Vienna As the former home of the Hapsburg court and its various empires, the city still has the trappings of the imperial capital it once was, and the historic city centre is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Vienna is host to many major international organizations such as the United Nations and OPEC. Vienna lies in the very east of Austria and is close to the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. In 2001, the city centre was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and in 2005 an Economist Intelligence Unit study of 127 world cities ranked it first equal with Vancouver for the quality of life.

The low-lying Danube plain in and around what is now Vienna has had a human population since at least the late Paleolithic: one of the city’s most famous artifacts, the 24,000 year old Venus of Willendorf, now in Vienna’s Natural History Museum, was found nearby. Vienna’s own history began with the Romans, who founded it in the 1st Century CE as Vindobona, one of a line of Roman defensive outposts against Germanic tribes. Vindobona’s central garrison was on the site of what is now the Hoher Markt (the “High Market” due to its relative height over the Danube), and you can still see the excavations of its foundations there today.

Vienna hosted the Hapsburg court for several centuries, first as the Imperial seat of the Holy Roman Empire, then the capital of the Austrian Empire, and later of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which finally fell in 1918 with the abdication of the last Emperor Karl I. The court tremendously influenced the culture that exists here even today: Vienna’s residents are often overly formal, with small doses of courtliness, polite forms of address, and formal dress attire. One of the many paradoxes of the quirky city is that its residents can be equally modern and as they are extremely old-fashioned.

Traditional Vienna is but one of the many façades of this city, the downtown area of which is a UNESCO world heritage site and sometimes begrudgingly compared to an open air museum. But Vienna is also a dynamic young city, famous for its (electronic) music scene with independent labels, cult-status underground record stores, a vibrant club scene, multitudes of street performers, and a government that seems overly obsessed with complicated paperwork. However, people are willing to go out of their way or bend the rules a little if they feel they can do someone a favor.

The Viennese have a singular fascination with death, hence the popularity of the Zentralfriedhof (Central Cemetery) as a strolling location and of Schrammelmusik - highly sentimental music with lyrics pertaining to death. Old-fashioned Sterbevereine (funeral insurance societies) provide members with the opportunity to save up for a nice funeral throughout the course of their lives. This service does not exist solely to save their children the hassle and expense - it is considered absolutely mandatory to provide for an adequate burial. Vienna even has the “Bestattungsmuseum”, a museum devoted to coffins and mortuary science. The country’s morbid obsession may be correlated with its higher suicide rate when compared with the rest of Europe.

Vienna is also famous for its coffee culture. “Let’s have a coffee” is a very commonly heard phrase, because despite incursions by Starbucks and Italian-style espresso bars, the Kaffeehauskultur is still the traditional way to drink a cup of coffee, read the newspaper, meet friends, or fall in love.

Vienna lies in eastern Austria, at the easternmost extension of the Alps in the Vienna Basin. The earliest settlement, at the location of today’s inner city, were south of the meandering Danube while the city now spans both sides of the river. Elevation ranges from 151 to 542 m.

Vienna has a humid continental climate according to Köppens climate. The city has warm and pleasant summers with average high temperatures of 22 - 26°C (72 - 79°F) and lows of around 15°C (59°F). Temperatures could sometimes exceed 30°C (86°F). Winters are cold with temperatures of freezing point. Spring and autumn are cool to mild. Precipitation is generally moderate throughout the year, but summers are slightly wetter than winters. Snowfall mainly occurs in December through March.

To the traveler, the city has a very convenient layout: The ‘old town’, or city center, is the first district, with the Stephansdom and Stephansplatz at the centre of a bullseye. It is encircled by the Ringstraße (Ring Road), a grand boulevard constructed along the old city walls, which were torn down at the end of the 19th century. Along the Ringstraße are many famous and grand buildings, including the Rathaus City Hall, the Austrian Parliament, the Hofburg Palace, the Natural History Museum, the Museum of Art History (Kunsthistorisches Museum), and the State Opera House.

Districts 2-9 are mostly gathered within the Gürtel (’belt’) Road, which runs parallel to and encircles the Ringstraße like an outer belt. In these districts you can find the Prater (amusement) park and the other, hip quarters of the Second District (close to Schwedenplatz) as well as the Jewish quarter, Südbahnhof (southern Rail Station) and Westbahnhof (Western Railstation) - a major national and international railway terminus, currently undergoing massive renovation (see travel) - from which the major shopping street Mariahilfer Straße leads eastwards toward the inner city, the Hundertwasserhaus and Hundertwasser Kunsthaus in the 3rd, and the Belvedere Palace.

Outside the “belt” road, among other sites are the Danube Tower (Donauturm) and notably Schönbrunn Palace, which is one of the most visited tourist attractions and deservedly so. It was placed on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List in 1996.

Vienna is composed of 23 districts (Bezirke). Legally, they are not districts in the sense of administrative bodies with explicit powers (such as the districts in the other Austrian states), but mere subdivisions of the city administration. Elections at the district level give the representatives of the districts some political power in fields such as planning and traffic.

The heart and historical city of Vienna, the Innere Stadt, was once surrounded by walls and open fields in order to deny cover to potential attackers. The walls were razed in 1857, making it possible for the city to expand and eventually merge with the surrounding villages. In their place, a broad boulevard called the Ringstraße was built, along which imposing public and private buildings, monuments, and parks now lie.

These buildings include the Rathaus (town hall), the Burgtheater, the University, the Parliament, the twin museums of natural history and fine art, and the Staatsoper. It is also the location of the Hofburg, the former imperial palace. The mainly Gothic Stephansdom is located at the centre of the city, on Stephansplatz. Beyond the Ringstraße, there was another wall called the Linienwall, which was torn down in the latter half of the 19th century to make room for expanding suburbs. It is now a ring road called Gürtel.

Industries are located mostly in the southern and eastern districts. The Innere Stadt is situated away from the main flow of the Danube, but is bounded by the Donaukanal (”Danube canal”). Vienna’s second and twentieth districts are located between the Donaukanal and the Danube River. Across the Danube are the newest districts, which include the location of the Vienna International Centre.

Vienna’s postal codes can be determined by the district where a given address is located; 1XXA - 1 denotes Vienna, XX the district number (if it is a single digit then with a leading zero), A is the number of the post office (irrelevant in this case, usually zero). Example: 1070 for Neubau. Exceptions include 1300 for the Vienna International Airport located in Lower Austria near Schwechat, 1400 for the UN Complex, 1450 for the Austria Center, and 1500 for the Austrian UN forces.

Viennese speak Austrian German, though there is a special Viennese accent all its own. Standard (Northern) German however, the version usually studied by English speakers, will everywhere be readily understood. People in jobs dealing with foreign visitors usually are fluent in English, though English is not as universally spoken as in northern European countries, and signs (including descriptive signs in museums) don’t as often include English translations as in some other European countries, so those who don’t speak German may find a traveler’s phrase book or billingual dictionary useful.

Art and culture have a long tradition in Vienna, including theater, opera, classical music and fine arts. The Burgtheater is considered one of the best theaters in the German-speaking world alongside its branch, the Akademietheater. The Volkstheater Wien and the Theater in der Josefstadt also enjoy good reputations. There is also a multitude of smaller theaters, in many cases devoted to less mainstream forms of performing arts, such as modern, experimental plays or cabaret.

Vienna is also home to a number of opera houses, including the Staatsoper and the Volksoper, the latter being devoted to the typical Viennese operetta. Classical concerts are performed at well known venues such as the Wiener Musikverein, home of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Wiener Konzerthaus. Many concert venues offer concerts aimed at tourists, featuring popular highlights of Viennese music (particularly the works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Johann Strauss).

In recent years, the Theater an der Wien has become widely known for hosting premieres of musicals, although it has recently devoted itself to the opera again. The most successful musical by far was “Elisabeth”, which was later translated into several other languages and performed all over the world. The Haus der Musik (”house of music”) opened in 2000.

The Hofburg is the location of the Schatzkammer (treasury), holding the imperial jewels of the Habsburg dynasty. The Sisi Museum (a museum devoted to Empress Elisabeth Amalie Eugenie of Austria) allows visitors to view the Imperial apartments as well as the silver cabinet. Directly opposite the Hofburg are the Kunsthistorisches Museum and the Naturhistorisches Museum, which houses many paintings by old masters, ancient and classical artifacts.

