is a dream country for most travelers. Where is Austria? Although it may sound comic to ask where is Austria because this central European country is so popular. You will find many historical places in Austria during your travel to Austria. When you travel to Vienna, you can visit Vienna's historical places such as Schonbrunn or Belvedere palaces, etc. In this article, you will read about the best historical places in Austria to visit. Also, you will know that where is Austria, why to travel to Austria, what are the best places to visit in Austria, what are the most beautiful places in Austria, etc.
The Schonbrunn Palace
One of the most known castles in Europe and Austria's most beautiful places is probably the Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna. If you are looking for historical places in Vienna, you will quickly find them. Schonbrunn Palace is not only the top sight in Vienna, but it is also one of the best historical places to visit in Austria. After all, it is the castle where, temporarily lived, the world-famous Empress Sisi with her husband, Franz Joseph I. Therefore, it is a place of pilgrimage for Sisi fans and nostalgics from all over the world. You can visit the originally furnished imperial staterooms in Schonbrunn Palace and get an authentic impression of how lordly the Habsburgs once lived. You can roam through huge halls with ornate ceilings, large wall paintings, and golden ornaments on your castle tour. Just as impressive as the palace's interior, built in the 17th century, is the palace park, which, together with Schonbrunn Palace, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The impressive park is open and freely accessible all year round. Some parts of the garden, such as the Crown Prince Garden, the Orangery Garden, the Maze, or the Animal Garden, are chargeable.
The Hohensalzburg Fortress
One of the best places to visit in Austria associated with Salzburg is probably the Hohensalzburg Fortress. The Hohensalzburg Fortress is the landmark of Salzburg, one of the most important historical places in Austria and impressive testimony to Austrian architecture history. The fortress was built in 1077. Afterward, it was rebuilt again, but its extension of around 7000 square meters of the built-up area reached in the 12th to 13th centuries. It is the largest preserved castle in Central Europe. It attracts over a million visitors every year. Today the Hohensalzburg Fortress is a popular museum that gives you an insight into ancient rulers' days. Visit the prince's room with its detailed wall and ceiling decorations, the torture chamber, or the salt magazine. The most beautiful place is the golden room with the richly designed tiled stove and the starry sky ceiling. You can visit the outdoor area and many of the rooms by yourself. For some parts of the castle, however, you have to book a guided tour. With the funicular, you come comfortably up to the fortress. It runs every 10 minutes. Of course, you can also do the ascent on foot.
Stephen's Cathedral
If you travel to Vienna to see Austria's historical sights, you cannot miss St. Stephen's Cathedral. It is probably the most famous church in all of Austria. The St. Stephen's Cathedral stands on Stephan Square and has been the cathedral since 1365. The "Steffl," as the locals call it, was built in the 12th century. Four towers adorn its outer facade, with the south tower being the highest at around 136 meters. You may climb to the top of the tower, and after 343 steps, you have a beautiful view over Vienna. The Gothic church building enchants its visitors with a richly decorated facade, and an imposing design in the Baroque style awaits you inside. Some parts are still preserved from the Middle Ages. For example, the graceful figure of the "Servant Mother of God" from 1280 and 1320. To fully understand the history and architecture of the cathedral, it is worth taking a guided tour. Depending on your interests, various guided tours are offered that cost around 6 euros.
The Belvedere Palace
Among the historical places in Vienna, the Belvedere Palace is worth visiting. The complex consisted of the Upper Belvedere and the Lower Belvedere and was built between 1697 and 1723. Today it houses the most important collection of Austrian art from the Middle Ages to the present day. International artists also work, such as Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, and Max Beckmann. The Belvedere palace complex is a beautiful baroque complex and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. But not only the architecture of the two buildings and the exhibits are unique. The large garden is also a real highlight. It was laid out as early as 1700 and is, therefore, the oldest part of the palace complex. You will find a total of 12 wells in the garden. The sculptures show the ascent from the underworld to Olympus because of the geographic location of the park. That is why Upper Belvedere is around 23 meters higher than Lower Belvedere.
The Old Linz Cathedral
After your travel to Vienna, you can head to Linz, the capital of Upper Austria, and there are Austria's sights in abundance. One of them is the old cathedral. As the cathedral is officially called, the Ignatius Church was built between 1669 and 1678 and is particularly worth seeing because of its high altar. It was made by Giovanni Colombo and is a true masterpiece. It shows the assumption of Mary into heaven. Another highlight is the pulpit. At the four corners of this, there are angel pods and the four evangelists. In the middle of the pulpit is Jesus with the globe as a herald and a statue of John the Baptist. The third highlight is the old cathedral is the Bruckner organ. It dated from 1770 and was built into the cathedral at the end of 1790. When Anton Bruckner was employed there as the cathedral organist between 1856 and 1867, he gradually redesigned the organ according to his wishes. These Linz sights are also known and popular excursion destinations in Austria: The Voestalpine Stahlwelt, the Donaulande, the Ars Electronica Center, and the old and inner-city historic houses. Especially in summer, you have great Austria sights at hand with the many art festivals in Linz.
The Getreidegasse
The Getreidegasse will lead you back to Austria's sights in Salzburg and the immediate vicinity of Mozart's birthplace. Getreidegasse in Salzburg is one of Salzburg's most popular shopping streets to visit during your travel to Austria. It is particularly famous as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's birthplace address, which is located at 9 Getreidegasse. Also, the high house facades and the many wrought-iron guild signs make this street special. Another special feature of Getreidegasse is the through houses. Through these passages, you can get to public places or smaller courtyards. The most famous of the passages is in Getreidegasse 3. From there, you get to University Square. In a dark niche, you will find a relief design of the Madonna with the baby Jesus. Incidentally, the name Getreidegasse has nothing to do with the street's earlier function. The street used to be called Tabe- or Travgasse, which comes from horses' running or trotting. Over the years, this became Tragasse or Traidgasse and finally Getreidegasse. Salzburg's trip is also a good idea if you want to visit the many beautiful sights in Austria in winter because Austria is particularly charming in winter.
Hallstatt
Hallstatt is at the top of the most beautiful places in Austria. Hallstatt is a small village and one of Austria's sights that is not so popular among tourists. The community, which has only 780 inhabitants, counts around 1 million tourists per year - most of them from Asia. Reason for the hype: Hallstatt is, like on a kitschy cliche postcard, extremely picturesque on Lake Hallstatt and the mountain's slope. It perfectly reflects the stereotypical notions of what Austria looks like. Alexander von Humboldt already called Hallstatt the "most beautiful lake town in the world," and he is right. Not for nothing is Hallstatt and its surroundings a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Hallstatt is internationally known as the most famous village globally and is so popular in China that a true-to-original copy of this Austrian landmark exists.
The 1000-year-old Oak
At first, you might not believe that the old oak tree, which seems inconspicuous at first glance, is one of the best sights in Austria in the middle of a meadow. However, this special oak is the oldest of the 1000-year-old oaks in Europe. In the municipality of Bad Blumau in Styria, you will find the imposing tree, which has probably seen more human history than all of us put together. The oak is about 30 meters high and has an extension of 50 meters in its crown. It takes seven adults to make up their tribe. In the past, the place under the oak was a dance and meeting place.
