Grand Austria Tour: Vienna, Graz, Salzburg & Innsbruck

For six centuries, from the 13th century to 1918, the Vienna Hofburg was the resi­dence of the Habsburgs. The Hofburg grew with the rise of the noble family from a small country nobility to Europe's leading dynasty. In the beginning there was a small castle. In the end, it had 2,500 rooms. In addi­tion there is the Winter Riding School, where the Lipizzaner horses train, the National Library with a magnif­i­cent domed hall, the Museum of Art History and the seat of the Federal Pres­i­dent. A large part of the Hofburg is open to the public.

In 1857, Emperor Franz ordered the old fortifica­tions to be razed. In its place, a magnif­i­cent boul­evard was built around historic Vienna, which leads to the Danube at both ends. The almost 5 km long road is lined by public and private build­ings, which try to surpass each other in splendor, pomp and pathos. The build­ings imitate earlier style epochs, from Greek antiq­uity to Gothic cathedrals and the Renais­sance. The ring road was inau­gu­rated in 1865. Today it is regarded as a complete work of art, which is unique in the world.

The museum is located at Berggasse 19, where Sigmund Freud lived and worked for 47 years. In his study he wrote the majority of his writ­ings, which are an integral part of the intel­lectual history of the 20th century. When the family moved in in 1891, the house was a new building. After the transfer of power to the Nazis in 1939, the seri­ously cancer-ill founder of psycho­anal­ysis had to emigrate to London. Orig­inal pieces from Freud's posses­sion can be seen in the museum as well as the waiting room of the practice and some pieces from Freud's exten­sive collec­tion of antique works of art, mainly small statues. Most of the earlier furni­ture with the famous couch, however, is in today's Freud Museum in London, where Anna Freud lived until her death in 1982.

At the summit of the Semmering Pass at an alti­tude of 985 metres there is a sophis­ticated climatic health resort. In the 19th century Semmering became a popular holiday destina­tion for the “fine society” of Vienna. In the Südbahnhotel from 1882 or the Kurhaus from 1909 the nobility met, among them Emperor Karl I and his son Otto. But artists such as Oskar Kokoschka and Karl Kraus also shook hands here. From 1854 the Semmer­ingbahn was a magnet for visitors. The first mountain railway in Europe leads through 15 tunnels and crosses 16 adventurous viaducts.

The Austrian Open Air Museum is located in Stübing in Styria. With its approx­i­mately one hundred objects it belongs to the largest museums of its kind in Europe. Old farm­houses, mills and charcoal kilns have been collected from all over Austria. Similar to the actual east-west spread of Austria, the 60 hectares museum also extends from east to west, enabling an emula­tion visit, – from the reed-covered build­ings in the Burgen­land to the alpine huts in the Bregenz Forest.

The largest lake in Carinthia (16 km long) is located west of Klagenfurt. In the north, the main Alpine ridge protects it from cold winds, in the south the Karawanken Mountains tower over the rolling hills. Due to the mild climate Lake Wörthersee is one of the warmest alpine lakes. Water temper­a­tures up to 28 ° are not uncommon in summer. On the northern side of the lake the idyllic town of Pörtschach is built on a picturesque peninsula, the shores of which boast many prom­enades.

This town with its 15,000 inhab­i­tants in Upper Carinthia dates back to an “alms­house” (“Spittel”) from the 12th century, i.e. an inn for pilgrims and other trav­elers. After the town was burnt down in the 15th century by the Turks, it was re-built by the Counts of Porcia. Until today the Castle of Porcia is consid­ered the most important construc­tions of the city. It is regarded as one of the most signif­icant Renais­sance monu­ments outside Italy and now houses a museum of local history.

The town with 11,000 inhab­i­tants is the cultural center of East Tyrol. It lies at the foot of the Lienz Dolomites, where the Isel and Drau Rivers flow together and form a large estuary basin. A special feature of the old town is the Gothic St. Andrä church, which is consid­ered to be one of the most important build­ings in East Tyrol. West of the city lies the Bruck Castle. This Habsburg castle from the 13th century now houses a local history museum.