A number of museums are located in the Museumsquartier (museum quarter), the former Imperial Stalls which were converted into a museum complex in the 1990s. It houses the Museum of Modern Art (Ludwig Foundation), the Leopold Museum (focusing on works of the Viennese Secession, Viennese Modernism and Austrian Expressionism), additional halls with feature exhibitions and the Tanzquartier. The Liechtenstein Palace contains one of the world’s largest private art collections. There are a multitude of other museums in Vienna, including the Military History Museum, the Technical Museum, the Vienna Clock Museum and the Burial Museum. The museums dedicated to Vienna’s districts provide a retrospective of the respective districts.

Schloss Schönbrunn Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1996, it is not far from the city centre and easy to get to by public transportation: You can take the underground U4 (green line) and get off at Schönbrunn; If you plan on catching a tram, take 10, 58, and detrain at Schönbrunn. Otherwise, take the 10A bus and alight at Schönbrunn. Schönbrunn is the ultimate palace experience in Vienna, because the Hapsburg summer palace can be found here. It is comparable in grandeur to Versailles and is definitely a must-see in Vienna. Its gardens and zoo (the oldest in the world, built for Maria Theresa’s husband in 1752) alone are worth a lengthy visit.

The palace has also seen its fair share of excitement over the years, including a meeting between John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khruschchev at the height of the Cold War. The Palace Park offers a lot of attractions, such as the Privy Garden, a Maze and Labyrinth, and the top-of-the-hill Gloriette with its Panorama Terrace. There are two possible tours available without a guide (though guides are available): the Imperial Tour showing 22 rooms and the Grand Tour showing 40 rooms.

The price of admission includes an audio or written guide. The shorter tour of Schönbrunn Palace takes you into the west wing of the palace including the apartments of Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth (Sisi), as well as the imposing state rooms in the central wing. With the Grand Tour you can visit, in addition to those rooms included on the Imperial Tour, the 18th-century rooms from the time of Maria Theresa. No photos, video taping, or backpacks allowed inside.

Hofburg Palace, This immense palace complex grew into a large, unwieldy series of buildings over the years and was the imperial residence of the Habsburg emperors until 1918. What began as a medieval castle (whose chapel is the only original element of that building to survive) was expanded and redecorated as the Habsburgs’ power increased correspondingly. The Palace Stables and Amalia’s Wing were added in the sixteenth century. The Imperial Chancery Wing, Court Library, and Spanish Riding School was added in the eighteenth. In the last century, St Michael’s Wing was tacked on and around 1900 the New Palace was completed.

The contents of each separate building contain so many treasures that the time spent moving from one to another is like opening box after box of fabulous jewels – it’s difficult to know when to stop. The Imperial Palace itself now houses the offices of the Austrian President, a convention center, and the Spanish Riding School with its Lipizzaner stallions. The Palace also houses several museums which are open to the public, including the “Imperial Apartments, Sisi Museum and Imperial Silver Collection” (Kaiserappartements, Sisi Museum, Silberkammer) where you can visit 22 state rooms (open daily from 9AM-5PM; July-Aug: 9AM-5:30PM. The museums are wheelchair-accessible).

These are the residential and state apartments of Emperor Franz Joseph I. and Empress Elisabeth (popularly known as Sisi) and show 19th-century imperial life. The Imperial Silver Collection displays unique items of the glittering world of imperial dining. You can purchase a single ticket for all three museums or purchase the “Sisi Ticket”, which entitles you to visit the Schönbrunn Palace, Hofburg with Audio Guide (Imp. Apartments, Sisi Museum, Imp. Silver Collection), and Imperial Furniture Museum.

A variety of architectural styles can be found in Vienna, such as the Romanesque Ruprechtskirche and the Baroque Karlskirche. Styles range from classicist buildings to modern architecture. Art Nouveau left many architectural traces in Vienna. The Secession, Karlsplatz Stadtbahn Station, and the Kirche am Steinhof by Otto Wagner rank among the best known examples of Art Nouveau in the world.

The Hundertwasserhaus by Friedensreich Hundertwasser, designed to counter the clinical look of modern architecture, is one of Vienna’s most popular tourist attractions. Another example of unique architecture is the Wotrubakirche by sculptor Fritz Wotruba.

In the 1990s, a number of quarters were adapted and extensive building projects were implemented in the areas around Donaustadt (north of the Danube) and Wienerberg (in southern Vienna). The 202 m-high Millennium Tower located at Handelskai is the highest building in Vienna. In recent years, Vienna has seen numerous architecture projects completed which combine modern architectural elements with old buildings, such as the remodelling and revitalisation of the old Gasometer in 2001.

Most buildings in Vienna are relatively low; in early 2006 there were around 100 buildings higher than 40 m. The number of high-rise buildings is kept low by building legislation aimed at preserving green areas and districts designated as world cultural heritage. Strong rules apply to the planning, authorisation and construction of high-rise buildings. Consequently, much of the inner city is a high-rise free zone.

Vienna is the last great capital of the nineteenth century ball. There are over 200 significant balls per year, some featuring as many as nine live orchestras. Balls are held in the many beautiful palaces in Vienna, with the principal venue being the Hofburg Palace at Heldenplatz. While the Opera Ball is the best known internationally of all the Austrian balls, other balls such as the Kaffeesiederball (Cafe Owners Ball), the Jägerball (Hunter’s Ball) and the Rudolfina Redoute are almost as well known within Austria and even better appreciated for their cordial atmosphere. Viennese of at least middle class may visit a number of balls in their lifetime. For many, the ball season lasts three months and can include up to ten or fifteen separate appearances.

Dancers and opera singers from the Vienna Staatsoper often perform at the openings of the larger balls. A Vienna ball is an all-night cultural attraction. Major Viennese balls generally begin at nine pm and last until five am, although many guests carry on the celebrations into the next day.

The traditional Viennese fast food is sausage in all shapes and sizes. You can buy hot sausages and hot dogs at snack bars called “Würstlstand” all over the town. The famous Wiener Würstel is known as “Frankfurter” in Vienna, but many inhabitants prefer Bosna (with onions and curry), Burenwurst, and Käsekrainer or “Eitrige” (with melted cheese inside).

In addition to this, the local snack culture also includes more Yugoslavian and Turkish varieties of fast food, such as the Döner Kebap, sandwiches of Greek and Turkish origin with roasted meat, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and yogurt and/or hot sauce. Places that sell kebap often sell take-away slices of pizza too.

Good kebaps can be bought at the Naschmarkt. The lower end of the Naschmarkt (further away from Karlsplatz or city centre) is cheaper than the upper end (closer to Karlsplatz), and the right lane (facing away from the city centre) is reserved for mostly sit-down eateries. Another good place to find snacks (especially while going out) is Schwedenplatz, also on the U4 and U1 line.

By far the cheapest way to get a fast food meal in Austria (and probably the only meal available for just over 1 euro) is buying an Austrian sandwich (sliced brown bread + ham/cheese + gherkin) from a supermarket. Supermarkets with a deli counter (Feinkostabteilung) will prepare sandwiches to take away at no extra charge. You only pay for the ingredients. There is usually a large selection of meat products, cheese, and bread rolls available here, too. You point at the combination you want, can also mention the max total you can pay, and then pay at the cash register. Freshness and quality are normally better than at a sandwich stand on the street.

Vienna is well known for Wiener schnitzel, a cutlet of veal that is pounded flat, coated in flour, egg and breadcrumbs, and fried in clarified butter. It is available in almost every restaurant that serves Viennese cuisine. Other examples of Viennese cuisine include Tafelspitz (very lean boiled beef), which is traditionally served with Geröstete Erdäpfel (boiled potatoes mashed with a fork and subsequently fried) and horseradish sauce, Apfelkren (a mixture of horseradish, cream and apple) and Schnittlauchsauce (a chives sauce made with mayonnaise and old bread).

Vienna has a long tradition of cakes and desserts. These include Apfelstrudel (hot apple strudel), Palatschinken (sweet pancakes), and Knödel (dumplings) often filled with fruit such as apricots (Marillenknödel). Sachertorte, a dry chocolate cake with apricot jam from the Sacher Hotel, is world famous.

