Austria Holidays

Set your own pace and enjoy breath-taking scenery as you walk through the Austrian mountains, just like Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music. The soaring peaks are dotted with flower-filled meadows and teal-blue lakes, like Lake Wolfgang and Lake Zell. And you can make the most of the local buses, trains and summer lifts to explore even further.

Culture fans will be in their element in Austria's cities. Visit the home of Mozart, Salzburg, to see the historic castle, stroll around the Mirabell Gardens and try local specialities in gourmet restaurants. In Vienna, the Schönbrunn and Hofburg palaces top the list of places to see. And while you're there, you can catch a classical music concert or watch dressage performed by Lipizzaner stallions at the 18th century Spanish Riding School.

From schnitzel to sachertorte, there’s a culinary smorgasbord to make your way through in Austria. Traditional favourites come in the form of hearty stews like tafelspitz, and age-old recipes like wiener schnitzel – a thin cut of veal that’s coated in breadcrumbs and fried. Cakes and pastries are also popular, especially when served up alongside a mug of coffee in a cosy coffee house. And of course you have to try apple strudel, Austria’s most famous dessert, which hides chunks of apple, raisins, cinnamon and sugar beneath layers of buttery, flaky pastry.