Vienna – Salzburg – Kitzbuhel

Vienna’s jewel-box palaces, Mozart melodies, sparkling Alps and experiences that defy expectations: from slinging on a backpack to stride through the Tennengebirge’s lunar landscape to slurping cider with grizzled farmers in Mostviertel orchards, from catapulting down the jaw-dropping Harakiri in Mayrhofen to bathing in Salzkammergut’s tingly lakes. Visit historic spa towns like Bad – Ischl or discover cities such as Linz where a newfound street cred is adding a twist to Austria’s tale. Austria flaunts its heritage in exuberant fashion. Vienna’s bombastic Habsburg palaces and Salzbur’s baroque splendour are worthy, but dig deeper and you’ll unearth Stone Age settlements, Roman archaeological sites at Carnuntum and medieval festivals. In the country where Mozart composed and Strauss taught the world to twirl, you won’t need to search hard for culture – it waltzes right up to you.

Brief overview

Country name: Republic of Austria
Population: 8.4 million (UN, 2012)
Capital: Vienna
Area: 83,871 sq km (32,383 sq miles)
Major language: German
Major religion: Christianity
Life expectancy: 78 years (men), 84 years (women) (UN, 2012)
Monetary unit: 1 euro = 100 cents
Main exports: Machinery, metals, paper, textiles, food, livestock
GNI per capita: US $48,170 (World Bank, 2011)
Internet domain: .at
International dialling code: +43