In winter, small street stands sell traditional Maroni (hot chestnuts) and potato fritters. Sausages are also popular and available from street vendors (Würstelstand) throughout the night. The sausage known as Wiener (German for Viennese) in the USA and Germany is, however, called Frankfurter. Other popular sausages are Burenwurst (a coarse beef and pork sausage, generally boiled), Käsekrainer (spicy pork with small chunks of cheese), and Bratwurst (a white pork sausage served like a Hotdog).

The Naschmarkt is a permanent market for fruit, vegetables, spices, fish, meat, etc. from around the world. The city centre has many delicatessen stores, such as the Julius Meinl am Graben.

Vienna, along with Paris, Prague and Bratislava, is one of the few remaining world capital cities with its own vineyards. The wine is served in small Viennese pubs known as Heuriger, which are especially numerous in the wine growing areas of Döbling (Grinzing, Neustift am Walde, Nußdorf, Salmannsdorf, Sievering) and Floridsdorf (Stammersdorf, Strebersdorf). The wine is often drunk as a spritzer (”G’spritzter”) with sparkling water. The Grüner Veltliner, a dry white wine, is the most widely cultivated wine in Austria. Beer is next in importance to wine. Vienna has a single large brewery, Ottakringer, and more than ten microbreweries. A “Beisl” is a typical small Austrian pub, of which Vienna has many.

Vienna possesses many park facilities, including the Stadtpark, the Burggarten, the Volksgarten (part of the Hofburg), the Schloßpark at Schloss Belvedere (home to the Vienna Botanic Gardens), the Donaupark, the Schönbrunner Schlosspark, the Prater, the Augarten, the Rathauspark, the Lainzer Tiergarten, the Dehnepark, the Resselpark, the Votivpark, the Kurpark Oberlaa, the Auer-Welsbach-Park and the Türkenschanzpark. Green areas include Laaer-Berg (including the Bohemian Prater) and the foothills of the Wienerwald, which reaches into the outer areas of the city.

Small parks, known by the Viennese as Beserlparks, are everywhere in the inner city areas. Many of Vienna’s famous parks include monuments, such as the Stadtpark with its statue of Johann Strauss II, and the gardens of the baroque palace, where the State Treaty was signed. Vienna’s principal park is the Prater which is home to the Riesenrad, a Ferris wheel. The imperial Schönbrunn’s grounds contain an 18th century park which includes the world’s oldest zoo, founded in 1752. The Donauinsel, part of Vienna’s flood defences, is a 21.1 km long artificial island between the Danube and Neue Donau dedicated to leisure activities.

Viennese cafés have an extremely long and distinguished history that dates back centuries, and the caffeine addictions of some famous historical patrons of the oldest are something of a local legend. Traditionally, the coffee comes with a glass of water. Viennese cafés claim to have invented the process of filtering coffee from bounty captured after the second Turkish siege in 1683. Viennese cafés claim that when the invading Turks left Vienna, they abandoned hundreds of sacks of coffee beans.

The Emperor gave Franz George Kolschitzky (Polish - Franciszek Jerzy Kulczycki) some of this coffee as a reward for providing information that allowed the Austrians to defeat the Turks. Kolschitzky then opened Vienna’s first coffee shop. Julius Meinl set up a modern roasting plant in the same premises where the coffee sacks were found, in 1891. If you come to Vienna and don’t try some coffee, you’ve missed one of the great reasons to come here.

Vienna has a reputation for having an excellent coffee culture. You should at least visit one of the countless traditional 19th century coffee houses where you can sit down, relax, and have some coffee. But please, never just order coffee, for you could deeply offend the Herr Ober, the “senior waiter” of the coffee house. Vienna prides itself of its dozens of varieties of different coffees like “Kleiner Brauner”, “Melange”, “Kapuziner” or “Kaffee Verkehrt”. Most cafes in addition to coffee serve beer and wine and sometimes liqueurs. Many serve meals, especially at lunch, and these are often cheaper than in restaurants.

Vienna doesn’t have the reputation of being a huge European party city, the denizens of the fair city of music rather preferring so-called “Sitz-clubbings” (seated clubbings where you pay entry and drink sitting down with very little dancing) to actual clubbings. Still, when night falls, the Viennese let go of some of their inhibitions. If you’re walking around the center of town, you’re bound to run into touts passing out vouchers for free drinks or waiving door fees. During the summer, restaurants stay open late into the night, so even if you’re not looking for a club scene there is likely to be something for you.

Vienna is the seat of a number of United Nations offices and various international institutions and companies, including the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

Additionally, Vienna is the seat of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law’s secretariat (UNCITRAL). In conjunction, the University of Vienna annually hosts the prestigious Willem C. Vis Moot, an international commercial arbitration competition for students of law from around the world.

Various special diplomatic meetings have been held in Vienna in the latter half of the 20th century, resulting in various documents bearing the name Vienna Convention or Vienna Document. Among the more important documents negotiated in Vienna are the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, as well as the 1990 Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE).

Major tourist attractions include the imperial palaces of the Hofburg and Schönbrunn (also home to the world’s oldest zoo, Tiergarten Schönbrunn) and the Riesenrad in the Prater. Cultural highlights include the Burgtheater, the Wiener Staatsoper, the Lipizzaner horses at the spanische Hofreitschule and the Vienna Boys’ Choir, as well as excursions to Vienna’s Heuriger districts.

There are also more than 100 art museums, which together attract over eight million visitors per year. The most popular ones are Albertina, Belvedere, Leopold Museum in the Museumsquartier, KunstHausWien, BA-CA Kunstforum, the twin Kunsthistorisches Museum and Naturhistorisches Museum, and the Technisches Museum Wien, each of which receives over a quarter of a million visitors per year.

There are many popular sites associated with composers who lived in Vienna including Beethoven’s various residences and grave at Zentralfriedhof (Central Cemetery) which is the largest cemetery in Vienna and the burial site of many famous people. Mozart has a memorial grave at the Habsburg gardens and at St. Marx cemetery (where his grave was lost).

Vienna’s many churches also draw large crowds, the most famous of which are St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the Deutschordenskirche, the Jesuitenkirche, the Karlskirche, the Peterskirche, Maria am Gestade, the Minoritenkirche, the Ruprechtskirche, the Schottenkirche and the Votivkirche. Modern attractions include the Hundertwasserhaus, the United Nations headquarters and the view from the Donauturm.

Vienna is one of the safest cities in the world for its size. There are no slums or districts you should avoid. In general, you can visit any part of the city at any time of the day without taking many risks — just use your common sense. At night, though, it is wise to avoid parks, as well as the area within and around Karlsplatz station and Schwedenplatz station. The drug scene at Karlsplatz hangs out there during the day, but they do not care at all about tourists. Just ignore them and they will ignore you.

The Prater (fair grounds/amusement park area) is said by some locals to be less safe at night, though more in reference to pickpockets than anything else. As in any major city, watch out for pickpockets who grab and run when boarding the U-Bahn (subway). There are few racist assaults in Vienna, but its streets and public-transport facilities are littered with racist (anti-black) graffiti. Some areas around the Prater and around the Westbahnhof are spots for prostitutes to ply their trade. Female travellers walking around there alone at night might feel uncomfortable.

Vienna offers a complete range of hotels, concentrated in the central district (Vienna 1010) where most people want to stay, since from there you can walk to most of Vienna’s attractions, and you have easy public transit access to the rest. If you’re considering a hotel outside the central area, check a map to see how far it is to the attractions of the center and whether the hotel is conveniently located to public transit. The quality of Vienna’s hotels is generally good, and prices, while not cheap, tend to be lower than farther north in Europe.

As is the case with restaurants, Vienna’s hotels have not yet responded to the same extent as have hotels in many other countries to the increased number of guests nowadays who want non-smoking accommodations. Non-smoking rooms are in limited supply, and hotels with non-smoking floors are rare, so even if you have a non-smoking room you may find that the public areas of the hotel, including sometimes the corridor outside your room, are heavy with tobacco smoke.

• Vienna Hostels Driectory

The city is noted for its Alpine setting. It is the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the setting for parts of the musical and film The Sound of Music, which features famous landmarks in Austria, but focuses mainly on Salzburg. Salzburg is also a student city, with three universities.

