Austria Holidays 2012

With its rich and dramatic history taking a trip to Austria isn’t something that you will soon forget. Not only does Austria have some of the most beautiful landscape in the world, imagine the snow-lined Alps, but the landscape is also marked with numerous historical landmarks.

The Grossglockner Alpine Road has been visited by over 50 million people who want to see the breathtaking views it provides. Following this road will lead you up to the highest mountain in Austria, which is also the home of the largest glacier.

Places to visit

Vienna, which is the capital of Austria, is one of the top ten places to visit on your vacation. Many people flock to Vienna because it is one of the most historic cities in Europe, but it is also the birthplace of many of Austria’s most well known rulers and musical composers.

While in Vienna make sure you stop in at St. Stephen’s Cathedral and the Vienna Woods. If you are in Austria during the winter you will want to come check out Innsbruck because its superb skiing location. Innsbruck is located in between two huge mountains, which provide visitors for with numerous skiing and snowboarding opportunities.

The Eisriesenwelt caves with their amazing rock and ice formations are something that shouldn’t be missed. The underground waterfall can actually take your breath away.

Local Cuisine

One of the best things about the Austrian cuisine is how diversified it is. Austrian cuisine has been influenced over the years by a variety of different cultures, including Italian, Bavarian, Czech, and Hungarian.

The one thing that Austria is known for throughout the world is its pastries and other desserts. One of the most popular desserts is the vannilekipferl, which is usually made around Christmas but can be found throughout the year in many Vienna coffee shops. Tortes and chocolates are some other popular desserts in the region.

Aside from the vannilekipferl, the one dish that you must try is the apfelstrudel, which is the most widely known strudel. This strudel is filled with apples, sugar, cinnamon, raisins, and breadcrumbs.

Climate

With mainly a continental climate, Austria has very cold winters and sunny and hot summers. During the winter some nights the temperatures will drop as low as 0 degrees Fahrenheit, while during the summer some days will get as hot as 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

The months of January and February are the coldest of the year, while July and August are the hottest.

When to visit

The best time to visit Austria based on the climate is really going to depend on what you want to do. If you plan to visit the Alps for some of the best skiing in the world you will want to come between the December to late March, with the time between Christmas and New Year’s Eve being the best.

If you want to enjoy hiking in the Alps you should make plans to visit anywhere from May to September.