Austria, one of Europe's most popular holiday destinations, attracts tourists all year round. Visitors are drawn to the scenic beauty of this Alpine Republic, as the country is home to many stunning cities such as Vienna, the historic capital, and beautiful Salzburg, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. One of the smallest countries in Europe, Austria is predominantly a country of mountainous regions, high in the mountains in the eastern Alps, occupying 60% of the territory. The Danube River (350 kilometers) flows from west to east through the northern part of the country, adding to the attractiveness of tourists visiting the country.
1. Vienna - let's start with the capital
As the capital of Austria, Vienna is perhaps the city most associated with Austrian life, but that doesn't make it any less beautiful. Vienna is packed with street theatre, ballet, opera, musicals, art galleries and shows, making the city dynamic and lively. There are many classic places and wonderful tourist attractions in Vienna from ancient buildings, museums, churches and palaces of high cultural value.
Sights of Vienna
Here are the best tourist attractions in Vienna that you should definitely visit:
- St. Stephen's Cathedral - This Gothic church is located in the center of Vienna.
- Ringstrasse is a road that was built in 1857 at the direction of Emperor Franz Joseph. Shaped like a horseshoe, the Ringstrasse encircles the city center with 4 rows of white flowering chestnut trees and ends at the Danube Canal.
- Kärntnerstrasse is a shopping center and attractions stretching from the city square in front of the Stephansplatz cathedral, connected to the Ringstrasse, near the Vienna State Opera.
- The Hofburg is the imperial palace located behind Heroes' Square. It is a complex of buildings that includes state apartments, the building of the Federal Chancellor of Austria, the riding school hall and the National Library (ONB, National Library of Austria).
Also in Vienna you can see the Augarten Palace, the Palace of Justice, the town hall or city hall, the Belvedere Palace - the palace of Prince Eugene of Savoy (1663-1736), Baroque style. Schönbrunn Palace is located in the hills of southwestern Vienna in the Rococo style. In 1996, the palace was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The fusion of fast-paced modern life and tranquil historic architecture makes Vienna a truly spectacular city.
2. Hallstatt for photographers
Hallstatt is Austria's oldest and perhaps most photographed city, something of a mirage reflected in the serene waters of Lake Salzkammergut. The best way to experience the grandeur of this famous town is to take a ferry across the lake.
Don't forget to take your camera with you and photograph the area near the market square, one of the most photographed spots in the world. Capture the amazing houses built into the mountain, the glass-like lake and the amazing mountains in the background.
For more beautiful pictures, you can take a walk along the Echerntal trail and discover landscapes that attract climbers, explorers, romantic poets and painters. And don't forget to visit the ice and salt caves, which are truly spectacular.
3. Salzburg - for music lovers
Salzburg is definitely a place for music lovers. Mozart's birthplace is a city in central Austria, near the German (Bavarian) border with a population of about 150,000 people.
The "Old Town", with its famous Baroque architecture, is one of the best preserved urban centers in the German-speaking world and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. The city has many attractions, be sure to visit them all. Hellbrunn Castle - many clever fountains and picturesque gardens. The Hohensalzburg Fortress is located on the top of a mountain, offering breathtaking views of Salzburg and the Alps. The house where Mozart was born. The various shops in the area are quite old and impressive. Mirabell Castle is a beautiful castle with a garden. Salzburg House (Salzburg Cathedral) is a museum where you can see objects found during excavations of a Roman villa and the foundations of the Western Tower of the Romanesque cathedral. Salzburg Museum, Toy Museum, Natural History Museum, Salzburg Museum of Modern Art and much, much more.
4. Innsbruck - see the Olympic Village
The scenery around the Olympic city of Innsbruck is breathtaking and almost everywhere you look you will see distant snow-capped mountains and true Alpine scenery. However, as you stroll through the medieval Old Town (Altstadt) of Innsbruck, the mountains begin to disappear from view and your eyes are drawn to the architecture and storefronts, especially along streets such as Herzog Friedrich Strasse. Here you will see the university Botanical Garden, the tower city of the Stadtturm, the OlympiaWorld complex and its Tivoli Neu Stadium. The Cathedral of St. James, the 14th-century Town Hall, is located near the University of Innsbruck. Bergisel Tower, Alpenvereins Museum and Galerie Augustin. Just a few minutes south is the resort of Aldrans. Ischgl is another nearby resort and is known as the "Top of the Mountain" for rock concerts and skiing.