Salzburg is a city in central Austria, near the German/Bavarian border with a population of some 148,000 in 2005. If you’ve seen the movie The Sound of Music, you may think you know all there is to see in Salzburg.

 Admittedly, it’s tough not to burst into song when you’re walking along the Salzach River, or climbing up to the Hohensalzburg fortress which looms over the city. But there’s a lot more to this compact, courtly city than Julie Andrews and Mozart’s birthplace. The city was one of the eight host cities in the 2008 European Football Championships.

Salzburg is on the banks of the Salzach river, at the northern boundary of the Alps. The mountains to Salzburg’s south contrast with the rolling plains to the north. The closest alpine peak – the 1972 m Untersberg – is only a few kilometers from the city center. The Altstadt, or “old town”, is dominated by its baroque towers and churches and the massive Festung Hohensalzburg. This area is surrounded by two smaller mountains, the Mönchsberg and Kapuzinerberg as the green lung of the city. Salzburg is approximately 150 km east of Munich, and 300 km west of Vienna.

Salzburg is the fourth-largest city in Austria (after Vienna,Graz and Linz) and the capital of the federal state of Salzburg. It’s “Old Town”, with its world famous baroque architecture, is one of the best-preserved city centers in the German-speaking world, and was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

In the city of Salzburg there were several DP Camps following World War II. Among these were Riedenburg, Camp Herzl (Franz-Josefs-Kaserne), Camp Mülln, Bet Bialik, Bet Trumpeldor, and New Palestine. Salzburg was the centre of the American-occupied area in Austria.

On January 27, 2006, the 250th anniversary of the birth of Wolfgang Mozart, all 35 churches of Salzburg rang their bells a little after 8PM (local time) to celebrate the occasion. Major celebrations took place throughout the year.

The best way to get around Salzburg is by foot. There is a network of city buses (StadtBus, with numbers from 1 to 8 (O-Buses, electric) and 20-27 (fuel-powered)). Single trip: €2.00. 24 hour ticket: €5.00. One week ticket: €12.40.), which cover the whole city star-shaped from the center. If you travel by bus make sure you don’t catch any of the last buses.

They’ll take you several miles out of town with your only way back by walking or taxi, should you be fortunate enough to wave one down. With that said if you need to get somewhere late at night it may be best to either take a taxi or walk.

Conveniently, bus tickets can be bought on the bus from the bus driver. However, if you have time, buy the tickets in advance at a “Trafik”, since they are then significantly cheaper. For example, a single trip then costs only €1.50, but you have to buy the tickets in blocks of 5.

The “Lokalbahn” train has a separate train station under the main train station and travels in the direction of Oberndorf and Lamprechtshausen. Tickets can be bought on the train. Another option for exploring areas around the main city (Bad Ischl, Fuschlsee, etc.) are the POST-BUSes. These also leave from the main train station; tickets can be bought from the driver.

Finally, an excellent option is renting a bike. Salzburg has over 100km of bike paths, and this is often faster than bus, car or foot. There are also excellent bike paths on either side of the river which you can follow to either Freilassing (35 minutes), Oberndorf or Hallein (each about an hour one-way).

margin in peak times. In addition to Mozart’s birthplace noted above, other notable places include:

• The whole Old Town of Salzburg was nominated as a World Heritage Site in 1996.
• The baroque architecture including the many churches are world famous.
• The Salzburg Cathedral
• The fortress Hohensalzburg on a hill dominating the old town is one of the largest castles in Europe, with views over Salzburg.
• The Franziskanerchurch
• The St.Peter cemetery
• The Nonnberg Abbey a Benedictine monastery
• The “Residenz” Palace (the magnificent former Prince-Archbishop’s residence)
• Mozart’s Birthplace
• Mozart’s Residence
• The University Church
• The Siegmundstor (or Neutor)
• The Getreidegasse
• Palace of Mirabell with its wide gardens full of flowers
• The palace of Leopoldskron is a rococo palace and a national historic monument in Leopoldskron-Moos, a southern district of the city of Salzburg.
• Hellbrunn with its parks and castles
• Tour companies operate tours of locations used in the film The Sound of Music.
• Within the greater Salzburg area
• The Basilika Maria Plain on the Calvary Hill, a late Baroque church, on the northern edge of Salzburg.
• Salzburger Freilichtmuseum Großgmain, an open-air museum containing old farmhouses/farm buildings from all over the state assembled in historic setting.
• The Schloss Klessheim Palace (today a Casino) was formerly used by Adolf Hitler
• The Berghof, Hitler’s mountain retreat of which only the Eagle’s Nest remains, was in nearby Berchtesgaden
• The Salzkammergut is an area of lakes in the Salzburg state, east of the city and further on into the provinces of Upper Austria and Styria.
• The Untersberg mountain is next to the city, straddling the German-Austrian border, and on a clear day provides panoramic views of the city and the Alps.
• Skiing is an attraction during winter. Salzburg itself has no skiing facilities, but it acts as a gateway to skiing areas to the south. During the winter months its airport receives charter flights from around Europe.

For almost a century, Salzburg has hosted the world famous Salzburg Festival, with operas, concerts, and theater plays in different locations throughout the city. It was founded by Hugo von Hoffmansthal, Max Reinhardt and Richard Strauss in 1920. It takes place in July and August, the most famous piece is the “Jedermann” (”Everyman”) by Hugo v. Hoffmansthal, being conducted in front of the dome every year.

More recently, festivals also take place during Easter time (with mostly Baroque music), and in autumn (Jazz music). The annual Frequency festival (mainly Alternative Rock) with world famous acts takes place only a few kilometres from the center of Salzburg.

The city is serviced by comprehensive rail connections, with frequent east-west trains servicing Vienna, Munich, Innsbruck, and Zürich, including daily high-speed ICE services. The city also acts as a hub for south-bound trains through the Alps into Italy.

Salzburg Airport has scheduled flights to European cities such as Frankfurt, Vienna, London, Amsterdam and Zürich, as well as Hamburg, Dublin and Charleroi. In addition to these, there are numerous charter flights.

In the main city there is a trolleybus and bus system with more than 20 lines, and service every 10 minutes. Salzburg also has an S-Bahn system with four Lines (S1, S2, S3, S11), trains depart from the main station every 30 minutes. Suburb line number S1 reaches the world famous Silent Night chapel in Oberndorf in about 25 minutes.

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This links the town with the ski station and other areas, such as Kaprun.  The Zeller basin is a corridor between the Saalach and the Salzach. The lake is the 68 meters deep Zeller See (Lake Zeller), with the old town in the west, Thumersbach in the east, Erlberg in the Southeast and Schüttdorf in the south.

Zell am See is at the foot of some fine ski slopes. During the summer, the lake offers some activities too, in addition to mountain walks.

The original ZellerSee was further to the north and the south to the Salzach but has changed over time into marsh areas. The lake has the shape of a peanut, with an area of 4.7 square kilometers.

The “Hausberg” of Zell am See is the Schmittenhöhe, is a mountain in the greywacke zone (including Gross Pinzgauer mountains), which is mainly used for winter sports. The “Hundstein” at 2,117 meters is the highest peak of the Salzburg slate Alps. The mountains are mainly forested or agricultural fields.

St. Hippolyte’s Church, this church are the oldest known building remnants of the Pinzgau. The church is build in a mostly Romanesque style and consist of three naves. Before 1794 the central nave was crowned with a Gothic vault, but in that year it was replaced with another vault, which in turn was replaced by a flat wooden roof in 1898. Four steps lead up to the main altar, but the crypt has been filled in.

The narthex and aisles are still Gothic, but some of the other Gothic objects (like the neogothic altars by Josef Bachlehner) were added during the renovation in 1898, when also the baroque furnishings of preceding centuries were removed.

The highpoint of the church is its elevated walkway with its ornate parapet, build in 1514. The walkway rests on four carved columns of precious marble, in between which an intricate net-vault is spun. The three pointed arches are crowned with crockets, and end in pointed towers. Between the arches are Gothic baldachins with cut-out figures of St. Hippolyte and St. Florian, originating from 1520.

The tower is the main focus of the Zell am See skyline. It has a height of 36 meters. The strong walls have a limestone exterior. From 1660 until 1670, the main altar was replaced by a Baroque one, which was removed again in 1760. Almost none of the Baroque furnishings of the church remain apart from some adornments. Two Baroque statues ended up in the church of Prielau.

