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.

Food & drink

Austria has a culture with a strong emphasis food, drink and entertainment and this is especially true in Vienna. Austrian cuisine embraces its Austro-Hungarian origins and the central European influence is stronger than in Germany. There is often debate about whether certain dishes are German or Austrian, but food has few modern borders.

The most visible cuisine in many parts of Austria is Italian, so fans of pizza and pasta are in a good place. Italian dishes are generally reasonably priced.

Vegetarian & vegan food

Given its history, Vienna seems an unlikely vegetarian haven. But in 2021 accommodation rental database Nestpick rated Vienna the fourth-best city in the world for vegetarians out of the 200 in its survey. It’s reputedly the best in Austria for vegans too and the Veganderlust and Veggies Abroad lists of vegan restaurants suggest considerable variety.

Vegetarian and vegan options increasingly appear on general restaurant menus, even those specialising in Italian food.
Veganmania or Vegan Planet festivals based on street food take place a few times times a year in Vienna as well as in other large cities. There are even Vienna vegan icecream bars. 

Bakeries

There is no shortage of fast food in Austria, but the field is dominated by bakeries targeting people on the go. A recent count found more than 650 Austrian bakery retail outlets, whether chain affiliates or independently owned. Under this formula, rolls, sandwiches, pastries, coffee and cool drinks are sold in high-traffic areas, especially rail stations. This suggests a greater concentration of bakeries in Austria than in Germany.
Bakeries also cater increasingly for vegetarian tastes.

Of the chains, Anker has more than 100 bakeriesaround Vienna and the east of Austria, as well as a few in Bratislava. In and around Vienna, Ströck and the Der Mann chain have more than 70 outlets each. Bäckerei Felber has about a dozen Vienna outlets. The German Le Crobag, BackWerk and Heberer brands are less common in Austria.

Austrian dishes

The definitive Wiener schnitzel is made from a veal cutlet, breaded and usually served with lemon. Other schnitzel dishes are common, made with pork (Schweineschnitzel) and chicken (Hänchen).
Tafelspitz is beef boiled in spiced broth and served with potatoes and, usually horseradish.

Würstl or Würstchen looks something like a hot-dog sausage or frankfurter (which often precedes the name) but is longer. It is usually made of cured pork. As street food, it is eaten in bread with mustard or horseradish.

Käsespätzle, also popular in southern Germany, is widespread in the west of Austria. The basis is pasta noodles served with cheese.