5. Alpbach - rural life in Austria
Alpbach has been voted the most beautiful village in Austria, and it's not hard to see why. Sweet Village is located between majestic snow-capped mountains and provides access to a perfect ski slope, maintaining a strong alpine tradition. Alpbach is full of picturesque Tyrolean wooden houses, agricultural fields and local traditional crafts.
6. Grossglockner - the highest mountain in Austria
Grossglockner is without a doubt one of Austria's most impressive natural attractions. It is not only the highest mountain in Austria, but also one of the highest peaks in the Alps. The height of the mountain is 3798 m. It is located on the border between East Tyrol and Carinthia. This mountain, like Elbrus, has two peaks, one of them, actually, is Großglockner, and the second is Kleinglockner (slightly lower: 3770 m). Between the peaks there is a mountain pass of the same name. At the foot of the mountain is the largest glacier in this country - Pasterze. Once you have your eye on this giant, you will be desperate to climb it. Luckily, that's what the Grossglockner High Road is for.
By the way, there are as many as 36 turns in the serpentine road of this road, and in order to get to the extreme point, you will need to drive 48 km. This winding road takes you straight to the Kaiser-Franz Josef Hee camp, from where you can walk to the glacier, or take a guided tour with one of the park rangers. Don't let this opportunity pass you by - it's truly something spectacular. The view alone is worth it:
How to get there: The beginning of the road to the mountain of the same name is in the municipality of Fusch an der Großglocknerstrasse, and the end is in Heiligenblut - the height there is only 1301 meters, but on the way you will have to drive through the Hochtor pass, the height of which is already 2504 m. Please note: travel There is a toll on this road. Panoramic view of the Grossglockner road:
7. Mostviertel with gorgeous natural landscapes
Mostviertel is the most exciting region in Lower Austria. The area combines green meadows in the north with lacy snow mountain peaks in the south. This combination of landscapes contributes directly to giving the area endless charm. Among the attractions you will find here the Ötscher cave, where it is always night. The Kirchstetten church, which was built around 1100 BC. and located in the old center of Kirchstetten on a hill, is also worth your attention.
You can go to the pinball museum, where there are hundreds of machines in the collection. And of course, visit Goldeg Castle, located on the southeast side of the Dunkelsteinforest (dark stone forest).
8. The most beautiful castle in Austria - Hochosterwitz
Many consider Hochosterwitz to be the most impressive medieval castle in Austria. The castle stands proudly on a dolomite mountain peak 160 meters high, making it look like a fairy tale. Between Easter and the end of October each year, visitors can visit parts of the castle, walking along a 620-metre path through 14 spectacular fortified gates before reaching the stunning castle façade.
9. Krems an der Donau – tasting Austrian wines
Krems an der Donau (Krems an der Donau) is a postcard-looking coastal town in Lower Austria along the Wachau Valley. It is famous both for its wine production and for its beautiful historical center (which has earned it UNESCO heritage site status).
10. One of the most picturesque lakes - Faker See
Faakersee is a high-altitude lake in Austria, in the federal state of Carinthia. The fifth largest - one of the most beautiful - is famous for its clean, clear azure water. Popular with locals and tourists, here you can swim, fish, go boating or just relax and enjoy the beautiful Austrian scenery.
And in the traditional video, we will walk around Vienna and fly a little over the city to inspiring music:
How to get there
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Where to stay
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Insurance
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The Alps are one of the most famous mountain systems in the world, which since ancient times has been chosen by tourists, professional climbers and lovers of skiing on the mountain slopes of the prestigious Courchevel, Lech, Tyrol and other famous Alpine resorts.
As for the main pearl of this mountain range, it is considered the highest mountain in Austria - Großglockner. It is noteworthy that the name of the highest mountain in Austria is literally translated from German as “big bell ringer” and this amazing fact allows us to draw certain conclusions about the appearance and greatness of the stone beauty with its snow-white peaks. And when answering the question of what is the highest mountain in Austria, it wouldn’t hurt to give an exact figure that will help you at least mentally imagine the full scale of Großglockner. Thus, the highest point of the Alps is located at an altitude of 3798 meters above sea level, which allows it to be included in the top ranking of the world's giant mountains. At the same time, few people know that this mountain has a second peak, which is located slightly lower (3770 meters above sea level). The name of this peak, which sounds like Kleinglockner, is also quite eloquent, because translated from German it means “little bell ringer,” that is, we are talking about a kind of younger brother of Großglockner.