Next to the main altar are two statues dating from 1480: St. Rupert and St. Vigilius. The side altar contains an image of the Virgin Mary from the now non-existent Church of Maria Wald, which dates from 1540. The left nave has a small altar dedicated to St. Sebastian in its apsis.

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In Austria Villach is well-known for its carnival which is broadcast on public television throughout Austria. Villach is quite an old city with roots back in Roman times (when the city was called Santicum).The city was heavily bombed in World War II (due to its importance as a major traffic gateway) destroying many parts of the city.

The city is located west of the Klagenfurt Basin at the confluence of the Drau and the Gail Rivers. Nearby countries are Slovenia with a direct line to the border of 11 km (6.8 mi) and Italy with a distance of 14.5 km (9 mi) respectively. Slovenia could be accessed via the Karawanken Autobahn (A11) and the Karawanken Tunnel, Italy by the Süd Autobahn (A2).

The municipal area borders on or surrounds several lakes, including Lake Ossiach, Lake Faak, Silbersee, Vassacher See, Magdalensee, and St. Leonharder See. Villach is surrounded by mountains of the Alps which are used for skiing in winter and hiking in summer.

The following sections belong to Villach: Bogenfeld, Dobrova, Drautschen, Drobollach am Faaker See, Duel, Egg am Faaker See, Goritschach, Graschitz, Gratschach, Greuth, Gritschach, Großsattel, Großvassach, Heiligen Gestade, Heiligengeist, Kleinsattel, Kleinvassach, Kratschach, Kumitz, Landskron, Maria Gail, Mittewald ober dem Faaker See, Mittewald ob Villach, Neufellach, Neulandskron, Obere Fellach, Oberfederaun, Oberschütt, Oberwollanig, Pogöriach, Prossowitsch, Rennstein, Serai, St. Andrä, St. Georgen, St. Leonhard, St. Magdalen, St. Michael, St. Niklas an der Drau, St. Ruprecht, St. Ulrich, Tschinowitsch, Turdanitsch, Untere Fellach, Unterfederaun, Unterschütt, Unterwollanig, Urlaken, Villach-Auen, Villach-Innere Stadt, Villach-Lind, Villach-Seebach-Wasenboden, Villach-St. Agathen und Perau, Villach-St. Martin, Villach-Völkendorf, Villach-Warmbad-Judendorf, Weißenbach, Zauchen.

In 1905 a part of the municipal area St. Martin was incorporated. In 1973 the city area was further enlarged through the incorporation of Landskron, Maria Gail and Fellach.

Villach is a quite small town, so it is easy to get around on foot. Taxis can be found near the railway station and in the centre of the city near Hauptplatz. Federal buses go to the surrounding area from the local Busbahnhof (busterminal,located a few minutes away from the railway station). Local busline no.10 (operated by a company called Kowatsch) goes around the historic city centre. Getting around by car can be tiring since parking space is rare during weekdays and traffic jams at business hours are very common. During weekdays parking fees are charged in most areas around the center of the city.

Villacher Fahrzeugmuseum - has antiquities which are worth seeing. Museum der Stadt Villach - if you are interested in the history of the town go there. The museum has a nice expo on minerals, mining and all kinds of Villacher History. Nice to visit for some background info on the town of Villach. Time to visit approx. 1 hour. Widmanngasse 38.

Landskron Castle - the remains of the old fortress of Landskron are on the top of a hill, 676 m high. A great part of the castle was destroyed by a fire in the 19th century, but some parts are still there and a few halls can be visited. There is also a restaurant, and every Tuesday evening there is a special “medieval” dinner served by waiters dressed in period costumes. The view from the castle is wonderful. From here you can see Villach and the valley of the river Drau with its lakes, and the Slovenian Alps on the other side of the valley.

Falconry in Landskron Castle - A section of the castle is now the home of several birds of prey. They can be seen in their cages, but even better is to see them fly, which is possible two or three times a day, according to the season and to the weather. The demonstrations last about 40 minutes, and the explanation on the birds and their behavior is in German only, but even those who cannot understand a word can enjoy watching eagles, hawks, kites, and owls fly just above their heads.

The bell tower of St Jakob - The church of St Jakob (the parish church of Villach) has an impressive bell tower, 94 metres high. It is the tallest in Carinthia and its present appearance and height dates back to 1847. Visitors can climb the 239 steps to the top and enjoy the wonderful view.

Krimmler Waterfall - On the border of Kärnten and Tirol is the Krimmler Waterfall, the largest of Austria. A magnificent roundtrip is to first take the Gross-Glockner hochalpenstrasse (pass) that brings you as well along the highest mountain of the country. From here towards the Zillertal and over the Gerloss-pass to the waterfall. Then back to Kärnten. Thermen Resort - The heated pools of Villach. Here, there are slides, vortex pools, and hot tubs for you to enjoy. Or, you can relax on the chairs outside of the pool. There is a restaurant inside and a spa for a little extra cost. The regular entrance was 7.90 Euro and is good for 3 hours.

Museum of Doll Art - Collectors and doll lovers of dolls will be overwhelmed by this museum. They show porcellan, vinyl and wooden dolls made by famous artists. Some of these dolls are manufactured in the own studio. In the basement premises they exhibit all different kinds of craftswork like glass objects, pottery, flowers and certainly a great variety of special dolls. Vassacher Strasse 65. Villacher Alpenstrasse - This almost 20 km alpine road takes you up to Dobratsch mountain and ends on 1.732 m. Who wants to visit the top still has a bit of climbing to do! The top of Mount Dobratsch is at 2.167 m high.

Maibacherl - located in Warmbad near Villach. A hot spring, which only appears in springtime. The water is hot enough for bathing and is very popular with the locals. Entry is free. Buses and trains operate from the main station to Warmbad on a regular base. The hot springs were already known to the ancient Romans. Take bus No.1 from main station to Warmbad and get off in Warmbad. From there it’s only a 10min walk to the hot springs.

Hiking - Villach is surrounded by a number of mountains including the Dobratsch which offer many possibilities for hiking.  Cross-country skiing - Cross-country skiing is possible on Dobratsch and all major ski resorts around Villach. ice-skating - Ice-skating is possible on Faakersee,Ossiachersee and Vassacher See though this depends heavily on the weather in winter whether lakes are frozen or not.

Villacher Kirchtag - Every year (usually the first week in august) the city celebrates Villacher Kirchtag with a big amusement park. The city can get very crowded in this week with as many as 50.000 visitors, especially from italy. Jazz over Villach - a Jazz festival in the middle of July ocated on Gernottenhöhe in Judendorf.

Kanzianiberg is one of the best natural climbing walls in Austria. There are hundreds of colour-coded climbing routes at all levels, and on sunny days the vista is stunning. The maximum height difference is approx. 60 m. Kanzianiberg can be accessed by bus or bicycle (30 min from Villach) or car (15 min).

Alpe Adria Golf is one of the best 19 hole golf places in the area with stunning views from every hole. Located in Finkenstein, a merely 10 minute drive from Villach.

Faakersee is said to be the lake featuring the cleanest water (drink water quality) in Europe. Tranquille area without those disturbing motorboats. There are some free beaches, but the better ones have to be paid for (usually no more than 4 euro). All beaches are nicely laid out with large grass fields. Getting to the Faakersee in the village of Faak is about 10 minutes away from Villach

Tussles and vandalism among drunk people going out at weekend have been a problem on weekends in the centre of city. The city government reacted with rising the number of police controls, video surveillance in certain areas and assignment of private security services. Though the situation is getting better, be cautious especially on saturday night.

• Villach Hostels Directory

With an area of 11,980 km² and 1.3 million inhabitants, Upper Austria is the fourth largest Austrian state by land area and third largest by population. The first reference to Oberösterreich appeared in 1264, discussing a region above the Enns River partitioned by King Ottokar II of Bohemia. Formally, it was called “Österreich ob der Enns” (Austria above the river Enns).

In 1490, the area was given a measure of independence in the form of status as a principality, but this was taken away in 1564 at the hands of the Habsburgs. In 1918, the name Oberösterreich was first formally used.

