The most beautiful cities in Austria

Welcome to one of Europe’s most beautiful countries. Austria’s landscapes, regions and townscapes provide almost the full range of European variety in the centre of the continent. Austria is often associated, rightly, with winter sports, but there is so much more on offer. Its alpine areas are rugged and picturesque, but that’s far from being the whole story.

Events

Austria's events calendar includes cultural festivals that attract travellers from all over the world. In Austria, music is the always the chief attraction.

Wiener Eistraum

From mid-January to early March, on Rathausplatz and Rathauspark, rinks and skate trails are set up and attract hundreds of thousands of skaters to Vienna. Skate hire is available and discount tickets can be booked online.

Wiener Festwochen

This period of five or six weeks in May and June is devoted to theatre, performance, dance, music and fine arts with an emphasis on innovation. The festival is launched with a free open-air launch concert on Rathausplatz.

Salzburger Festspiele

Operas, concerts, recitals and German and Classical dramas begin in mid-July and run into late August. Lead-up performances begin in mid-May.

Bregenzer Festspiele

From mid-July to mid-August there are concerts, theatre, workshops and other stage performances. The highlight is an opera spectacular in the open air by Lake Constance, an event that has a history going back to 1946.

Veganmania

At the end of May and early June, a free four-day street food festival takes place at MuseumsQuartier, where food is available long into the evening. A bigger Veganmania event takes place late in August (at Donauinsel, with a market and entertainment) and others in early October and in other cities.

Vienna Pride

Early in June there is a rainbow parade on the Ringstraße that attracts about 200,000 people. Other events include a pride run.

Donauinselfest

The open-air free music festival, reputedly Europe's largest, takes place in mid-June. It is, oddly, hosted by a political party. From multiple stages, the performances are mostly contemporary music but the Wiener Philharmoniker also gives a performance. Food is also available.

Afrika Tage

More than two weeks of events on Donauinsel include music, food and arts and crafts as well as a focus on social issues.

Grafenegg Festival

From mid-August a four-weekend indoor-outdoor orchestral concert festival at Schloß Grafenegg near Krems features international conductors.

Viennale

Vienna's film festival fills cinemas every October with a program of international features and shorts, many retrospective. Most films are in English original versions or have English subtitles.

Ars Electronica Festival

This technology-based event in Linz in early September relates art and technology to the future of society.

International Brucknerfest Linz and Linzer Klangwolke

The music festival honours the Linz composer throughout September and into October. The celebrations include a free open-air multimedia and musical event at Donaupark Linz catering for fans of modern music and adding visual effects.

Lange Nacht der Museen

Traditionally on the first Saturday in October, one ticket allows admission for a night to more than 600 Austrian museums, which stay open as late as 1am, often with sepcial exhibitions.