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AustriaFrom the compositions of the musical masters Schubert, Mozart and Strauß to Gustav Klimt's Art Nouveau paintings and Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytical studies, much of Austria's artistic and cultural exports ring familiar in American ears.
A visit to Vienna's Imperial Hofburg Palace recalls the grandeur of the Habsburg Dynasty and the kings and emperors of the Holy Roman Empire who once ruled from there. Today, the palace serves as residence for the country's president and has grown into a sizeable complex encompassing museums, the Imperial Library, a national theater, gothic chapel, and horse stables with a riding school.
The Alps stretch into Austria from neighboring Switzerland, covering 70% of this highly mountainous country. With so much natural alpine terrain, ski resorts developed organically out of Austria's mountain towns and villages. The Arlberg region, which includes the popular resorts of Lech, Zürs and St. Anton, features 161 miles of downhill terrain in addition to 124 miles of deep snow and glacier skiing, making it a fashionable getaway for Europe's royal families.
The region of Kitzbühel, known as the "Pearl of the Alps," is home of the famous Hahnenkamm downhill race. Its bars, restaurants, shops and even a casino make it popular with the après-ski crowd. At the Innsbruck-Nordpark resort, ski runs from the top Hafelekar lift station are some of the steepest in the Alps, where even foot traffic to its viewing platform find the precipice daunting. And, some of Austria's glaciers allow skiing to continue year round.
As spring arrives and snows recede, the warmer months reveal the rugged beauty of 6 national parks, 20 alpine gardens, and nearly 60 nature preserves and nature parks. Birdwatchers encounter approximately 300 species at Nationalpark Neusiedler See-Seewinkel in Burgenland state, while visitors to Lower Austria's Nationalpark Thayatal seek sightings of rare black storks among the castles and ruins. For the more adventurous, Nationalpark Oberoesterreich-Kkalkalpen gives guided cave tours, and Styria's Nationalpark Gesaeuse offers whitewater rafting.
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