Austria travel tips

Following are regularly updated travel tips for Austria.

The text below is from the comprehensive holiday travel tips to be found at
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January 15 2009 Austria travel tips

The third largest city in Austria is Linz, which has adopted the prestigious role of European Capital of Culture in 2009. Linz is a city where modern architecture compliments historic landmarks. The city is a hub for cruises on the Danube River and is showcasing a wide range of arts, culture and music events throughout 2009, focused on the 200th anniversary of the death of composer Joseph Haydn.

Two of Austria's most picturesque villages are Durnstein in the wine-growing region of Wachau and Hallstatt in the heart of Inner Salzkammergut.

Durnstein is a cobble-stoned village boasting medieval castle ruins overlooking the waters of the Danube. This village can be reached by road, rail or boat.

The village of Hallstatt is renowned for its history of salt mining spanning 7,000 years. The world's first salt mine, 2,800 years old, is perched above the village. Hallstatt is on the banks of a lake surrounded by towering mountains and some of its wooden houses are more than 500 years old. Hallstatt is about two hours by bus or train from Salzburg.

Vienna has nearly 150 art galleries and is widely regarded as the art capital of Europe. Must-see attractions while in Vienna include the Schonbrunn Palace, Kunsthistorisches Museum, St Stephen's Cathedral, the Albertina, the Hofburg, the parliament building, the Riesenrad ferris wheel in Prater Park built in 1897, and the Sigmund Freud Museum at Berggasse 19.

Vienna, where most people work from 8am to 4pm, is divided into 22 districts and has efficient train and tram systems. A Vienna Card provides three days of unlimited travel for about US$23 (2007).

One of the most popular locations in Vienna is Schleifmuhlgasse, a single street in the heart of the city boasting art galleries, vintage clothing shops, cafes and restaurants. Nearby is Naschmarkt, Vienna's largest market with a multicultural flavour.

During winter the local population bunkers down against the cold but in summer the city is a non-stop carnival of film festivals, music concerts, art shows and food fairs. Summer nights are consistently warm in Vienna, a city boasting an excellent network of cyclepaths upon which to visit the local tourist attractions. Vienna is also well-designed for pedestrians with many areas sealed off to traffic during the day.

The Wachau is the name given to a 40km stretch of the Danube about 90 minutes west of Vienna within which the river twists and turns through steep hills carpeted with fruit trees and grape vines. The Wachau district is peppered with fairytale castles, many perched on the top of hills. Cycle paths run the length of the Wachau along both banks of the Danube and bicycle can be hired in almost all towns.

In the Wachau region you will find the Gottweig and Melk monasteries. Gottweig boasts the third largest baroque staircase in the world, more than 700 paintings and Austria's largest private collection of graphics.

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