At the northern end of the pano­ramic road lies Kaprun in the Hohe Tauern National Park. Several cable cars lead over the glacier onto the Kitzsteinhorn, a free standing mountain with magnif­i­cent views in the Gross­glockner massif . The glacier railway Kaprun 2 has been closed since a fire broke out on 11 November 2000. However, since then several cable­ways have opened. There is a viewing deck on the station’s roof – at 3 029 meters above sea level.

This striking massif in the Sexten Dolomites has become the most famous landmark in the Dolomites. At 2,999 meters, the “Big Peak” was first climbed in 1869. Even today, the peaks are still very popular among climbers. The easiest objec­tive to reach is the Auronzo hut, the Rifugio Auronzo (2,320 m), directly south of the massif on the Forcella di Longeres, which can be reached by cable car from the vaca­tion town of Misu­rina.

While gentle meadows, forests and sun-drenched plateaus char­ac­terize the lower Puster Valley, the Hoch­pustertal is partic­u­larly known for the rugged peaks of the Sesto Dolomites. Above all, of course, the Three Peaks. The landmark of the Dolomites is equally popular with photog­ra­phers and hikers. For those who find the hikes too stren­uous, many cable cars are avai­l­able, leading to look­outs and summits. Even Gustav Mahler appre­ciated the beauty of the Dolomites. He spent the summer months from 1908 to 1910 in his composing cottage in Toblach, where every summer the Gustav Mahler Music Weeks take place in his honor.

The world-renowned center for mountain-sports is located in the Valle de Boite in the Ampezzo Alps. Cortina is surrounded by the most beau­tiful peaks of the Dolomites: the Tofana di Mezzo (3,244 m), the Monte Cristallo (3,221 m) and the Sorapis (3,205 m). In most cases mountain railways lead to the summit. Until the middle of the 20th century, the spoken language was mainly Ladin. Since then Italian has taken over. Local cuisine and expres­sions are still greatly influ­enced by the old Austrian Empire. Gulasch and Krapfen (donuts), Gröstl and Chenedi (Tyrolean dumplings) reflect the long asso­cia­tion with Tirol. Polenta and bean soup on the other hand orig­inate from the Vene­tian plain.

The Bolzano Munic­ipal Museum is currently the home of the exhibit “The Man from Hauslabjoch”- better known as “Ötzi.” The mummy was discov­ered protruding through the ice in a glacier in the Ötztal Alps in 1992. A public pros­e­cutor was initially brought in because of the mummy's head injuries. The case was closed, however, when a forensic examiner deter­mined that the body was 5,300 years old! Of partic­ular interest is the life-like Ötzi recon­struc­tion based on 3D images of the mummy.

This short walk will take you through the old town and along the Talfer toward St. Peter. From there, you will pass through vine­yards on your way to St. Magdalena. This is where the high-quality St. Magdalener Clas­sico wine is produced, which you can try for your­self in the Eberle restau­rant in St. Magdalena.

At an eleva­tion of 1,100 meters, this mountain village is an oasis of tranquility perched high above the city of Bolzano. It includes two hamlets, Bauernkohlern and Herrenkohlern, which each have their own small church. They can be reached from Bolzano via a cable car consid­ered to be the oldest in the world. There is an obser­va­tion tower close to the upper station from which you can see as far as the Dolomites – even all the way to Ortler. You also have the option of walking to Titschen (1,616 m), which is the highest point in the munic­ipal district of Bolzano. Here you will find a lookout post and the “Weihbrun­nenstoan,” a trough in the rock that is always filled with water without being fed by a stream. (1:30 hrs, 3.8 km, eleva­tion gain: 479 m)  

This loop trail starts at Korb castle and leads to the striking castle ruins of Hocheppan and Boymont. Along the way, there are a number of over­looks offering a view of the vast Bozen Valley. (1:45 hrs, 5 km, eleva­tion change: 210 m)

The town dates back to the Roman route station “Partanum” on the Via Claudia. In 1361 it gained in importance when it became the offi­cial resting station on the trade route from Augsburg to Italy. Quaint farm­houses are found espe­cially in Garmisch. Southwest lies the Zugspitze – the highest mountain in Germany at 2,964 meters – and its top can be reached by cable car! The famous Bene­dic­tine Abbey from 1330 is located 15 kilome­ters north in Ettal.

