Austria is a beautiful, small country of 8 million citizens that draws visitors from all over the globe to its famous resorts and cultural treasures. Located in the Alps north of Italy, this landlocked nation has beautiful cities rich in museums, art collections, and architectural treasure troves. Vienna, located on the Danube River in eastern Austria, offers travellers some of Europe’s great hotels and finest culinary delights.
Pipe-shaped, Austria is bordered by eight other countries. With its unsurpassed selection of outdoor alpine-oriented sports activities, and wide selection of accommodation options, this scenic country draws visitors not only from its neighbors, but from around the world as well.
Go skiing or linger over one of the country's world-class art collections; attend one of the many musical productions put on by its talented artists. Select any number from the list of recommended highlights listed on our Austria Sightseeing or Austria Sport and Activity pages- there’s no shortage of great entertainment options to enjoy when visiting Austria. A small country that’s big on things to see and do, many visitors concentrate on one or two of the country’s regions, rather than trying to cover everything in one trip. Vienna, with its myriad of hotels and accommodation offerings is a world-class destination for culture lovers, and Innsbruck, with its fabled ski resorts and famous Winter Olympic venues are two of the most popular choices for travellers.
Visitors to Austria find an extremely well-educated populace that has one of the highest per capita standard of living in the world. Due to its historically significant relationship with neighbouring Germany, Austrians speak primarily German. Austria is also one of the six European nations that have declared permanent neutrality, the better to avoid becoming ensnared again in the region’s long time propensity toward political squabbles and even, in the past, wars.
Wherever you visit in Europe, a trip to Austria is easy to fit in. As the land of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Franz Schubert and Ludwig van Beethoven, it is certainly one of the world’s richest cultural treasures. With its fabulous alpine ski centres residing in the spectacular Alps, it offers unparalleled outdoor sporting activities.