Vienna & Austria
What We Love
The Hapsburgs knew how to throw a party
- From mountains to music to sachertorte (a special chocolate cake devised for Prince Wenzel von Metternich in Vienna), the Old World is alive and well in Austria.
- Austria is a beautiful mix of culture and natural beauty, from coffeehouses to imperial palaces, from the alpine magic of Salzburg, to the post-modern architecture in Gratz, and all the snow-dusted towns in between.
- The hills are alive in Salzkammergut, where Maria from “The Sound of Music” would go to sing when her heart was lonely.
- Homemade gingerbread at Christkindlmarkts throughout the country.
Things To See & Do
- Sample fine Austrian wines at a traditional heurigin (wine tavern) dating back more than 200 years.
- Wander the old imperial city of Vienna and, of course, take in a concert in the city of music.
- Venture to the small village of Mayerling in the Vienna woods and learn about the mysterious deaths of the son of Franz Joseph I and his lover.
- Take a private, after-hours tour of Schonbrunn Palace, the sprawling former imperial summer residence.
- Visit the Salzburg summer music festival or buy a ticket to the Life Ball in Vienna in May. It's the biggest benefit party in the world and a costumed affair like no other.
- Do not miss Vienna's treasured Belvedere Museum, home to Gustav Klimpt’s “The Kiss.”
- Stroll the streets of Graz, which has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is one of the best-preserved cities in Central Europe. It also has some wonderful modern architecture.