As early as 1888, the Tyrolean Trade Asso­cia­tion had decided to open a “Trade Museum”. The tradi­tional Tyrolean crafts­man­ship was threat­ened by indus­trial­i­sa­tion at that time. The collec­tion initially concen­trated on hand­i­crafts. Over the years, the collec­tion was expanded to include other themes, before the Tyrol state took over the museum from the Tyrolean Trade Asso­cia­tion in 1926. Since its reopening in 1929, the museum has been inspiring count­less locals and visitors.

The late Gothic bay window is located in the old town of Innsbruck and bears its name because of the 2,657 fire-gilded copper shin­gles on the roof. The magnif­i­cent house was built in 1420 as the resi­dence of the Tyrolean sovereigns. However, the magnif­i­cent dungeon was only added 80 years later on behalf of the then German King Maxi­m­ilian I.. In 1536 the leader of the Tyrolean Anabaptist move­ment, Jakob Hutter, was burned alive on the square in front of the Golden Roof. Many of his followers then emigrated to America and founded several commu­ni­ties in Penn­sylvania, where they are still called Hutterer today and live a tradi­tional, pre-indus­trial lifestyle. Today the Golden Roof houses a museum.

The circular hike around the Patscherkofel offers magnif­i­cent views of the Viggartal, the Viggar­spitze and the Glungezer. The first section leads from the mountain station of the Kofelbahn along the Zirbenweg past the Boschebenhütte to the Hochmahdalm. Here you can stop for refresh­ments on the sun terrace with a fantastic view of the Stubai Glacier. (return: 5.5 kilome­ters, 2 hours, up and down: 250 meters)

The small town in the valley of the Weißen Traun has been the most popular holiday resort in the Chiemgau Alps for over a hundred years. This is mainly due to the parish church of St. George, which, with the Ruhlpoldinger Madonna from 1230, is consid­ered the most beau­tiful village church in Upper Bavaria. The local museum exhibits alpine folk art, the wood­cutter museum docu­ments the everyday life of the wood­cutters in Chiemgau. An alpine nature trail has been set up at the Rauschberg.

Once the cruel King Waze­mann ruled over the Bercht­esga­dener Land with his wife and child. Once he crushed a peasant family with his horse. The farmer's wife cursed for God to turn him and his family into stone. Imme­di­ately the earth opened up and spit fire: the king became a scary mountain, surrounded by secondary peaks, which are still called Watzmannfrau (wife) and Watzmannkinder (chil­dren) today. Writer Ludwig Ganghofer used the myth in his novel “Die Martinsklause”. Later, the 2,713-metre-high colossus fascinated alpin­ists and mountai­neers. The first ascent of the central peak took place in 1800, but it was not until 1868 that the three main peaks were crossed. A total of over 100 mountai­neers have already died in the walls of the evil king.

The park is located in the mountai­nous area south of the town of Bercht­esgaden. The eastern, southern, and western bound­aries of the park coincide with the state border between Germany and Austria. The area of the park is econom­ically unde­vel­oped, and there are no settle­ments. In the center of the park is a large lake, the Königssee. West of the lake is the massif of Watzmann (2,713 metres (8,901 ft)), the third highest mountain in Germany.

Adolf Hitler began using the vaca­tion retreat of Ober­salzberg in 1923. In 1933, it was made into a secu­rity zone where nearly every important Nazi figure had a resi­dence. Most of the build­ings have since been demol­ished. A museum near the former Berghof will inform you about the role Ober­salzberg played during the Nazi period. From here, you can follow the Kehlsteins­traße uphill to the Eagle's Nest, which was built and designed by Hitler. At the end of the road you will find a pede­s­trian tunnel leading to a gloomy hall deep in the mountain. Once there, take the elevators to the summit, where you can see the Eagle's Nest and enjoy the breathtaking view. This is a prime example of archi­tec­ture designed to intim­i­date.

The village with almost 8,000 inhab­i­tants lies picturesquely in a basin surrounded by high mountains. The settle­ment emerged in the 11th century from a monastery foun­da­tion. The monastery had forestry sovereignty and the mining rights to salt and metal, which led to an early boom. The first holiday guests arrived in the middle of the 19th century. During National Socialism Bercht­esgaden was declared a “Führ­ersperrge­biet” (restricted area for the Führer). The market square is surrounded by medieval houses with frescoes. The nearby Wittelsbach Castle now houses a museum.