When Austria was annexed by Adolf Hitler, Upper Austria became the Reichsgau of Oberdonau. After 1945, it reverted to its earlier name.

Like the rest of Austria, Upper Austria is predominantly Roman Catholic. Approximately 7.2% of the population is of foreign origin, 53% of which is from former Yugoslavia. Other minority groups include those of Greek and Turkish origin. As of the last census, which took place in 2006, the population of Upper Austria is 1,405,986. To the right are historical population figures of the state.

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Melk is a small riverside town (pop. ~5,000) on south bank of the Danube River in the Wachau Valley of Lower Austria. Melk marks the western terminus of the Wachau (86 km west of Vienna) and lies upstream (40 km west) from Krems.

The bluff which holds the current monastery held a Babenberger castle until the site was given to Benedictine monks from nearby Lambach by Margrave Leopold II in 1089. Melk received market rights in 1227 and became a municipality in 1898. In a very small area, Melk presents a great deal of architectural variety from many centuries.

Walking the small historic town center (of mainly 16th-17th century buildings) is easy; takes about 10 minutes to traverse it. The famous and huge 18th century Benetictine Abbey on top of a bluff forms a northern Baroque backdrop for the older town center and is accessed on its eastern side.

Melk is perhaps best known as the site of a massive baroque Benedictine monastery named Stift Melk. Just outside the city limits is a renaissance castle named Schallaburg.

The Forsthaus, which accommodates the city archives and the tourist information office, is the starting point of the tour. Beside the Forsthaus the Zaglauergasse meets with the Wiener Straße. The Zaglauergasse is restricted on one side by remnants of the ancient city wall. At this junction one could find the Wiener Tor until 1874. It has been, as well as the Linzer Tor on the other side of the city, one of the two entrances to Melk throughout the centuries.

After several metres, the Wiener Straße opens to the affectionately restored Rathausplatz, which got its name from the 1575 built Rathaus. The facade of the town hall was redesigned 150 years ago and the highly elaborate entrance door, made of wood and copper, is the town hall’s most outstanding feature.

To its left is the former Lebzelterhaus, which dates back to 1657 and which nowadays is a pharmacy. To the right is a secular building from the Middle Ages. The Kolomanbrunnen (market fountain), which is a gift from the abbey to the city, is in the centre of the Rathausplatz. On the top of the fountain the statue of St. Koloman can be seen.

The old bread store with its tiny towers is about 400 years old and still covered with the original shingle roof. Behind the old bread store extends the oldest lane in Melk, the Sterngasse, which used to be the main street of the town. The interesting wall paintings on the houses indicate what they used to be. Some other houses contain fascinating courtyards.

The hidden Haus am Stein (house at the rock) is the oldest building of Melk. It was built during the 15th century. Its facade is covered by a protected ancient vine. At the arm of the Danube river, parts of the former city walls and the Round Tower can be recognised. Following the Nibelungenlände and passing the Salzhof, the visitor reaches the Schiffsmeisterhaus with its high water level marks on the facade. The Danube reached 15.8 metres above the usual water level in 1501.

The Haus auf dem Stein (house on the rock) was built less than 50 years after this high water disaster. It was used as an atelier by the well-known Austrian painter Walter Prinzl. The counterpart of the Wiener Tor, the Linzer Tor, was located at the end of the Linzer Straße.

Both gates do not exist anymore, but historical illustrations can be found at the city archives. At the corner of the Stadtgraben (moat), there is the defense tower, where parts of it are still in original condition.

The Ancient Post Office is at the end of the moat, which was built in 1792. Its facade is decorated with a beautiful relief created at the end of the baroque period.

The Ancient Post Office is now used as an event- and convention centre. The church court is dominated by the Gothic Parish Church. Designed in the late gothic period and embedded in the northern facade, is the Kalvarienberggruppe, a significant sculpture. Before the main road connects to the Rathausplatz, a tablet commemorates the great Austrian composer Anton Bruckner.

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Kitzbuhel is one of Austria’s best known and fanciest winter sport resorts, situated between the mountains Hahnenkamm (5616 ft., 1712 m) and Kitzbühler Horn (6548 ft., 1996 m). The Hahnenkamm is home of the annual world cup ski races, including the circuit’s most important event, the downhill race on the famous Streif slope.

This downhill is counted as one of the hardest downhill competitions in the world cup. During summer time Kitzbühel also hosts an ATP tennis tournament on clay, the Austrian Open.

Kirchberg shares the same mountain and has become a major player in the area. Everything here is within easy walking distance.

Filled with a younger crowd, at-tracting families and more dedicated skiers, Kirchberg has some of the wildest après-ski in Austria and somewhat lower prices than its flashier neighbor.

The strongest contingent of tourists in Kirchberg comes from Holland, Britain and Germany. They know how to have a good time and can define the best of wild après-skiers.

If you are looking for that touch to a vacation, this is the place. Upvalley from Kirchberg the con-nection lift to Ski Welt provides connections to one of Austria’s largest interconneted areas.

In 2007 and 2008 ITU Triathlon World Cup races took place at the local Schwarzsee lake. The Kitzbüheler Alpenrallye is an annual festival of historic automobiles. It was first held in 1988.

The first trip of the United Buddy Bears was 2004 to Kitzbühel, following by the first trip into the “big wide world” - when they went to Hong Kong and many other metropolises on all five continents. A further sight is the 3S Aerial Tramway, the aerial tramway with the highest span in the world.

Highway B161, which connects St. Johann in Tirol with Mittersill, passes through Kitzbühel, intersecting here with highway B170 to Wörgl. Kitzbühel Hauptbahnhof, Kitzbühel Hahnenkamm, and Kitzbühel Schwarzsee are train stops at the Salzburg-Tiroler-Bahn.

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Located in the broad valley between high mountains, the Nordkette (Hafelekar, 2,334 m) in the north, Patscherkofel (2,246 m) and Serles (2,718 m) in the south, it is an internationally renowned winter sports centre, and hosted the 1964 and 1976 Winter Olympics. The word bruck comes from the German word Brücke meaning “bridge” which leads to “the bridge over the Inn”.

Innsbruck became the capital of Tyrol in 1429 and in the 15th century the city became a centre of European politics and culture as emperor Maximilian I moved the imperial court to Innsbruck in the 1490s. Many old buildings from the middle ages and modern times survived in the heart of Innsbrucks old town.

Tourism is the most important source of income for the city authority, largely because of Innsbruck’s beautiful town centre with its historic buildings, the friendly ambience and the extensive sport facilities both in winter and in summer.

Innsbruck has also hosted the Winter Olympics in 1964 and 1976 as well as the World University Games in 2005. In summer 2008 it will host several games of the EURO 2008 European Football Championship.

The city is well known for its sporting opportunities, especially alpine sports, as it is located in the Alps and surrounded by mountains. Several ski resorts are situated inside the city territory or within short distance. There are two universities and several colleges in Innsbruck, with over 25,000 students altogether, which makes the city’s nightlife very lively.

Due to its altitude and position in Central Europe, far from the coast, Innsbruck has an hemiboreal climate (Köppen classification : Dfb). Winter is cold - colder than those of most major European cities -, and snowy. Winter nights can get frigid, occasionally dropping to -12°C. Innsbruck’s fair distance from the coast and altitude lead to a continental climate.

Winters are cold and snowy; summers are generally warm, with highly variable weather. Hot and dry days, with temperatures hitting 30°C, are quite common; but can be followed by a cool and rainy spell, with temperatures only around 17°C in the day. Be warned, however, at any time, summer nights are cool and temperature often drop quickly after sunset, sometimes falling below 10°C in early morning.

Spring is brief; days start to get warm, often over 15°C, but nights remain cool or even freezing. Summer is highly variable and unpredictable. Days can be cool (17°C) and rainy, or sunny and extremely hot, sometimes hitting 34°C. In summer, as expected from an alpine climate, the diurnal temperature variation is often very high as nights always remain cool (12°C on average, but sometimes dipping as low as 6°C). The average annual temperature is 9°C.

The Innsbruck-Card offers free entrance to all of Innsbruck’s sights, free use of public transportation (including the TS line). It also includes a one-time ascent&descent to Nordkette, Patscherkofel and Axamer Lizum and free entrance to Swarovski Kristallwelten  in Wattens. The Innsbruck-Card is valid for 24/48/72 hours and can be purchased at Innsbruck Information (Burggraben 3), the TI in Hauptbahnhof, and several museums and tourist offices.