As for the location of the two “ringers,” it falls on the border of such entities as the exclave of South Tyrol, which does not border with North Tyrol and does not belong to Austria itself, and the federal Austrian state called Carinthia. Surprisingly, at the foot of this giant mountain there is another attraction - the largest glacier in the entire territory of Austria, Pasterze, whose length reaches as much as 9 kilometers. It is noteworthy that starting from the year 56 of the Nineteenth Century, this glacier began to melt, but the natural decline of its meltwater began to be recorded only after 24 years (1880). A little later, scientists found a logical explanation for this phenomenon, citing long-term climate changes, low rainfall and extremely warm summer seasons that can be observed in the Alps over the past decades. Thus, the peak of ice melting occurred in 2003 and it is possible that in the future the foot of the largest Alpine mountain will radically change its landscape.
Naturally, with the development of mountaineering, Mount Großglockner haunted many ambitious daredevils who dreamed of conquering the Alps. However, humanity succeeded in this difficult task only on July 28, 1800, when a German expedition of five people, led by Martin Reicher and Matthias Hautzendorfer, climbed to the top of the impregnable beauty. It is noteworthy that at that time the peak was not the property of the state (then it was imperial Austria-Hungary) and it was a matter of private property, for the conquest of which the leader of the expedition had to take permission from the owner of the “big and small bell ringers.” And only in 1918 the mountain became the property of the state of Austria, which was formed as a result of the collapse of the dual monarchy, continuing to remain in this status to this day (today Grossglockner is officially part of the Austrian Alpine Community).
The attractions of the described peak do not end there, because the famous high-mountain road of the same name leads to it, which is considered panoramic due to the most picturesque landscapes that open to the eyes of everyone who decides to drive along it. And despite the fact that the length of this road is only 48 kilometers, it connects the above-mentioned Carinthia with the Austrian Salzburg, including as many as 36 sharp turns and ultimately forming a real serpentine road. The height of this high-mountain route at its maximum point reaches as much as 2 kilometers 504 meters above sea level, therefore, since January 2016, this attraction has been nominated as a candidate for inclusion in the world-famous UNESCO list. Today, you can only drive along a panoramic high-mountain road by paying for this pleasure at a set rate, depending on the type of vehicle and time of day. For example, an ordinary car must pay 35.5 euros for entry before six o'clock in the evening and 24 euros after six o'clock. Returning back on the same day is free, while travel the next day is subject to the same tariff. However, the track is not open 24 hours a day and the longest duration of its operation falls in the summer, starting at 5 am and ending at 21.30 without taking into account the restrictive 45-minute tolerances before closing.
As for the history of the construction of this picturesque highway, its initial plan, presented to the general public by Austrian designers in 1925, aroused only skepticism, for which there is a rather simple explanation - too few cars in the country at that time. As a result, the construction of a six-meter strip started only on August 30, 1930, and the main goal pursued by the state at that time, having agreed to implement the project, was to provide jobs for 3,200 unemployed people, because at that time Austria was experiencing a severe crisis amid the fall of stock exchanges in New York. York. As a result, the high-mountain road fully justified itself, because after construction was completed it attracted 3 times more motorists than originally expected.
Constantly growing demand led to the fact that the road underwent a phased modernization, as a result of which its road surface was expanded to seven and a half meters, and the annual vehicle capacity increased to 350 thousand cars.
The highest mountain in Austria - Grossglockner, reaches a height of 3,798 meters, and at the foot of the peak is the largest glacier in Austria - Pasterze. This region is known throughout the world thanks to two local attractions. First of all, the huge Hohe Tauern National Park and the high-altitude road named after Mount Großglockner, which will be discussed further. The total length of the Grossglockner high mountain road is almost 48 km and is a picturesque serpentine of 36 sharp turns. Conceived in the thirties of the last century as a gravel road 3 meters wide, 80 years later the modern high-altitude road has become the pride of Austria and connects the lands of Salzburg and Carinthia. The end points of the road are the municipalities of Fusch an der Großglocknerstrasse and Heiligenblut.