The small Eibensee is one of the lesser known waters in the western Salzkammergut. The ascent leads along the Eibenseebach through the Wildmoos nature reserve. From nearby Marienköpfl you have wonderful views of Lake Fuschlsee and its surround­ings. The Eibensee is idyllically situ­ated between steep slopes that keep the wind away, so that the lake often lies as smooth as a mirror. On hot days you can swim in the lake. (round trip: 9.8 kilome­ters, 3 hours, up and down: 375 meters)

The varied hike leads along the Schatt­seitweg from the Gasthof Oberwirt in Ramsau to Hintersee. After a few minutes you reach the glacier springs, which are fed by the melt­water of the Blaueis glacier at Hochkalter, 1,500 metres above sea level. After you have crossed the Marxen­klamm gorge, through which a torren­tial white water rushes, you go on a nature trail through the magical forest. Over bridges and footbridges you reach the Hintersee and go back halfway up. (round trip: 15.7 kilome­ters, 5:15 hours, up and down: 734 meters)

The hike leads through the history of alpine farming. Three alpine pastures are on the way, where informa­tion boards provide informa­tion about the alpine pasture system. You also have wonderful views of the Bercht­esgaden and Chiemgau Alps. The tour leads along paved alpine and forest paths. The alpine steep tracks require a certain amount of surefoot­ed­ness. (Round trip 11.1 kilome­ters, 4 hours, up and down: 670 meters)

At the end of an eventful polit­ical life in 976, when Saint Wolfgang built a monastery with his own hands and worked several miracles, he had no idea that his hermitage would become one of the most famous tourist resorts in Austria. St. Wolfgang owes this above all to the pilgrimage church, which is dedicated to him and enthroned in perfect grace over the Wolfgangsee. Inside, the late Gothic church impresses with a richly deco­rated altar, which Michael Pacher completed in 1481. He shows Our Lady kneeling in front of her child and framed by two monks, Saint Bene­dict and of course Saint Wolfgang.

The capital of Upper Austria strad­dles the Danube. The heart of the 2,000-year-old city is the central square (Hauptplatz) lined with stately Baroque build­ings and Renais­sance court­yards. In recent years Linz has managed to change its image as a grimy indus­trial center thanks to new envi­ron­mental regu­la­tions governing steel produc­tion and the increased promo­tion of cultural activ­i­ties. Indeed, Linz was named the Cultural Capital of Europe in 2009.

The largest concen­tra­tion camp in Austria is located south of Linz in the town of Mauthausen. It began oper­ating just ten days after the German occupa­tion of Austria. It was a category III camp where people died performing slave labor. Starting in 1942, there was a camp brothel in which women who were consid­ered “asocial” were forced into pros­titu­tion. In February 1945, 500 Soviet offi­cers attempted to flee from death-block 20. Nearly all of them were killed during the following three-week manhunt. Only eleven survived, because the local popu­la­tion hid them. Before being liber­ated by the US Army in 1945, over 120,000 people perished in the quarries and in the surrounding area. There is a monu­ment located at the site of the former concen­tra­tion camp.

The 1,783 meter high rock is only for those who are free from vertigo. It towers above the foothills of the Alps and offers a fantastic view across the Salzkammergut. However, the ascent to the summit can even be done by sheep. It belongs to the most beau­tiful hikes near and far. For those who find just under 1,200 metres of alti­tude too much, you can take the rack-railway, which was opened in 1893. The valley station is in St. Wolfgang, where the hiking trail begins. At the top you can stop at a hotel. (one way: 7.3 kilome­ters, 4 hours, up: 1170 meters)

Krems, the oldest city in Lower Austria, is surrounded by vine­yards and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Landscape of Wachau. The town is famous for its medieval gate called the “Steiner Tor.” A Capuchin monastery called “Kloster Und” is located in front of the gates. Today, the monastery houses wine cellars, confer­ence rooms and museums devoted to art and carica­ture. The old town of Stein, where hardly anything has changed for centuries, is only a short walk from here.