Tip: The Innsbruck card is pretty expensive, 23/28/33 euro for 1/2/3 day cards. And daily or weekly public transport cards are cheap - the “all inclusive” sales pitch is alluring to disoriented travelers, but make sure the discounts are worth the initial price. If you are not seeing these major entrance-fee sites, remember that you may buy more than one daily card at a time, as the 24 hours only starts once validated. Be sure to compare with the price of a weekly ticket too.

The bus line Sightseer (TS) connects the major sights in Innsbruck. However it there is always a cheaper public transport line going to the same destination, though it might take you more time. Innsbruck is located along the A12/A13 corridor, providing freeway access to Verona, Italy and Munich, Germany. The A12 and A13 converge near Innsbruck, at which point the A13 terminates.

Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof, the most important railway station of Innsbruck and Tyrol, is one of the most frequented railway stations in Austria. The Austrian east-west railway crosses the south-west route through the Brenner pass, connecting northern Italy and southern Germany.

Innsbruck Airport provides services including Frankfurt, London, and Vienna. The town’s metre gauge tram-network consists of two city-lines and two lines serving the surrounding area the Innsbrucker Mittelgebirgsbahn to Igls and the Stubaitalbahn into the Stubaital until Fulpmes. The network will be enlarged during the coming years to reach Hall in Tirol in the east and Völs in the west.

The trolleybus service will be abandoned as the tram network is enlarged. Numerous bus lines serve the inner city and transport to surrounding areas. At the end of 2007, the Hungerburgbahn a funicular service to the district of Hungerburg has been inaugurated.

• Innsbruck Hostels Directory

Graz is the second-largest city in Austria, with a population of about 285,000. Some 40,000 of this population is made up of students, as Graz is home to no less than six universities (four “standard” universities and two dedicated solely to applied sciences), and is associated with names as illustrious as Johannes Kepler, Erwin Schrödinger and Nikola Tesla.

The roots of Graz can be traced back to Roman times, when a small fort was built where the city centre is today; Slovenians later built a larger fortress in the same place. The Slovenian name of the castle is Gradec, which means castle; the name Graz is derived from this.

Graz was first mentioned with its German name in 1128 when the dukes of Babenberg turned the place into a commercial centre. During 15th century Graz became the capital of inner Austria (refering to Styria, Carinthia and Carniola) under the Habsburgs. As stated above, Graz has a rich history in education manifested by the number of universities in the city. The first university was founded in 1585 (Karl-Franzens-Universität). Due to its importance as a strategic position, Graz was often assaulted by Ottoman Turks in the 16th century.

The fortress located on the Schlossberg (the picture to the right shows the clock tower, which is located on top of the hill) never fell to the Turks (the only place in this region). During WWII Graz was part of Nazi Germany (along with rest of Austria). At the end of the war Graz was surrendered to Soviet troops largely intact; the historic old town was not seriously hit during Allied bombing raids on the city. In 2003 Graz was the Cultural Capital of Europe.

Graz is also known for the Magna Steyr (formerly called Steyr-Daimler-Puch) automobile and truck manufacturing plant located there. It is also the birthplace (in nearby Thal) of actor and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Its UPC-Arena was renamed in Schwarzenegger’s honor in 1997, but was renamed again in 2005 following controversy over the governor’s support of California’s death penalty. Phone: The local area code is (0)316. The country code for Austria is +43.

The city is situated on the Mur river, in the south east of Austria. It is approximately 200 km southwest of Vienna or 2.5 hours by train / 2 hours by car. The nearest larger urban center is Maribor in Slovenia which is about 50 km away. Graz is the capital and largest city in Styria, a green and heavily forested area.

Due to its position south east of the Alps, Graz is shielded from the prevailing westerly winds that bring weather fronts in from the North Atlantic to north western and central Europe. Due to this factor the weather in Graz is Mediterranean influenced. Graz therefore has more hours of sunshine per year than Vienna or Salzburg and also less wind or rain. Graz lies in a basin that only opens to the south, causing the climate to be warmer than would be expected at that latitude.

Plants are found in Graz that normally grow much further south. However, this milder, less windy climate is detrimental to the air quality in Graz as it makes the city prone to smog in winter. The exhaust fumes of the around 120,000 cars driven into Graz every weekday by people living in the surrounding areas, together with the car journeys made by the inhabitants of Graz itself, are the most significant source of air pollution.

In the last few years some groundbreakingly modern new public buildings have been erected in the city. The most famous of these include the Kunsthaus (house of modern art) designed by Peter Cook and Colin Fournier, a museum constructed right next to the river Mur, and the “Murinsel” (island in the Mur), an island made of steel, situated in the river. It was designed by the American architect Vito Acconci and contains a café, an open-air theatre and a playground.

The old town of Graz is easily explored on foot, and is reachable with a 20 minute walk from the main train station. Stop at the Tourist Information at the train station, or any hotel lobby that you come across, to pick up a brochure on attractions in Graz. This brochure also contains a map with most of the sights marked, as well as recommended self-guided walking routes through the town.

For other needs, public transportation options exist: Tram - Graz has an excellent tram service running through the Jakominiplatz where the different routes meet and you can change trams and buy tickets at the tobacco kiosk (Tabak). Make sure you punch your ticket inside the tram (If you get caught without a valid/punched ticket you will have to pay a fine of 60 Euros). You can buy hourly, daily, weekly or monthly tickets (also available at the driver). They are valid on all modes of public transport throughout Zone 101 (Graz plus immideate surroundings including the airport!) Bus - Graz also has an excellent city bus network taking in the parts of Graz not serviced by trams. Many buses go through Jakominiplatz, Hauptbahnhof and Geidorfplatz. The tickets are the same as for the tram. Be sure to get yourself a map (at Jakominiplatz) of the network if you plan to use it frequently.

Bike - Graz has an excellent network of cyclepaths. Due to this and the relative small size of the city, using a bike to get around, at least the central areas of Graz, is one of the best choices. It also helps that it does not rain a lot in Graz… Bikes may be rented, although if you are staying a bit longer buying a used one (and maybe reselling it) from one of the many bike stores may be cheaper. Bike theft is a common problem in Graz, so take care that your bike is properly locked when you are not using it. Also, if you are inexperienced bicycling around trams, take extra caution (especially noting that getting your wheel stuck in a tram rail could knock you down — with trams potentially coming right behind and beside you!)

Taxi - Taxis are available 24h a day. You can hail one on the street, go to a taxi- rank or simply order one by phone. The taxi ranks with the best chances of getting a taxi day or night are “Hauptplatz” (Right side of City Hall) or “Hauptbahnhof”. There is a base rate of approx. €4 for all rides. Avoid taxis in the early morning and early evening when traffic congestion can make a taxi ride very expensive.

Car - If you can avoid it, just avoid it. Graz has areas with an inscrutable one-way system which makes it easy to get lost. Parking space in central areas are rare and subject to a fee from Monday to Friday (9.00am to 8.00pm, in front of Hauptbahnhof to 9pm) and on Saturday from 9am to 1pm. Tickets can be bought from ticket machines placed in every street. A ticket for half an hour costs €0,60 (”blue zones”, “green zones” are a bit cheaper). The maximum parking duration is three hours.

The old town was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999 due to the harmonious co-existence of typical buildings from different epochs and in different architectural styles. Being situated in a cultural borderland between Central Europe, Italy and the Balkan States, Graz absorbed various influences from the neighbouring regions and thus received its exceptional townscape. Today the old town consists of over 1000 buildings, their age ranging from Gothic to Contemporary. The most important sights in the old town are:

Schloßberg, hill dominating the old town (475 m high), site of demolished fortress, with views over Graz. Uhrturm clocktower, symbol of Graz, on the top of Schloßberg. Neue Gallerie . Museum of art. Schloßbergbahn, a funicular railway up the Schloßberg. The Landhaus, the building where the federal state parliament of Styria resides, a palace in Lombardic style. It belongs to the most important examples of Renaissance architecture in Austria and was built by the Italian architect Domenico dell’Allio between 1557 and 1565.

