Hotels & Resorts in Austria

Imperialism found its seat in Austria, and with it came an elegant yet opulent way of life: a fostering of culture and intellectual discourse, a gracious appreciation of the finer things in life. Grand European tradition is at its best here; to visit Austria is to take a step back into a glorious era of august gentility. In Vienna, coffeehouse culture is as alive and well today as it was during Sigmund Freud’s time. The celebrated Viennese Philharmonic, performers at the Vienna State Opera House, and the Vienna Boys’ Choir, a 500-year-old Austrian legacy, still pay homage to the songs of the golden age of Mozart, Shubert, Liszt, Strauss, and Bruckner, composers whose works lead the feet of waltzers during the lavish balls held annually for 200 years. The Lipizzaner horses canter to their own dances at the Spanish Riding School, located in the Imperial Palace grounds of the powerful Habsburg royal family, not far from the 150-year-old Ringstraße, a circular boulevard marked with architecturally striking museums, palaces, parks, and restaurants serving cuisine ubiquitous to the city, from wiener schnitzel and tafelspitz to the Linzer torte, apfelstrudel, croissants, sachertorte, and other pastries that influenced the patisseries of France.

Just afield stands the majestic Schönbrunn Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the most frequented attraction in Austria. Fine dining, dramatic views, a baroque zoo, furnished rooms, a labyrinth, the Children’s Museum, and more make a day not nearly long enough to spend here. Even farther is Mozart’s birthplace of Salzburg, as well known as the setting for The Sound of Music as for its famous son. The eye is easily dazzled here: the Austrian Alps command attention skyward while glassine lakes, charming storefronts and homes in the Old Town, and gardens of the Schloss Mirabell, bring the gaze back down to beautiful earth.