Austria may be a small country, but it isn’t lacking in attractions, natural beauty or things to do. From the magnificent Alps to the grandeur of Vienna, to its wine country and quaint medieval towns, there’s enough variety here to justify at least a couple of visits. Many of the thousands of visitors who choose Austria as their holiday destination spend their time concentrating on a particular region of the country in order to more fully enjoy what it has to offer.

Vienna is the country’s capital, and often the starting-off point for tours of Austria. The city itself was built as an imperial capital, and as the seat of the Habsburg dynasty, everything here was executed on a grand scale. Buildings dating from that time include the Hofburg Schönbrunn and the Kunsthistorisches Museum. In addition to palaces and museums, visitors will find numerous fin-de-siècle cafés staffed by tuxedoed waiters, the elegant Vienna State Opera and nightlife venues that offer a range of music from classical to techno.

Salzburg is noted for its music and Baroque architecture. The Altstadt, or Old City, boasts the greatest concentration of Baroque structures to be found anywhere in Austria. Overlooking the Altstadt, the Hohensalzburg fortress is without doubt the country’s most impressive castle dating from the medieval period. This was the birthplace of Mozart and is home to the annual Salzburg Festival, which is considered one of the top celebrations of classical music in the world.  

Innsbruck ranks as a top destination, particularly for fans of winter sports. It’s also known for its vibrant nightlife and medieval architecture. There are lots of historical attractions of interest here, including the Alstadt, the Baroque Eggenberg Palace and the fine art collections of the Landesmuseum Joanneum.

Small medieval towns can be found throughout the country, and should be a part of any tourist’s itinerary. Many of the towns feature their original fortified walls, as well as arcaded courtyards, fountains and window boxes filled with colourful blooms. Some of the favourites include Freistadt in Upper Austria, Friesach in Carinthia and Hall in Tyrol.

Austria’s seasonal music festivals draw thousands of visitors. In addition to the Salzburg Festival, some of the better-known events include the Bregenz Festival, the Lockenhaus Festival of chamber music, Eisenstadt’s Haydn Festival and the Mörbisch Operetta Festival.

Wherever your itinerary takes you in Austria, you’ll find a good range of accommodation options, from small guest houses in the country’s quaint villages to five-star deluxe choices in refurbished castles in and around Vienna.

Early on, the area that is today Austria was invaded and temporarily occupied by a number of armies and tribes. Avars, Celts, Huns, Romans, Slavs, Vandals and Visigoths all passed through and stayed for brief periods before moving on. In 803 AD, Charlemagne established the Ostmark - an area which was predominantly Germanic.

The Habsburgs gained control of the area from 1278 and remained in power until the end of WWI. They ruled by force but avoided the barbarism that had historically kept the population under control, and extended the territory using calculated purchases of real estate and politically-expedient marriages to expand their empire until Austria had grown to a significant size.

In 1571 religious freedom was granted to the population by the emperor, with most Austrians at that time choosing Protestantism. A few short years later, Rudolf II became the new emperor, and embraced Catholicism. With some coercion, the populace converted to his religious choice.

Imposing Catholicism on other Protestant areas in Europe was the main cause of the Thirty Years' War, which began in 1618 and was responsible for the devastation of most of Central Europe. In 1648, peace was achieved and the Treaty of Westphalia signed. For the balance of the century, Austria’s focus was on stemming the tide of the Turkish advance into Europe.

Maria Theresa became empress in 1740, ruling for 40 years. This time is generally considered as the period of modernization in Austria. The government was centralised, a civil service system was put in place, and significant education and economic reforms were introduced. The army was also reorganised, but Napoleon managed to defeat the Austrians in 1805 at Austerlitz nevertheless. In 1866, Austria was defeated again in the Austro-Prussian War. This resulted in the formation of the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary under Emperor Franz Josef.

The 20^th century began with prosperity for Austria, but its expansionism in the Balkans, combined with the 1908 annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina led to violence. In June 1914, the emperor’s nephew was assassinated in Sarajevo, leading to Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia. When Russia came to the aid of Serbia, WWI had begun in earnest.

After the war,the Republic of Austria was created. The new republic was compelled to recognise the sovereignty of Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland and Yugoslavia – newly independent states that had previously been part of the Habsburg Empire.

Not long after Austria’s creation, the new republic experienced a severe economic downturn, which coincided with an upsurge in fascist politics. Austria’s embrace of Nazism was an aid to German troops in 1938 when they invaded the country and integrated it into the Third Reich. As a result of this affiliation, Austria was heavily bombed during WWII.  

In the years after WWII, Austria struggled with difficult economic times, and eventually, in 1972, negotiated a free trade treaty with the EEC. Politics in Austria became focused on consensus instead of conflict. By the late 1980s, however, waves of immigration from Eastern Europe following the collapse of the Soviet Union led to the rise of the Freedom Party and its anti-immigrant stance.

In 1994, the citizens of Austria strongly endorsed the referendum for their country to become a member of the EU. The country formally became part of the European Union on the 1^st of January, 1995 and re-asserted its constitutional neutrality at that time.

Austria’s climate is classified as temperate continental. Summer is very popular with tourists, and runs from early June to the mid-September. It’s possible for the weather to be hot (reaching 35°C) or rainy, but daytime temperatures generally average at 25°C in July and August. Winters also bring tourists to the ski areas, but weather can be quite cold, with temperatures in the Alps dropping as low as -10°C, sometimes even lower. The winter period lasts from December through March in the lowland regions, and until April at higher altitudes.  

The best time to visit will depend on the purpose of your holiday. If you’re looking for warm weather and plan to enjoy cycling or hiking, the months of April to October are best. If winter sports are what you have in mind, then anytime from November to April should suit. Visiting Austria in the winter isn’t recommended if you’re not planning on skiing, as the weather tends to be damp and cold in lowland areas, including Vienna.