The Landeszeughaus, armoury, the largest of its kind in the world. The Schauspielhaus is the principal theatre. Dom (cathedral), a rare monument of Gothic architecture. Once, there had been many frescos on the outer walls, today, there are only few remains, like the Landplagenbild (”picture of plagues”) painted in 1485, presumably by Thomas von Villach. The three plagues it depicts are locusts, pestilence and the invasion of the Turks, all of them striking the town in 1480. It features the oldest painted view of Graz.

Mausoleum of Emperor Ferdinand II next to the cathedral, the most important building of Mannerism in Graz. It includes both the grave, where Ferdinand II and his wife are buried, and a church dedicated to St Catherine of Alexandria. Rathaus (Town Hall). Burg (castle complex), with Gothic double staircase, built between 1438 and 1453 by Emperor Frederick III because the old castle on the Schloßberg was too small and uncomfortable. The Burg remained the residence of the Inner Austrian Court until 1619. Today, it serves as residence of the government of Styria.

Gemaltes Haus (”painted house”), in Herrengasse 3. It is completely covered with frescos (painted in 1742 by Johann Mayer). Kunsthaus (museum of modern art). Murinsel, an artificial island in the Mur. Buildings, courtyards (e. g. Early Renaissance courtyard of the Former House of Teutonic Knights in Sporgasse 22) and roofscape of the old town.

Walk or climb up the Schloßberg and have a meal in the open-air at the top whilst admiring the views. The easiest way is to walk up the Sporgasse from the Hauptplatz to the “Karmeliterplatz” where you walk under a archway on the left where a road meaders up the gentler eastern side of the Schloßberg. From the west and north you have a choice of zig-zag paths or to climb the steps from “Schlossbergplatz”. There is also a lift going up at Schlossbergplatz. You also might see some of the tame red squirrels (Eichkätzchen) at the top. Use the Schloßbergbahn, a cable car, which can be found at the Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Kai, to go up or down if you don’t feel like walking.

Take the number 1 tram to the terminus at the bottom of the Plabutsch, a hill on the western edge of Graz, and take a stroll up it. Perhaps I should say climb, because it’s quite strenuous, and you really need walking boots and perhaps a map. Take Bus number 40 to the terminus and walk up (very steep) to the ruins of “Gösting” castle and enjoy the view over the city. Swimming. Normally after May, the water in the outdoor swimming pools very quickly warms-up enough to enjoy swimming.

Due to its importance as a university city, Graz has a vibrant night life. Bars are concentrated around the old town as well as the Karl-Franzens-University to the west of the old town. The old town has a mixed audience while the bars around university are mostly attended by students. In the old town you’ll also find a few Irish pubs. Whereas the most Irish of them is O’Carolan’s right next to the main square (Hauptplatz) others include Flann O’Briens and Molly Malone’s. The Office is a very laidback and unique new addition to the Irish/British pub scene in Graz. The Office features regular live music and jam sessions, as well as the odd bit of Karaoke, and darts (steel - you know, the real ones from England) every Sunday.

There are currently 228 buildings in Graz that are classified as highrise buildings. In Graz a building is classified as being highrise if the floor of at least one room is 22 metres above ground level. Buildings that are classified as highrise have to adhere to much more stringent fire safety regulations because the ladders of the majority of fire appliances used by Graz Fire Brigade cannot reach higher than 22 metres.

In Graz there are a some new high rise buildings in the pipeline, the only one that currently (July 2007) is looking certain to be build is a 15 storey officeblock opposite the “Stadthalle” on the southern edge of the city centre. The construction of this officeblock is to commence in June 2008.

An extensive public transportation network makes Graz an easy city to navigate without a car. The city has a comprehensive bus network, complementing a tram network consisting of six lines, two of which run from the main train station (Hauptbahnhof) to the old town before branching out. Furthermore, there are seven night-time bus routes, although these operate only at weekends and on evenings preceding public holidays.

From the main train station (Hauptbahnhof), regional trains link to most of Styria. Direct trains also run to most major cities nearby including Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Maribor and Ljubljana in Slovenia, Zagreb in Croatia, Prague in the Czech Republic, Budapest in Hungary and Zurich in Switzerland. Trains for Vienna leave every hour. Graz Airport is about 10 kilometres south of the city centre and has a railway station within walking distance (east of the airport).

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The town is popular for winter sports, summer hiking, and its healing water treatments. During the past few years, Bad Gastein renovated its “Felsentherme” and Congress Center. In December, Bad Gastein also hosts the snowboard WM and boardercross. Most of the Gastein Valley contains moderate to good skiing/snowboarding, with plenty of chairlifts and gondolas. Many establishments on the slope offer warmth, food, and strong drink.

The local Heilstollen (literally ‘healing tunnel’) thermal spring water earned the town its early fame. Theophratus Parcelsus (1493-1541) studied the spring water to discover its secrets. Marie Curie (1867-1934) and Heinrich Mache (1876-1954) helped to discover that it contained radon and as a result radon therapy began in the town.

Radon inhalation therapy at Gasteiner-Heilstollen began as a result of further investigation into the anecdotal experiences of silver miners who noticed improvements in symptoms from various ailments including arthritis. Ankylosing spondylitis (also known as Bechterew’s disease), in particular, has seen positive results from treatment at the Heilstollen.

However, there is very little empirical evidence of any benefit to inhaling radon. For example, one of the few studies to test the efficacy of spa treatments for Ankylosing spondylitis found no statistically significant difference between a group that spent three weeks at Bad Gastein and a group that spent three weeks at a different spa without radon inhalation therapy.

Bad Gastein good transport links with connections to other parts of Austria via road, rail and identifiable cycle routes. It is a stop along a major railroad line connecting many Austrian cities along a single circuit; the cities include Vienna, Linz, Salzburg, and Graz. Because it is on a main railway thoroughfare, it is easily accessible by the frequent Eurocity and Intercity trains going along this route.

A road also passes right through the Gastein Valley. Through traffic is simple from the northern entrance to the Valley toward the Dorfgastein side of the Valley. However, going south toward Mallnitz requires rolling your car onto a train for a short trip through the train tunnel.

The small city of Bad Gastein once was a famous resort, visited by Kings and the rich and famous. Some of the persons who frequented Bad Gastein in the past are the Austrian Empress Elisabeth (Sissi) and German Emperor Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia Wilhelm. From the sixties of the 20th century on the resort lost some its former notoriety.

In the midst of the Hohe Tauern National Park, Bad Gastein basks in fresh mountain air and a fog-free setting at 1,000 metres above sea level.  Its very characteristic appearance, with beautiful buildings dating back to the “Belle Époque”, blends harmoniously into its natural surroundings. 

This is a spa town of world renown with a very special flair: relaxation and recreation in pure mountain air, combined with an ideal high-altitude climate and Gastein’s thermal waters, guarantee you a vacation that is certain to exceed your highest expectations!

In Bad Gastein, you will find an optimal array of opportunities for a holiday together with family or friends, even if your interests happen to vary greatly. With a sensational selection of recreational and activity programmes, this particular holiday spot is lengths ahead of the field.  Sports and recreational activities supplement the spa and wellness amenities at the world-famous springs and Healing Galleries of the Felsentherme.

Bad Gastein has vibrant pagan traditions that have been slightly assimilated into Roman Catholic tradition. For more information see Paganism in the Eastern Alps. One example is the Krampus, now one of the Companions of Saint Nicholas.

The Krampus is an elemental, horned and demonic character, playfully re-enacted by bands of male revelers during December and also once every four years during a Perchten event or Perchtenlauf. The Perchtenlauf happens every four years at Bad Gastein.

Always-reliable snow conditions, attractive ski runs, cross-country trails featuring all levels of difficulty and much more, are what make Gastein’s winter paradise so exceptional. And when the Gastein Valley is transformed into a summertime paradise, you will discover glorious hiking paths, attractive running and Nordic Walking trails, cycling and mountain-bike tours and more, both in and around the Hohe Tauern National Park.

Also when it comes to Bad Gastein’s hotels and lodging establishments, it is fair to say they promise you a right-royal experience!  Whether at a simple bed-and-breakfast or a top hotel, Bad Gastein’s hosts will pamper you with heartfelt hospitality and all the skills at their disposal.

• Bad Gastein Hostels Directory