Top 5 Austria Places to See

Always on top of every Austria places to see list, Vienna is the creative heart of the country. Often known as the City of Music for being the former abode of several musical legends, including Mozart, Beethoven and Strauss, Vienna is the perfect place to catch a classical music concert. Explore its various stunning structures, from baroque to art nouveau, and immerse yourself into its many world-class museums. Some of the top must-see sights of Vienna include, the city’s UNESCO World Heritage-listed historic centre, the stunning Schönbrunn Palace, and the elegant official seat of the president, the Hofburg.

Unless you’ve lived under a rock your whole life, you are certain to be familiar with (and possibly a fan of) the movie classic, The Sound of Music. Salzburg is the city where the iconic musical was filmed and also the place where the original Trapp family once lived, and that is enough reason to put the city on your Austria places to see list. The true movie buffs can join a tour that takes you around the original, still largely unchanged, shoot locations of the film. Salzburg is also the birthplace of the virtuoso Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and you can even visit the home of the city’s famous son. The other things to see in Salzburg include the imposing 12th century Hohensalzburg Fortress, the Mirabell Palace and Gardens and the Salzburg Cathedral.

A picturesque riverside town located on the south bank of river Danube, Melk is well-known for the magnificent Melk Abbey that proudly towers over the townscape and overlooks the Danube River. Home to the tomb of Saint Coloman of Stockerau and the remains of members of Austria's first ruling dynasty – the Babenbergs, the abbey is as stunning from the inside as it is from the outside. Gaze upon ornate gold leaf walls and walk up seemingly endless spiral staircases in what was once a royal palace, gifted to the monks by Leopold II. A stroll through the streets of Melk’s Old Town, all the way down to the banks of the Danube is one of the most enjoyable things to do here. Expand your area of exploration and head to the Artstetten Castle, located a little outside Melk. This fairy-tale castle is the former abode of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and current resting place of the archduke and his wife. 

Add the very photogenic town of Dürnstein to your Austria places to see list for the best travel photographs. Rustic cobbled streets lined by 16th century houses, powder blue coloured baroque church overlooking a gently flowing river, and ruins of a castle that once held the mighty King Richard the Lionheart of England prisoner – for a town so small, there is a lot to see and do in Dürnstein. Take the time to visit the 12th century ruins of the Dürnstein Castle and take a guided tour to learn all about its history as a strategic post and as the prison that held the former King of England, Richard I.

If you’re looking to escape the tourist-filled towns of Austria, Linz is the place to go. Located about halfway between the busy cities of Vienna and Salzburg, Linz offers the perfect quiet escape. Despite its quaint charm, Linz is anything but old school. The Ars Electronica Center, or Museum of the Future, hosts interactive exhibitions featuring the most futuristic technologies – from self-driving cars, to 3D printing. The Lentos Art Museum is home to over 1,500 works of the finest modern art, and the Mural Harbor is one of Europe's largest open air graffiti and mural galleries.