Austria is situated in the heart of Europe and is largely dominated by the Alps (70%). In the north lies the Danube River. Characteristic of the Austrian landscape are mountains, forests, rivers and numerous lakes. In both summer and winter it is a very popular holiday destination. You can hike through the woods and mountains and enjoy the water. Culture vultures can visit cities such as Vienna and Salzburg. In winter Austria is a great destination for skiing.
Vorarlberg is the westernmost part of Austria. Lake Constance is a major attraction here. Bregenz is a town on Lake Constance. It is famous for the Bregenzer Festspeile, a performing arts festival held every July and August since 1946. It presents a variety of musical and theatrical performances in several venues, including the Lake Stage, a floating stage on Lake Constance. In summer, enjoy the Silvretta Hochalpenstrasse (the Silvretta High Alpine Road), one of the most beautiful mountain roads in the Alps. In this area you will also find a number of ski resorts including: Montafontal, Brandtnertal, Lechtal Alps, Kleinwalsertal and the Bregenzer Wald.
Tyrol is particularly well-known for its many skiing facilities. The Tyrol is what people usually think of when they visualize skiing in Austria. The ski areas here include, but are not limited to: -Innsbruck, Alpbach, St Anton, Obergurgl, Kirchberg and Scheffau. As 70% of Austria is covered by mountains, skiing is possible most places, sometimes even in summer! The Paznauntal (particularly suitable for advanced skiers), the Oberinntal, Oetztal (even in summer), the Stubaital (even in summer) and the Zillertal (also summer skiing) are popular ski areas. The areas south of the Inntal are ideal for downhill skiing. Tyrol is also popular in summer because of its excellent hiking trails. Innsbruck is also worth a visit especially for its historic old town with The Golden Roof (built by Archduke Frederich IV in the 15th century for Emperor Maximillian I).
Salzburg is another interesting place to visit while in Austria. The city of Salzburg is a beautiful city with many attractions. For example, there is the Hohensalzburg Castle, one of the longest medieval castles in Europe; the Salzburg Cathedral; Mirabell Gardens and Mozart's birthplace which is now a museum. In the summer the Salzburg Festival is also lots of fun. Salzkammergut is a resort area popular in both summer and winter. The main lakes include the Wolfgangsee, the Traunsee, the Attersee, Mondsee and the Hallstättersee. Spa Bad Ischl is the main tourist place in this region and contains the former summer residence of Emperor Franz Josef. Pinzgau is best known ski resort in the region with the towns of Zell am See and Kaprun. This is an excellent ski area. Saalbach-Hinterglemm and Königsleiten make up the Ski-Circus area. Pongau lies east of Pinzgau and is also a good ski area.
Carinthia is particularly popular with tourists in summer for its numerous lakes and nice weather. Villach is a major attraction with its healing springs. The Grossglockner (3797m) is the highest mountain in Austria and lies on the border of Carinthia and Salzburg. The city of Klagenfurt has an interesting historic old town and Renaissance castle.
Vienna is the capital of Austria. This city has lots to offer in the way of sights and attractions. St. Stephen's Cathedral, Schoenbrunn Palace, Belvedere Palace and the Hofburg are just a few examples. The Prater is a large amusement park in the city. For horse lovers there is the Hofburg. This is the former palace of the Habsburgs. Today, in addition to being the official residence of the President of Austria, it houses the Spanish Riding School and stables for the Lipizzaner horses, among other things. In addition to all the sites of Vienna, there are a number of excursions possible in the vicinity of Vienna.
For traveling in/to Austria, you will need an autobahn vignette (toll road sticker). These can be purchased at the ANWB and GWK in the Netherlands, or you can buy one at the border.