There is a toll on the road and it costs 18 euros for cars. Return travel on the same day is free. However, the operating hours of the Großglockner Highland Road from 1 May to 15 June are from 6:00 to 20:00; from June 16 to September 15 - from 5:00 to 21:30; from September 16 to October 31 - from 6:00 to 19:30; from November 1 to April 30, the road is closed to traffic, which is explained by the winter season. If you are driving along this road, please remember that entry to the road is allowed 45 minutes before closing. Afterwards the road is open only for exits.
Grossglockner– the highest mountain in Austria, 3798 meters. The peak is located on the border of federal lands Carinthia And Salzburg in Europe's largest national park Hohe Tauern (Hohe Tauern).
Panoramic high mountain road Großglockner
– one of the most beautiful roads in Europe, if you are in Austria by car, be sure to take a ride. It is 48 kilometers long and features 36 breathtaking turns.
The largest glacier in Austria is Pasterze.
The largest glacier in Austria is also located here - Pasterze. The size of the glacier is more than 9 kilometers; the process of melting began back in the 19th century, and unfortunately, it is intensifying. Until 1918, Mount Grossglockner was privately owned..! It is now owned by the Alpine Mountaineering Society.
One of the most beautiful villages in Austria
There is a very picturesque village right there on the Carinthian side Heiligenblut(Heiligenblut) from here the high-mountain panoramic road begins. In general, Grossglockner has a high concentration of the very best.
Climbing Großglockner
There are two versions of the origin of the name Grossglockner mountain. The first, Große Glocke, is a large bell, and indeed, the outline of the mountain resembles a bell. The second version comes from the old local dialect in which glockner sounds like klocken, which means “to make noise, to rumble,” and when a huge boulder breaks off on the mountain and rolls down with a roar, the roar is substantial.
The first ascent to the Grossglockner peak was made in 1800 by Martin Reichr, today it is one of the popular high-altitude routes in the Alps.
The mountainous part of Austria is amazingly beautiful. It is distinguished by the abundance of pure fresh waters, concentrated not only in glaciers and rivers, but also in numerous azure alpine lakes.
You can learn about this fabulously beautiful country, what mountains are located in Austria, and what makes them remarkable by reading this article.
There are many amazing places in Austria, stunning with their unimaginable beauty. This is especially true for its numerous mountains. Below will be presented the most remarkable of the peaks, attracting the attention of a huge number of tourists and travelers from all over the world.
A little about Austria
Before we find out the name of the mountains in Austria, let’s find out their features and consider information about the general geographical position of this state.
Austria is located in Central Europe. Its area is 83,859 square meters. km, including natural reservoirs occupying about 1,120 sq. km., and mountains - almost 70% of the total territory. 
Austria borders Switzerland and Liechtenstein in the western part; in the north with Germany and the Czech Republic; in the east with Hungary and Slovakia; in the south with Italy and Slovenia. The total length of the borders is 2,563 kilometers.
The magnificent natural landscapes of Austria enchant tourists and travelers. And mountains play an important role in this, among which is the highest mountain in Austria called Großglockner (its height is 3,798 meters above sea level).
Mountains of Austria: general information
The map, made on the basis of satellite images, shows that 1/4 of the state’s territory is occupied by folded-block young ridges of the Eastern Alps, united into sublatitudinal chains. The axial mountain zone with mountain-glacial relief rises in the west to a height of 3500 meters (Grossglockner - 3798 m), and in the east a little lower - up to 2400 meters. The snow cover boundary is located on average at an altitude of up to 2800 meters. 
Some peaks in Austria have glaciers (for example, Pasterze, which is a total of 9 km long). The southern and northern axial chains of the Eastern Alps are surrounded by lower ridges, which are distinguished by their steep slopes, dissection and strong development of karsts. In the north, along the periphery of the Alps, flysch lowlands predominate.
Within Austria, the Eastern Alps are characterized mainly by large valleys (the rivers Enns, Salzch, Inn, etc.), and the eastern foothills are represented by basins (Klagenfurt, Graz, etc.).
In the eastern part of the state's territory there is the hilly Styrian-Burgenland Plain (part of the Middle Danube), descending to the Vienna Basin. In the northern and eastern parts there are hilly lowlands of Waldviertel, Mürviertel, Weinviertel, etc. Between them and the Eastern Alps there is a flat strip with tiers of terraces of the Danube River.
