilltop fortress. Between them lie lakes, vineyards and villages such as Hallstatt, perched on the edge of its lake, and Graz, a relaxed university city with a red-roofed old town.

Many of our tours link Austria with its neighbours. The rail routes from Vienna to Prague and Budapest are short and comfortable, and the line from Munich through Salzburg to Vienna is one of the easiest journeys in Central Europe. Private van tours and self-drive itineraries cross into Switzerland, Czechia and Hungary, so Austria often becomes one chapter of a longer trip.

Food and drink

Expect Wiener Schnitzel, Tafelspitz (boiled beef with apple and horseradish), Käsespätzle in the mountains and a serious pastry habit: Sachertorte, apple strudel and Kaiserschmarrn. Vienna is one of the few capitals with vineyards inside the city limits, and the Heurigen wine taverns on its edge are a pleasant place to spend an evening. Grüner Veltliner is the white to try.

How to travel

For a first visit, a city break in Vienna or Salzburg is a fine start, with day tours out to the lakes and mountains. Rail suits travellers who want to combine Austria with Prague or Budapest. A private van tour or a self-drive trip works best if you want the Alpine roads, the small towns and the freedom to stop for a view. In December, our Christmas market walks in Vienna and Salzburg are a festive way to see both cities.