Pass and mountain Gerlospass
The mountains of Austria are absolutely all magnificent, but one of the main attractions of Salzburg is the Gerlospass. From the height of a huge mountain (1500 meters) a magnificent view of the city’s national park opens.
This is a great place to relax. Here you can also visit a small cozy restaurant. Moreover, you can stay in it right in the open air, combining a meal with an overview of the picturesque Austrian landscapes. You can also use the cable car, built in 2010.
Cycling around the area is especially popular among local residents in these areas. After all, a walk along the mountain is a great benefit from the amazingly clean air and a kind of training (endurance test).
Mount Kapuzinerberg
The mountains of Austria contain many interesting historical facts. This peak is no exception. It rises 640 meters above sea level and is located on the eastern bank of the river. Salzach. Opposite the mountain is the Salzburg Museum. 
In addition, on the top of the hill there is a Catholic monastery of the Capuchin Order, built in the 16th-17th centuries by order of Wolf Dietrich von Reitenau (bishop). It is still in effect today.
Only the monastery church is open to tourists, where services are regularly held. It is noteworthy that the monks left the monastery only in 1938 on the orders of A. Hitler, who wanted to build a stadium on this site, but his plans did not come true. Since 1945, life in the monastery flowed as usual.
On the Kapuzinerberg hill there are other equally interesting historical sites: a dilapidated fortress wall (now there is a restaurant); the house where Stefan Zweig lived in the 30s, etc.
Mount Mönchsberg
Mönchsberg, like other mountains in Austria, has a small height - 540 meters. This is one of the 5 peaks located in Salzburg. It separates the modern part of the city from the old (the left bank of the Salzach River). 
The mountain on one side is covered with forest, on the other it hangs its rocky side over the road itself. This is one of the most popular places for walks among city residents, especially since it is quite accessible for anyone to climb (there is an elevator). It offers a stunning panorama of the city. It should be noted that the tunnel, made in the rock back in 1767, is one of the oldest in Europe.
And on Mönchsberg there are several interesting buildings: the small Johannesschloss castle (part of a 14th-century monastery); small castle Marketenderschloss (in the Middle Ages there were barracks, now a training center); Schloss Menchstein (formerly a building of the University of Salzburg, now a hotel); Museum of Contemporary Art (in operation since 2004). Thanks not only to its natural beauty, but also to similar historical attractions, Austria attracts attention.
Mount Großglockner
The highest mountain in Austria is Großglockner, a mountain rising to 3798 meters above sea level. sea and located between Tyrol and Carinthia. At its foot lies the largest glacier, the Pasterze Glacier, which is 9 kilometers long. 
The no less remarkable panoramic road Großglockner Hochalpenstrasse leads to this amazingly beautiful place. It was opened in 1935. Since then, the highest mountain in Austria is accessible to many tourists who want to visit it.
The history of its construction is also interesting.
The economic crisis after World War I and the increase in national conflicts led to the destruction of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Austria at that time lost the Czech Republic, Hungary, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, etc. The result was inflation, loss of international markets, and a drop in production by a quarter.
It was then that a high-mountain road was designed, which was supposed to provide work to the numerous unemployed and provide state income from tolls on it.
A little about vegetation
Austria, the mountains, the Alps are inseparable. The Alps are considered a forested region.
The result of the peculiar natural conditions and quite profound changes in these conditions under human influence is today the surprisingly variegated vegetation of these places. Especially the lower zone (up to about 1000 meters) is quite diverse both in flora and in its climate. The conditions of this part of the Alps are close to those of the neighboring plains. The southern part is influenced by the Mediterranean, and therefore subtropical types of vegetation are found here.
The western part includes oak, beech and chestnut forests (on the slopes), the northern part includes mixed forests on podzolic soils, and the eastern part represents forest-steppe. This lower belt, which is most populated with vegetation, and has greatly changed its natural vegetation cover, is called the cultural belt of the Alps.
Conclusion
The name of the mountains in Austria has a curious historical basis. Each of them is associated with certain historical events or famous names.
The Austrian Alps are fabulously beautiful with magnificent flower meadows, green forests and blue glaciers and snow. During the hottest months of summer, mountain snow begins to melt particularly rapidly here, which contributes to the occurrence of large floods. Thanks to them, the water surface level on the Danube sometimes rises to 8-9 meters.
